There's more to a summer bash than simply frozen burgers and beer.

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Diane Henry

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Throwing a summer BBQ party sounds pretty simple, just throw some frozen burgers on the grill and break out the beer, right? Well, there is a little more to it if you want your BBQ to be the one your friends talk about well into the fall.

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There are five essential ingredients to a fantastic BBQ party: atmosphere, decorations, food, drinks, and games.

Atmosphere:

Setting the atmosphere means preparing your property for guests. Mow the lawn a couple of days before hand, so that loose grass doesn't stick to everyone. Pull the weeds from your garden and plant a few extra bright flowers to give your space that extra sparkle, and set up solar powered lanterns and garden lights to add ambiance.

Finally, get a few bug zappers, citronella candles or mosquito coils just in case. No one wants to spend the evening swatting flies and scratching bites. Burning pinion pine chips is also particularly effective in repelling mosquitoes and other annoying insects.

Decorations:

Theme parties are becoming big in the Maritimes because the decorations are fun and they get everyone involved in the fantasy. One very popular theme right now is a Hawaiian party.

Hawaiian parties are great to throw because decorations are plentiful and inexpensive to buy at most dollar stores and they add a lot of colour to the festive atmosphere. Greet guests with a handful of brightly coloured leis, ask them to don grass skirts and flowery t-shirts, and serve cocktails in hollowed out coconuts or pineapples (plastic alternatives can be found at most Great Canadian Dollar Stores).

If you want to have a Texas-style BBQ, go over the top with rhinestone cowboy accessories, encourage guests to wear cowboy hats and hand out red bandanas. As an added touch, serve drinks in mason jars.

If you're keeping your barbecue a little more general, a few simple touches such as votive candles, hanging white twinkle lights on fences or patio railings or hanging paper lanterns from low-lying tree branches all provide great ambience when the sun begins to set.

If there's room, set up a tent or canopy for the eating area and incorporate a fire pit for roasting marshmallows and hot dogs.

Food:

Speaking of hot dogs, food is the centrepiece of a BBQ party, and nothing spells dull better than hots and hams. Spice up your BBQ with slowly cooked pork ribs slathered in a molasses-infused sauce, or beef brisket cooked over lots of smoke and low heat for hours, or perhaps roast pork chops in a spicy, vinegar-based sauce paired with coleslaw and deviled eggs. If those suggestions are just a little too Southern for your tastes, BBQ guru Sean Crowley has a few Maritime ideas to tempt your guest's taste buds.When it comes to steak, it's all about meat selection.

"Of course the better the cut of the meat, the more you are going to pay," says Crowley. "Tenderloin, strip loin, and rib eye are basically your top quality of meat."

Before cooking your steak, Crowley suggests allowing the meat to warm up to room temperature just before throwing it on the grill.

"Seasoning the steak should be very simple. Stay away from sauces and marinades when dealing with a higher cut of beef, because you don't need them. The best thing to do is sprinkle ground pepper and some coarse salt, or cosier salt or sea salt, on the steak. You can also add your own herbs and spices such as parsley and garlic. Then brush on a layer of olive oil before it goes on the grill, preferably extra virgin olive oil."

Searing is a key element to a great steak. That means super heating the grill by cranking it up and leaving it for at least 10 minutes.

"If you can't get a searing plate or don't have a hot enough BBQ you can pan sear it in the frying pan," he says.

To sear the flavour into the steak cook on each side for about three minutes on high heat, turning half way to get criss-crossed grill marks. After that, turn down the heat and continue cooking to desired doneness.

"There is a little trick that steak houses use, and chefs, in the last five minutes of cooking. Put a little piece of butter on your steak "" not margarine "" and it will caramelize and bring out the sweetness of the steak."

Finally, before serving the steak, allow it to sit covered for five minutes to bring the juices back out.

If you want to get away from the typical hamburger and hot dogs without the expense of steak, try barbecuing chicken wings, wrapping pork loin in bacon, skewering shrimp or making shish kabobs with stew beef, green and red peppers, and onions.

For your vegetarian friends, there are plenty of ways to grill up veggies on the BBQ. For a fancier alternative to the baked potato, try chopping up potatoes, peppers, onion and garlic, toss with melted margarine or oil and wrap it in tin foil. Feel free to also add your own spices and salt and pepper. Then cook on the top grill at low to medium heat for about 30 minutes, turning often.

For something a little different, grill up some asparagus. "One of the key things is blanching first," says Crowley.

Blanching vegetables brings out the vibrant colour and texture of the food. Taking the asparagus one handful at a time, boil it for about two minutes before transferring it directly to a container of ice cold water. Then, after the asparagus has cooled for 5-10 minutes drain it and pat dry.

The next step is to "put them in a bowl and toss them in olive oil, add coarse salt, some pepper or seasoning," he says. "I use red wine vinegar and freshly chopped parsley. They don't have to be on the grill for very long, a couple of minutes per side on medium to high heat."

This recipe can also work for fiddle heads, just be sure to cook thoroughly.

One last vegetarian suggestion is to skewer green and red peppers, eggplant, and zucchini, brush with olive oil and cook them directly on the grill.

If dessert is a must, nothing suits a BBQ better than popsicles, ice cream, and pie.

Drinks:

No BBQ is complete without a few refreshments. Sure, beer and coolers are the usual, but here a couple of suggestions to add zing. (Courtesy of NB Liquor's Occasions Magazine)

Very Berry Vodka

Ingredients:

2 ounces (60ml) Smirnoff Raspberry Twist Vodka

2 ounces (60ml) lime bar mix

2 ounces (60ml)

cranberry cocktail

1/2 ounce (15ml) orange or vanilla liqueur

One lime, juiced

Preparation Method:

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka, bar mix, juice and liqueur, squeeze in half the fresh lime.

2. Shake well and pour into a cocktail glass.

3. Garnish with lime wedge.

Tequila Rita

Ingredients:

1 ounce (30ml) Sauza Silver Tequila

2 ounces (60ml) Pink grapefruit juice

1 ounce (30ml) Cointreau

Preparation Method:

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all 3 ingredients, shake and serve in a chilled martini glass!

Mint Julep

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) water

1 cup (250 ml) sugar

1 bunch mint

8 cups (1.81 litres) crushed ice

8 ounces (240 ml) JIM BEAM BLACK LABEL

Fresh mint for garnish

Preparation Method:

1. Place water and sugar in saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add mint and let infuse for 15 minutes.

2. Strain liquid to remove mint leaves. Chill for three hours.

3. Add one ounce (30 millilitres) of the minted syrup created above to four highball glasses.

4. Top with one cup (250 millilitres) of crushed ice, two ounces (60 millilitres) of Jim Beam and a splash of cold water. Top with remaining crushed ice to fill glass.

5. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Since your party will be taking place outdoors for the most part you don't want to force your guests to visit the kitchen every time they want a drink. Place a cooler or large metal basin filled with ice on the deck. Adding a bit of cold water to the ice has also been proven to make the temperature even colder.

Games:

Last but not least, entertain your guests with a few planned activities. Horseshoes, ring toss, and three-legged races (for children or adults) are a few favourites, but also try water balloons, a hula hoop competition, and limbo.

If you're feeling a little frisky these adult games can also be a lot of fun and sure to bring a few laughs. Have everyone line up, either in no particular order or alternating between man and woman. At one end of the line have guests pass a cucumber between their knees, using no hands. At the same time, from the other end of the line start passing an orange under the chin from one guest to another, again with no hands. The object of the game, of course, is to not drop the props.

Another game is placing an inflated balloon between two people and having them try to bust it with their stomachs. The first pair to break the balloon wins.

With these tips your BBQ is sure to be a success. Most importantly, plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to set up before the party starts so that you can relax and enjoy the day.