It’s not hard to turn your backyard into the place everyone wants to hang out, and you don’t need a swimming pool or fancy landscaping (but if you have a pool, can I come over?). Here are some ideas.

1. Have the right bar setup. Bartender Brian Melton breaks down exactly what you’ll need to mix up great cocktails and drinks outside.

2. Invest in some wireless speakers. Set up the party playlist on your iPod inside the house, and stream the music outside without any cords running through the window or under the doormat. Apartment Therapy tells you which kind to buy. Check out out Summer Party Playlist for some warm-weather tunes.

3. There are two things you can never have too much of: ice and paper towels. If you think you have enough ice, buy twice as much and then you’ll have enough. Put a roll of paper towels on every table and keep a reserve just inside the back door.

4. Put out some sunscreen and bug spray. Someone is going to forget how quickly their fair skin burns in the sun, and nothing ruins a backyard party like a swarm of mosquitoes — believe me, I know. A group of happy, tipsy friends can suddenly turns into a herd of itchy maniacs running for their cars before you’ve even served dessert.

5. Grilling? You’ll need a lot of meat. I know, everyone is a vegetarian these days, but there are still some carnivores left. They are going to eat more meat than you might think. Plan for 1 pound of meat for each carnivore/omnivore at your party.

6. Mix up a few batches of pitcher cocktails. Instead of making a billion individual cocktails that keep you from enjoying your own party, make a bunch of cocktails at once. Check out our bartender-recommended pitcher drink recipes.

7. Don’t build a bonfire. There’s a time and a place for everything, and your backyard is not the place for a bonfire — especially if the next house is mere feet away. If you don’t want to deal with neighbors shouting at you as their houses fill with smoke from your fire, or a visit from the fire department because you violated city fire codes, stick to those little metal fire pits instead.

8. Provide extra entertainment. It’s summer, and if you’re just sitting around, you’re not enjoying the best of the season. It may seem silly to set up a game of horseshoes before you’ve had a cocktail or two, but I guarantee that people will play it. Or try this DIY version of Twister spray-painted right on your lawn — you don’t have to say it outloud, but I know you want to try it!

Bonus: Fancy striped ice cubes. I just couldn’t resist including a link to Martha Stewart’s striped ice cubes. Even if you don’t have enough to last the entire party, throw one or two of these cubes into everyone’s first cocktail.

“We’re in this spring-summer transition right now,” says Jesse Mychals of Denver’s Row 14 Wine Bar & Bistro. “Yesterday I planted two heirloom tomato plants in the backyard, and it got me in the mood for summer. To me, heirloom tomatoes make me think of farmer’s markets.”

A self-proclaimed rule-breaker when it comes to libations, Mychals says he is bored by pre-Prohibition cocktails. He’d rather create something from scratch instead of a take on something that’s been done over and over again. Like many noteworthy bartenders and mixologists, Mychals is inspired by farmer’s markets. “They have super fresh ingredients right there in your face,” he says. He often lets these ingredients guide the creation of new cocktails.

Mychals approaches cocktail-making with openness, and the seasonal ingredients he uses always put him in a creative frame of mind. Today that creativity and openness is matched by an excitement about the upcoming season.

The result: a vividly colorful and ultra-fresh Heirloom Tomato Mojito:
1 heirloom tomato, sliced
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 slice jalapeño
1/4 ounce black pepper basil syrup
5 basil leaves
2 ounces Hendrick’s Gin
1/4 ounce citrus champagne vinegar

Muddle the tomato, jalapeño, lime juice and syrup. Add basil leaves, ice, and gin. Shake well. Top with champagne vinegar.

“When somebody sees this cocktail, they are going to get in that summery mood,” says Mychals. Now he’s fired up about summer and farmer’s markets and the endless possibilities for new cocktails. “I’m going to make you another one of my Mojitos,” he says giddily. He pulls out kaffir lime leaves, fresh mint, and a corrainder honey gastrique that he recently made. “If somebody said, ‘make your best Mojito,’” he says, “This would be the one.”

We can only hope that all bartenders are feeling this creative when they make their cocktails. Mychals blends his drinks with a lot of excitement, leaving his guests just as inspired, and even giddy, as he is.