What Makes For An Awesome Cookout?

After this cold, long, never-ending-it-seems winter has left us, it will be time to enjoy the warmer days. That’s when we set up the grill, get the pool ready, the lawns mowed, and send out the invites to family and friends. 

Yup, it will be time for outdoor fun and relaxation. And we all want the day of our first cookout to go smooth, right? So, what does it take for that to happen?   Well, first you need to make your plans now. That way you can stock up on the beverages and foods as they go on sale, even the meat, because that can be froze.

But your first cookout, in fact all your cookouts, shouldn’t be just about the food. There are other factors that you need to consider too. Here are just a few things that we thought of:

Beer, Softdrinks, Wine Coolers, and WATER!

Yeah, it’s probably a slim chance that the beer will be overlooked, but it is at the top of our list. But you should have other beverages to offer as well, such as soft drinks, wine coolers, and always have plenty of drinking water on hand. The hotter the temperatures, the more important it is to have plenty of water.

The Tools and Utensils

Cookout is considered by many as a ‘barbeque’ and this all means different things to different people. A barbeque or cookout is cooking burgers, chicken, etc. on the grill, such as Northeasterners. For those in the south, a barbeque or cookout means smoking your brisket for hours, maybe days. 

Whatever you call yours, barbeque or cookout, having the right tools and utensils is important. Check the ones from last year and make sure they have rusted. There is nothing worse than a rusty spatula bend in half and that first hamburger patty fall in the coals!

Gloves, Mitts, Rags 

Just like you want to make sure your tools and utensils are in good shape, make sure last year’s gloves and mitts are in good condition too. Buy some extra rags to have around for covering up food and utensils while sitting to the side too.  Humans won’t be the only ones out enjoying the warmth – the flies are going to be hungry too. 

Games, Games, And Lawn Games

While the food is cooking, and the adults are chatting, keep the kids busy with games, especially lawn games. Even if you have a swimming pool or sprinkler going, the kids will get bored, so be ready to head that off with games like Bocce Ball, Frisbee, horseshoes, or Rollors.

Games like these, or cornhole and croquet are fun for all ages, from 2 years old to 92 years old. Having a variety of games on hand so that everyone can find the game they like the best and have a good time.

With all this in place, you’re sure to have the best first-party-of-the-summer event that everyone will try to beat.  And you can bet, they’ll all be waiting to see when your next summer party is!