Mason Jar Cocktails for Your Summer Parties (+ recipes!)

Planning a summer shindig? Serve up some mason jar cocktails that your guests can grab and sip with no messy mixing.

I love summer, you guys! The days of feeling cold no matter how many layers I'm wearing? Dunzo! It's shorts and sandals weather, and that means backyard summer parties! I've been getting really into cocktails lately, but at a party that can be a messy situation. Drunk people mixing liquids equals sticky spills that bake onto your table in the hot sun. Save the mess and wow your guests with these mason jar cocktails instead!

This idea was inspired by the photo above, from Flickr user Kelly Teague. Doesn't that cooler full of mason jars look pretty and refreshing? All you need now is a cocktail recipe that will fill them up. Unless you want folks getting wasted, I'd go with half-pint mason jars for boozy beverages. A half pint is one cup, the perfect size for serving up cocktails.

Worried that your guests are going to leave those lids and rings all over the place? Just stick a big bowl next to the cooler with a label on it, so they have a convenient place to stick the lids, and you'll have an easier cleanup later. You might want to do the same thing for the empty jars. Put a bucket or a tray out where folks can stick their empties to save you wrangling empty mason jars the next day.

If you're not sure what to serve, I've got a few cocktail recipe suggestions for you. Like I said, I've been getting into cocktails lately, and over on my personal site I'm featuring a different cocktail recipe every Friday. Some are my own recipes and some come from friends who have been kind enough to share their tried-and-tested drink recipes with me.

Mason Jar Cocktails: Recipe Ideas

One caveat about these: since you're mixing your cocktails up in advance, I'd skip the ice in the jar, because the ice is going to melt and water down your lovingly-prepared drinks. Boo! Just serve them up instead of on the rocks, and you're golden.

1. The Sunshower - This is a lighter-tasting take on the Dark and Stormy.
2. Pickled Peach Bellini - You can put the pickled peaches right into the jars or serve them on the side.
3. Stone Fruits and Ginger Sangria - White sangria is so summery and delicious!
4. Fruity Fizz - This drink doesn't have any booze, but it's a great way to have non-alcoholic drinks that feel more special than water or sugary soda pop.

Do you have a favorite cocktail recipe that would look good served up in a mason jar? Tell me yours in the comments!

Image Credits: Remixed Creative Commons photo by Jinx!; Sunshower Cocktail photo by Becky Striepe