Now is the time of year to take everything outside: picnics, cookouts and parties, of course! With a couple of the new VitaFrute cocktails by VEEV in hand, I joined Sarah at her house and played bartender for some friends. Here are the lessons we learned! 1) Utilize a huge tray. Carrying out all the stemware, garnishes, drinks, glasses, dinner plates and grilling ingredients took several trips from the back deck all the way through the house to the kitchen. By our third trip we had the bright idea to use a tray to help us carry. It was also very helpful when it was time to clean up. Trays are not just for decorating coffee tables : ) 
2) Bring out three times as much ice as you think you need. On a warm summer evening our ice melted fast, and we had to use the above tray to run back for more a few times for more. With ice in both the shaker and glasses, we went through a lot of it! Fill your ice bucket to the brim – I promise you’ll need it all. 
3) Don’t be afraid of pre-made cocktails
I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to pre-made drinks, but the VitaFrute™ line are all so delicious and refreshing. And, pre-made means less time playing bartender and more time spent with catching up with friends. I love that there was nothing artificial inside – the ingredient list is as simple as if you mixed it yourself. The VitaFrute™ line is all- natural, ready-to-drink cocktails with simple ingredient lists including VEEV Açaí Spirit and fruit juices. All you need to make a Lemonade, a Cosmo, Margarita or Coconut Colada is pour over ice and add any garnishes you like!
4) Use fresh fruit and herbs for garnish. I picked up some lemons, lime, orange, basil and mint to fancy up our drinks and they made each sip so fragrant! A little touch that goes a long way in the garnish department. 
5) Set up a bluetooth speaker. Out on the deck we didn’t have access to the house’s music, but a little bluetooth speaker did the trick!! We just hooked up our phones and had nice background music the whole evening. Luckily you can find inexpensive speakers everywhere these days. 6) Stock up on citronella – and deer repellent! Of course after dark the skeeters started to come out, so we were glad to have a big citronella candle. But most importantly – this deer tried to steal a Cosmo for himself. He was not of drinking age so we turned him away! 
After our cocktail hour, we dined on grilled wild salmon with asparagus and smashed potatoes. That’s my last tip – grilled food rules! 
Check this video out for a cute intro to the cocktails!
Disclosure: This post was brought to you by VitaFrute™ Cocktails by VEEV® and SheKnows
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
Yum! I love a good cocktail party!
Linda @ TheFitty says
I need a Bluetooth speaker! For my workouts, especially. 🙂
Melissa says
Those cocktails look so awesome!
Em says
Hi Kath, what do they taste like? Which was your favourite?
KathEats says
They taste a lot like the similar drinks you’d make! Very fresh, which is why I was impressed (normally premade drinks taste fake and are made with Splenda and things – these are all natural). My favorite was the coconut colada!
Elyse says
I’ll be keeping these tips in my back pocket for when I need them! Thanks for sharing.
jen says
And when your big tray gets broken by your toddler (man I was bummed), a half sheetpan is a great tray substitute.
I’m still trying to figure out how to pull off a great picnic with 2 little ones effortlessly. I stink at picnics even though I love them. I run out of ideas after pbj and raw veggies/fruit. Guess I’ll have to keep practicing!
KathEats says
Haha….Love it
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties says
I love the tray idea! So much easier than carrying everything individually 🙂
Tonya says
I’m not a fan of pre-made mixes either. Not only are the ingredients not very healthy, they just make them taste syrupy and unnatural. Not to mention the weird coloring. LOL When I mix my own cocktail, I can control what goes in them and it tastes better.
These have me sold with the simple ingredient list. Are they sold in most stores? What flavors/mixes do they have?
Tonya says
Never mind I see the flavors above! I’ll take the Margarita and the Lemonade. lol
Courtney says
Hi Kath. Looks good! I love me some lemonade drinks! What is the alcohol content of these? One of my main reasons for staying away from pre made cocktails is that their alcohol content is less than a wine cooler!
KathEats says
I’m pretty sure they are 15% alcohol
Cassie says
I would love to host a party outside! I’m just not old enough to drink! XD
Adam Trainor says
I want to join this outdoor cocktail party. Now that summer is here I have said this on abother blog everyone is in a happier mood, we are getting the vitamin D we need!! I will have to try these VitaFrute. I’m not really a cocktail drinker an odd one I might have but when you have friends round and the BBQ is out its great to serve them up and like you said without playing bartender so I can enjoy my own BBQ party. I find that pre-made cocktail drinks you can buy from the store have alot of sugar in and added colour. I like to enjoy my drink and adding your own garnish is a great way to keep it natural.