When you watch a television show, it seems like all the neighbors on the show have known each other for years. This is how it was before portable electronics took over our lives. Neighbors not only waved to each other as they came and went, but they knew about each other. Neighbors would develop a relationship where they watched each other’s homes while the other was on vacation and took care of their pets. This is done by developing a relationship. One of the easiest ways to develop that relationship is sharing drinks or food together.
Barbecues are a social event by nature. The cooking of the food is a bit of a show featuring the food, flames, and friends socializing around your grill. Waiting for the food to cook on the grill gives you plenty of time to get to know your neighbors. Prepare a few drinks that are unique using Monin flavoured syrup and you will have even more things to talk about while you wait. So, what are you waiting for? Go out and invite your neighbors for a barbecue so you can get to know each other. This article provides tips for how to entertain and develop real-life relationships instead of online ones.
Make The Food The Star
You are going to need to have something to talk about during the barbecue. This is where your selection of food comes into play. Offering a variety of foods will meet everyone’s tastes. Prepare a dish that can be the centerpiece of your serving table, such as a beer can chicken. A small 3-5 pound chicken will take between two and three hours to cook.
In addition to the chicken, prepare foods that your neighbors can customize. The traditional grilled hamburger and hot dogs are easy options, but also conversation starters too. Create a toppings buffet for the hamburgers and hot dogs that you are serving. How your neighbors top their hamburgers and hot dogs might be based on areas they have lived or personal experiences. This opens the door to conversations to get to know more about those neighbors.
Playing Games At Your Get-Together
When you host a barbecue for your neighbors, the food is just the beginning of the conversation. There are many card and board games on the market today which allow neighbors to learn about each other. Typically these games involving guessing who answered the question in a specific type of way or participating in teams to accomplish a specific goal. Games provide an opportunity to start a conversation and share funny memories with others.
Beverages For Your Barbecue
The food might be the star, but drinks can be a co-star very easily at your barbecue. If your neighbors are beer fans, invite each person to bring a six-pack or half a case of their favorite beers and share it with the other guests. This provides an opportunity to teach others about their favorite beers.
If beers are not your thing, there are a number of cocktails you can make. This list is almost endless. Share your idea for one of your favorite mixed drinks such as the one described at the end of this article. Flavors might be found to be preferred based on where your guests are from, activities that they participated in, or other interests that they share. Many of your guests might love displaying their creativity by sharing recipes of their favorite drinks.
Getting Creative With The Traditional Mojito
The mojito is a drink that has been very popular for several years. Those that enjoy unique drinks might want to make refinements on the traditional mojito. It all starts with a mixture of rum, sugar, fresh mint, and lime to your taste. Some will then use flavored syrups to add to the flavor of the lime. Others will drop lime from their recipe and rely on syrups with flavors such as strawberry, tropical fruit, or a combination of different flavors.
Share And Have Fun
Food and beverages can be the glue at your next barbecue. Offer a variety of them for your guests and they will enjoy discussing their selections. Some might even try their neighbor’s favorites and come up with new mixed drink and food favorites.
