Entertaining Friday: Theme Cocktails

Maybe it's the sorority girl in me, but I love love love theme nights. I'll jump at any excuse to dress up and buy ridiculous accessories that, after one use, will end up in the party closet (and yes, that is how Cooper ended up with a pair of chaps a few weeks ago).

And what's a theme party without a specialty cocktail? In fact, what's any random Saturday night without a specialty cocktail? For me, this summer (so far) has been defined by the John Daly and the grapefruit crush. But we've got a lot of summer left ahead of us, a lot of drinks to try, and a lot of outfits and appetizers to pair with those drinks.

As a part of his regular effort to keep me apprised of fun events in the Boston area, our friend Ocean Spray Brad sent me this link earlier in the week, with a quick note that it made him think of "the MD crew." Boston.com asked bartenders from around the city to submit a favorite summertime cocktail. The result is a collection of ten delicious-sounding drinks, each begging for a theme night of its own.

My favorite is the cilantro gimlet from Ecco on Porter Street. It sounds like a fun, slightly upscale, alternative to a margarita - and isn't it pretty? Looks to me like a perfect match for a batch of Alicia's guac and a few of Jen's quesadillas. In other words, the perfect sitting-outside-on-a-summer-night drink.

And that's a theme night I can always get behind.