Summer is synonymous with music festivals. Whether you’re attending something more bluegrass-focused or a genre with more kick, sprucing up your festival experience with libations is an important decision that you want to get right. From beer to liquor and wine, here are some pairings for your festival experience to suit the vibe.

Lightning Bug Music Festival

The Lightning Bug Music Festival brings beauty, nature, and music together in a weekend-long bluegrass extravaganza. If you’re interested in suiting the ambiance of the venue, there are a few different options you can explore:

● Whiskey. With some of bluegrass’s origins in the Appalachian Mountains, moonshine can be a great addition to your festival journey. While authentic moonshine can’t be found legally, whiskey can certainly do the trick. Maker’s Mark is an excellent option for Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. For an earthier and more complex flavor, look for our Rittenhouse Whiskey or Bulleit Rye.

● Beer. Beer is a versatile option that can be enjoyed at any time, and the right variety can complement the atmosphere of a bluegrass festival. Abita’s Andygator features a light and crisp mouthfeel and grassy tasting notes. Saison’s are great seasonal choices for your festival needs. Snag a Saison Dupont to really capture those end-of-summer vibes.

● Cider. If you’re looking for something a little sweeter, give the cider a try. Ace Apple Cider features a clean finish and dark honey notes, while Crispin’s The Saint shows off a sweeter finish with just a touch of tartness.

Riot Fest

Riot Fest is another area favorite with a nostalgic lineup as well as up-and-comers. This year’s lineup promises to be a riot, so you want the drinks to go with the fun. Try these options for your Riot Fest experience:

● Vodka. Vodka is a great choice due to its versatility and fairly neutral flavor. You can mix it with just about anything to your taste, whether that’s juice or something with carbonation, and you can enjoy it responsibly all day long. Try our Indiana Vodka Honey Lemon for an interesting twist or stick with your favorite brand.

● Tequila. Nothing amps up a shindig like tequila. From a traditional Margarita to the bright flavors of a Paloma, nothing screams fun quite like tequila. Whether you’re a reposado lover or prefer the more aged Anejo tequilas, Payless Liquors has something for everyone. Try the Cazadores reposado or stick to Patron in a variety of ages and flavors.

● Ready-to-drink cocktails. Cocktails are excellent, but a cocktail that’s already prepared is even better. With perfect serving sizes, and perfect pours every time, ready-made cocktails are the perfect endnote to any music festival. Bols Ready to Enjoy Cocktail Tubes are not only tasty but also conveniently shaped for transport. They maximize flavor while minimizing space. On the Rocks Premium Cocktails are another great option. Carefully curated cocktails made by mixologists, On the Rocks are ready for your glass.

Get Ready for Summer Festivals

While many festivals don’t allow outside food or beverages, nothing stops you from a little pregame happy hour. If you’re camping out, you’ll want to keep your cooler ice cold and ready for your cocktails, and your body well hydrated. That means don’t forget the water and other N/A options too.

Keep your music festival experience as fun as it can be and shop Payless Liquors for all your beverage needs. We have over 20 locations around and outside of Indianapolis, and we’re ready to help you pick the perfect treats for your festival. Don’t forget our weekly ad if you need help picking out your perfect libation. Visit us today!

To pack for a picnic, put some club sandwiches, a seasonal fruit salad, and a delectable beverage in a cooler. There are a variety of delicious picnic drink recipes to suit every taste. Whether you’re a devoted Pimm’s Cup drinker or prefer a Kaliber NA beer, a good beverage might quickly transform your picnic from average to ideal. Try an excellent bottled cocktail or pack the basic ingredients and top them off with soda water once you’re seated and ready for a drink.

Cucumber G and T

You’ll never drink another traditional gin and tonic after trying our light spin on it. Four simple ingredients are all you need to make our beautiful elderflower and cucumber G&T. First, combine Thatcher’s Elderflower Liqueur, your favorite gin, and cucumber slices in a sealable container. When you’re ready to enjoy, top off the mixture with tonic water and enjoy this summery concoction.

Whether you prefer the heavy juniper flavors of a classic gin like Beefeaters or opt for something more citrusy like Whitley Neill, gin and summer go hand in hand.

Pimm’s Cup

Pimm’s Cup is an old standard from the 1840s. With the ageless combination of citrus flavors and a bite of ginger, a Pimm’s Cup is sure to please and will complement whatever goodies are packed in your picnic basket. The classic recipe requires just 2 ounces of Pimm’s and half an ounce of fresh lemon juice and is topped off with ginger ale. We recommend packing your glass with strawberries, mint, and a slice of orange and lemon to really amp up the essence of the cocktail.

Looking to mix up a twist on a classic? Add a splash of bourbon along with the rest of the recommended ingredients for a Southern twist on this bright recipe.

Simple Sangria

The best place to enjoy a bottle of pre-mixed sangria is on a tablecloth with a hotdog. This classic summer drink is easy to prepare and wonderful to share. Enjoy a cup of red wine, Spanish brandy, and diced fruit, topped with sparkling water, to celebrate the warm evenings.

Make sure to pick the correct wine, know which mixers to use, and choose some delectable optional additions for your sangria recipe. You could consider a lighter choice for a base like the Umberto Moscato, or even opt for a bubbly such as Chandon Brut for an effervescent spin. From there, pick out a variety of fruits like peaches and apples for a more exciting mix.

Aperol Spritz

For a picnic, there is no better drink than the Aperol Spritz. The Aperol Spritz is a traditional summer beverage that is bubbly, lemony, herbaceous, mildly bitter, and gently sweet. This beverage is well-known around the world and attained its peak popularity in the 2000s. This drink has its origins in the 1950s. For years, people have been captivated by this Italian drink,

and the buzz is justified. For a less bitter taste, opt for a little less Aperol and a little more prosecco. If you’re looking for the drink to be lighter and less boozy, up the amount of club soda, and cut back a little on the prosecco and Aperol. The best thing about the Aperol Spritz is it can be customized to your taste.

Shop for Your Picnic Cocktails Today

With summertime in full swing, your picnic basket is begging for you to bring along any of these beverages. From bright citrus notes to rich and mineral tastes, each concoction will highlight different palettes. We have a wide variety of liquors for you to choose from to make your favorite picnic cocktails. Shop Payless Liquors today!

Creating your own cocktails at home is a great way to experiment with different flavors and ingredients. This goes beyond using different liquors and mixers. If you are someone who enjoys gardening, odds are you’ve planted fresh herbs. These herbs can make a great addition to a variety of sauces, soups, and other food recipes. Herbs can also be an excellent addition to a number of different cocktails. Your home garden can have the fresh ingredients you need to kick any cocktail up a notch.

Mint

Mint is a refreshing herb that goes great in a number of different cocktails. Mint is most commonly recognized in a mojito. All you need to make a perfect mojito at home is fresh mint, simple syrup, clear rum, soda water, and lime. Just follow these steps to make a crisp and refreshing mojito:

• Place 2 limes, 4-5 mint leaves, and ½ ounce of simple syrup into the bottom of a glass. Simple syrup is sugar and hot water combined and cooled in equal parts. You’ll muddle these ingredients together
• Leave muddled ingredients at the bottom of the glass and fill with ice to the rim
• Add 2.5 ounces of rum to your glass
• Shake rum and ingredients together before adding soda water
• Add soda water and enjoy

Mint can also be used to create the classic Kentucky Derby cocktail, a Mint Julep. You’ll need bourbon, sugar (you can use your simple syrup), mint, and crushed ice. A Pimm’s Cup is another popular summer cocktail. Pimm’s is a gin-based liqueur that is commonly topped with ginger ale and garnished with mint, cucumber, and other veggies and fruit.

Basil

Basil offers a savory-sweet flavor with a peppery edge. Basil can be added to almost any type of cocktail for an added flavor, especially for cocktails that are on the sweeter side. A popular cocktail option is the Pineapple Basil cocktail. To make this cocktail you’ll need:

• Place 4-5 basic leaves into a glass with freshly squeezed lime.
• Add ice to the top of the glass
• Add 1.5 ounces of your favorite gin
• Top with pineapple juice and club soda

You can also use basil to create a refreshing Strawberry Basil Lemonade. All you need for this cocktail is strawberry vodka, sliced strawberries, basil, and lemonade.

Rosemary

Rosemary provides piney notes that are great as an additive to the cocktail as well as a simple garnish. Rosemary does a great job of balancing out flavors. A Rosemary Greyhound is a light and refreshing drink that is perfect for summer. To create a rosemary greyhound, you’ll need:

• Place rosemary in your cocktail glass and top with ice.
• Add 1.5 ounces of your favorite vodka
• Top with grapefruit juice
• Shake and enjoy

Stop Into Payless Liquors

If you have the herbs, we have the liquor and mixes you need to create a summer cocktail that is fresh and satisfying. Herbs are a great way to experiment with your cocktails to awaken flavors you’d never suspect. You can stop into our store or use our pickup order form for on-the-go convenience.

There is just something about unwinding with a refreshing cocktail in the hot summer months. Whether you are soaking up the sun while enjoying a good book or making a splash in the pool, the best way to cool off is with sangria. Sangria is a light and refreshing cocktail that typically includes a wine base, fresh fruit, and a mix of juices to create a drink so tasty you’ll forget it has alcohol. Sangria can be made with red or white wine. This creative cocktail is great for those who don’t consider themselves wine drinkers. When you’re looking for your next favorite summer cocktail, consider the classic yet versatile sangria.

Sangria History

It is believed that the concept of sangria originated more than 2,000 years ago when the Romans were expanding their reach and planting vineyards along the way. Water wasn’t safe to drink at the time, so it was often fortified with wine, spices, and herbs. The earliest version we are most familiar with was made in England and France in the 1800s. In the United States, sangria was popularized after its formal arrival at the 1965 World’s Fair in New York. Sangria is often associated with Spain but tends to be a more popular drink for tourists than natives.

Selecting Your Wine

The best part about making sangria is that the possibilities are truly endless. You’ll want to start by selecting your wine. A bold, fruity, dry wine is ideal, as is a crisp white wine. Since you can add numerous ingredients to a sangria, you can choose any affordable bottle of wine. Your wine selection should make up the bulk of your sangria.

Add Liquor

Many sangria recipes call for adding a bit of liquor to enhance the flavor. If you are working with red wine, brandy or rum will pair well with the flavor profiles of the wine. If you are working with white wine, a silver rum can work well, as can vodka. You should have one-part liquor to 2-3 parts of wine, depending on how strong you want your sangria to be.

Sweetener

Sangria cocktails tend to be on the sweeter side. This is achieved through the addition of fruit, as well as a sweetener. This could be brown sugar, cane sugar, or simple syrup. All you need to make simple syrup is equal parts sugar and hot water. This simple solution is a great additive to sangria, mojitos, and flavored margaritas. If you want to keep the sugar amount low, you can substitute agave nectar. You can also add citrus soda and other mixers to balance out the liquor and wine.

Fruit

You can’t go wrong when it comes to your fruit selection. Berries such as blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries make a perfect addition to a red wine sangria. Citrus fruit such as oranges and limes, as well as peaches, and grapes work well with white wine. You can even add mint when you want to add another layer of refreshment.

Experiment and Enjoy

There is no wrong way to create a sangria. If you add too much of one ingredient, you can compensate with another. Payless Liquor is a one-stop shop for all your ingredient needs. We can help you create the perfect sangria for your tastes. Stop into our store or use our convenient pickup-order form and we’ll have all you need ready to go.