Liz McCabe: My Favorite Cocktail Essentials

While hunting for my favorite summer entertaining items for the Perspectives section of the July-August issue of New England Home I came across many fun goodies for the bar but had to limit my selection to just one (you can read what I picked here). Fortunately, I can share some favorite cocktail essentials that didn’t make their way into the magazine, but are fabulous nonetheless!

A trip to Nantucket is never complete without a trip to Nantucket Looms. The store has recently moved from its prime Main Street location, but I still find divine "things" at The Looms. My latest find was this utilitarian Bar Roll. The Bar Roll is perfect for outdoor picnicking on a boat, or at the beach. Made from durable heavy-duty canvas with a leather tie and provisioned with all the bar tools you could wish for. Just grab it on the way out the door and be relaxed that you are not missing a thing…. but the actual liquid ingredients.

Photo courtesy of Nantucket Looms

What more could you want on a hot steamy day than these fabulous, over-scaled ice cube trays?  Use the trays to freeze fruit juices and mixers to add to your favorite summer cocktail. The trays are easy to fill, generous 2” square silicone trays. Reasonably priced and available in a variety of colors—they make a fun hostess gift. You can find them at Boston Shaker in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Photo courtesy of Tovolo

If you want to get creative with your cocktails try some of the recipes found in Colin Peter Field’s “The Cocktails from the Ritz of Paris.” Field is a former bartender at the famed Bar Hemingway and he shares recipes for some of the watering hole’s famous drinks.

Photo via Amazon

Everyone has a favorite tool, mine happens to be this muddler, a fabulous find from Boston Shaker. I use my muddler to make Caipirinha, made with cachaca, sugar cane and fresh mint.

Photo courtesy of Chris Gallagher

Outdoor Entertaining in New England seems to constantly be hampered by annoying outbursts of mosquitoes at dusk and beyond. I have found an all natural bug repellent that isn't sticky or smelly and the packaging is even attractive. Coined an "Insect Veil Spray", it is just that. Ingredients include catnip, lemongrass and wintergreen, etc. It is worth a try!!! Find it at Bartlett Farm on Nantucket. 

Photo courtesy of Bartlett Farm

Liz McCabe worked for F. Schumacher and Lisa Vandenburgh before starting her own firm in 1998. She enjoys gently guiding her clients to areas of design they may not have considered on their own. Liz McCabe Interior Design, Dedham, Mass., (781) 320-0514, lizmccabe.com