A camper’s guide to outdoor cocktails

Anyone who’s spent the night outdoors knows that fresh air and fireside chats have the mystical power to make everything taste better. And that goes double for cocktails: libations sipped by a bubbling brook, passed around a campsite surrounded by trees, or poured with mountains in the background just seem to be more delicious.

Putting together tasty cocktails in the great outdoors takes a bit more prep and planning than slinging martinis at your backyard wet bar. So here are some tips and tricks on how to do it right, and two mouth-watering recipes that will surely impress your camp companions.

The same goes for drinking glasses. There is an abundance of specialty cocktail vessels made of steel or aluminum that are designed for the outdoors, but any metal or plastic cup will do. Alternatively, you can mix up cocktails in advance and keep them in a flask or a water bottle until it’s time to chill and pour. As you might imagine if you’ve ever had a pre-mixed cocktail, it’ll never be quite as good as freshly mixed one. But it’s incredibly practical, especially when you need to carry all your tools and ingredients on your back. Add ice and garnishes in individual serving cups once you’ve set up camp.

Speaking of ice, keep it frozen by placing some in a vacuum-insulated bottle or a portable insulated ice bucket. If you need it to last more than a few hours, fill a cooler with dry ice to keep regular cubes frozen for longer. If you prefer a more natural, less bulky method, Ludlow Dawes, senior brand manager of Stillhouse, a distillery that packages its spirits in steel cans designed for outdoor adventure, suggests keeping beverages chilled by sealing them properly and then placing them in a cold river or stream.

Next, streamline your cocktail menu, tools, and ingredients. Start by choosing one or two simple cocktails that only require a handful of components and let the alcohol shine. If you plan on making several different drinks, select recipes that have similar elements so you can optimize the process. When it comes to your gear, Dawes recommends picking a single beloved mixer to bring along for ultimate simplicity. Finally, if your cocktails feature fresh fruit juices, stick with something simple and easily portable like lemon and lime. You can even squeeze the juice out in advance and pack it in a reusable plastic bottle.

And don’t forget to leave no trace, meaning dispose of everything correctly when you head home. That includes peels, rinds, and empty cans and bottles. If you brought it into the outdoors, take it with you when you leave.

Fir needles paired with lemon juice, gin, and tonic water can add a refreshing mountain twist to a gin and tonic. Wild mint, sugar, and bourbon make an easy mint julep and foraged lavender, and blueberries make for excellent additions to your outdoorsy cocktails. To add a sweet and smokey touch to your libations, use your campfire to grill pineapple and citrus. 

You can also turn a campsite classic into a boozy variation by putting together a s’more martini—just use chocolate liquor, cream, and vanilla-flavored vodka, and garnish it with chocolate syrup, graham crackers, and a golden-brown roasted marshmallow.

Strain the mixture into a cup with ice. To garnish, top with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon. If you like, add a slice of grilled apple, and a cinnamon stick. Enjoy cold.

Alternatively, serve this cocktail as a hot apple toddy by warming the apple cider, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick over the campfire. Stir to combine. Strain and transfer the ingredients to an insulated mug. To finish, add the whiskey and garnishes.

[Related: Craft herbaceous homemade drinks with simple syrup infusions]