This summer time, we launched round 250 new types of glassware to our Store. (Possibly you’ve launched some to your property, too?) With such attractive vessels for cocktails coming via our brand-new Brooklyn HQ, we determined to interrupt within the house and have some enjoyable whereas capturing these glasses in motion. So, naturally, we invited just a few of our native Food52 neighborhood members over for a cocktail social gathering and photoshoot.

The occasion was an opportunity for us to fulfill a few of our Food52ers in actual life, give them a tour of our 21,000-square-foot house within the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and naturally, take photos of our visitors attempting out our latest coupes, highballs, and tumblers. “That human ingredient provides a lot,” stated our Artwork Director Molly FitzSimons. “It brings a shot to life, actually.”

The shoot additionally gave us excuse to pattern cocktails made by our latest resident cocktail skilled, Harper Fendler, who flew in from Maine for the occasion. Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser even stopped by throughout her newest episode of Amanda’s Founder Information.

Utilizing Harper’s professional ideas, plus our playlist, recipes, and glassware suggestions, we invite you to steal a few of these concepts on your subsequent cocktail social gathering.

First, it’s all about setting the suitable vibe on your cocktail social gathering. Our Studio Assistant Elvin Abril curated an ideal playlist heavy on ’70s and ’80s classics that you simply’re welcome to make use of as your personal. As soon as the playlist is queued up, you’re prepared to start!

Harper chosen 4 drinks—two that he developed, plus two basic cocktails. Right here is how he paired them with our glassware:

Our Senior Meals Stylist Anna Billingskog assembled a gorgeous cheese board and ready a summery menu of small bites together with:

The Ice Breaker

To crush ice for a cocktail just like the swizzle, Harper recommends wrapping cubes in a kitchen towel, not a plastic bag that may break. Then go to city and smack the ice with a rolling pin, reserving a bit ice to pile on prime like a snow cone. Don’t fear for those who’re too busy internet hosting your social gathering to pulverize ice for each drink—that is an easy-to-explain chore that you may hand off to a visitor who is raring to assist.

Do not Over Muddle

You’ve seemingly sipped many cocktails with herbaceous bits of mint or basil floating in them, however that form of aggressive muddling isn’t vital (and even interesting). For Harper’s blackberry mint sparkler, you simply shake the basil and mint with the ice to precise these flavors—no muddling required. You may also launch an herb’s perfume simply by slapping the leaves towards your hand. (Slapping and rubbing the leaves between your palms will solely unfold the essence in your palms, not the drink.) To coax the notes of mint into the Queens Park swizzle, he locations the leaves within the base of the glass along with the straightforward syrup and flippantly faucets them with a muddler reasonably than pounding them to items. Harper reached for the French rolling pin that occurred to be readily available after crushing the ice, however you should utilize a traditional muddler at residence!

Stations, Please

In the event you’re going to serve a number of drinks, create stations for every one. Additionally, make the meeting straightforward by batching drinks forward of time and setting out garnishes for visitors to DIY. That means not everyone seems to be crowding over the identical spot, and, stated Harper, “it retains you from being the designated drink maker.”

Say hey to our first neighborhood members to go to our new residence within the Brooklyn Navy Yard:

Elizabeth Lande, Food52 neighborhood member since 2018

What do you do? My ardour is appearing, however I do actual property.

Your favourite cocktail or mocktail: I feel a extremely good margarita goes a great distance.

Your favourite drink from the shoot: The Final Phrase. It was actually uncommon and complicated and it had substances I’d by no means had earlier than. And it didn’t look troublesome to make.

The very best tip that you simply realized from Harper: To not be nervous about being daring along with your drinks. He’s not afraid to combine issues up a bit. I realized to have extra enjoyable with it and be inventive.

Your favourite snack from the shoot: That’s straightforward: the furikake Chex combine.

Your favourite glassware from the occasion: The primary one [the Estelle Sunday Collection Lowball]. I believed that was actually stunning. Then somebody handed me a extremely enjoyable blue glass with white spots on it [the Zafferano Perle Tumbler]. I believed this is able to be nice to have in your home in many alternative colours. It was colourful and didn’t take itself too critically.

Your favourite Food52 buy: The bread basket that I really like [The Guzzini Recycled Tierra Bread Box], the one with the wooden prime. It’s so stunning and effectively designed and helpful. The lid is a chopping board if you flip it over.

Bridgett Lindsey, Food52 neighborhood member since 2015 (although she started studying Food52 in 2010)

What do you do? My passions are meals and journey, and if I might have a job the place I mixed the 2, I might. I work for a communications and advertising company.

Your favourite cocktail: Caipirinha, my all-time favourite cocktail.

Your favourite cocktail from the shoot: I’m torn between the mocktail and the Final Phrase—it was surprisingly refreshing and so flavorful.

Finest tip that you simply realized from Harper: The muddling. I’ve been doing it fallacious all this time. You don’t should smash it. I realized a lot in such a brief time frame, the way you launch the flavors of issues in a sure means.

Your favourite snack: The Chex combine.

Your favourite glassware: The mocktail glassware. I really like the scalloped edge. The Store is so effectively curated, however it’s curated to be useful. I’m at all times discovering one thing new and it by no means appears out of attain or too treasured. (See all of Bridgett’s favourite glassware from the shoot.)

Duncan Fitzpatrick, Food52 neighborhood member since 2021

What do you do? I’m a meals stylist and chef. My ardour is meals. Cooking it, serving it to family members and mates, and final however not least, consuming it.

Favourite cocktail: A Negroni. Any type, sort, or variation. I really like all of them!

Favourite cocktail from the shoot: Bourbon Strawberry Spritz.

Finest tip that you simply realized from Harper: Muddling mint into the syrup first earlier than including the remainder of the cocktail substances. That means the flavour infuses with the entire drink.

Favourite snack: I LOVED the Chex combine!

Favourite glass: The coupe—they at all times elevate a cocktail.

Your favourite Food52 recipes: Throughout the pandemic it was the no-knead sourdough bread. However these days, I’m a sucker for the Rao’s Meatballs recipe and my spouse loves the straightforward brine for pork chops—we have now it virtually each week.