A summer party is no time for mixing individual cocktails. That’s what’s called a buzzkill. Warm weather festivities demand easy food and even easier drinks. And we’ve got you covered.
We suggest starting with six baking sheets. Cover each with tortilla chips. Now start piling on toppings. Sausage on one, browned ground beef on another, thinly sliced steak on a third, maybe some barbecue chicken on another, and so on.
Next, pile different combinations of veggies and beans onto each. And don’t forget the jalapenos and olives. Finally, heaps and heaps of cheeses. Just as your guests arrive, pop a couple of these baking sheets into the oven. As they get all melty and delicious, pull them out, toss on some salsa and sour cream, then serve while a few pans more go in the oven. It’s party food that keeps you in the party, not in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, you’ll need some great pitcher-style cocktails to go with these platters of nachos. We picked a winner for you.
Hibiscus coolers
Start to finish: 20 minutes, plus chilling
Servings: 8
1 orange
4 dried hibiscus flowers or 8 hibiscus tea bags
1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cups water
3 cups cabernet sauvignon wine, preferably Mexican
1 cup fresh blackberries
4 ounces mezcal
Use a vegetable peeler to carefully strip off the zest from the orange (the outer orange layer of skin, but not the white pith beneath it). Place the zest in a medium saucepan. Juice the orange into a pitcher and set aside.
To the saucepan, add the hibiscus, sugar, cinnamon sticks and water. Bring to a simmer, then cover and remove from the heat. Allow to steep for 15 minutes. Once steeped, strain into the pitcher with a mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Add the wine, blackberries and mezcal to the pitcher. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve over ice.