Warmer days will soon be here and that means summer barbeques are right around the corner! Fairmont Hotels & Resorts' recipe for a successful summer party includes carefree entertaining, a fun theme, and cool concoctions to please guests. That's why our bartenders are offering a couple quick tips and recipes ideas to ensure this season's outdoor celebration is as easy as one, two, three!

First and foremost, carefree entertaining means the host not having to play bartender the entire time. By keeping the drink offerings simple and sticking with a few traditional recipes, cocktails can be quickly shaken and poured in a self-serve bar area. Or for added fun, assign the "life of the party" to serve as the "mixologist" and watch the celebration come to life as he or she starts stirring up their own creations! Fairmont's bartenders also suggest making libations ahead of time in a pitcher or renting a "slushy" machine to serve pre-mixed frozen margaritas and daiquiris. Next, what says summer fun more than Hawaiian shirts and hula skirts?

Transporting a backyard into a tropical resort can be as easy as getting a selection of fruit juices, a bottle of rum, a blender and little cocktail umbrellas. By picking a fun theme for the party, decisions about the menu, cocktails, decorations and music can be easily made based around the selected topic.

Once the theme is chosen and bar area is set, throw on a party frock and beat the heat with these simple cocktail recipes from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts:

THE FAIRMONT ORCHID, HAWAII Kahakai means 'beach' in Hawaiian and this beachside cocktail offers a true taste of summer.

Kohala Sunset oz Bacardi Silver 2 oz Passion Orange Juice oz Midori Dash Grenadine 2 oz Pineapple Juice 1 oz Club Soda Add ingredients to glass and fill with ice cubes. Stir well. Garnish with lime wedge and orchid.

THE FAIRMONT OLYMPIC HOTEL, SEATTLE Celebrity bartender Michael Vezzoni has been named Seattle's "Best Bartender" by Seattle Magazine. He has been with the hotel for more than 20 years. His favourite summertime cocktail is:

Crimson Frost 2 oz. Tangueray #10 Gin 1/2 oz Campari 1/2 oz. Light Bacardi Rum 1 oz. Cranberry Juice 1/2 oz. Chambord 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice -- fresh squeezed Pour all ingredients in a martini mixer filled with ice. Shake and strain into an ice cold white sugar rimmed Martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

FAIRMONT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH David Pacheco, barman at Les Voyageurs bar at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, mixes up these summer concoctions:

Summerlada 1 oz amber rum 5 or 6 fresh strawberries or 1 oz strawberry daiquiri mix 1 oz coconut cream 1 oz pineapple juice Mix all ingredients in a blender with crushed ice. Pour in a tall pina colada glass and garnish with a wedge of pineapple and a strawberry.

Blue Berrytini 2 oz of vodka 2 oz of white cranberry juice oz of blueberry liqueur Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice. Pour in a martini glass and garnish with fresh blueberries on a cocktail pick.

THE FAIRMONT SONOMA MISSION INN & SPA For guests looking for a non-alcoholic beverage, The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa's "doctor of mixology", Stan Kyjovsky, has created these thirst quenchers:

Ginger-ade 3 cups ginger juice 5 cups lemon juice 5 cups simple syrup 1 gallon water Combine ingredients and served chilled.

Watermelon Lemonade 1 watermelon to taste 5 cups lemon juice 1 cups simple syrup 2 gallon water Puree with hand mixer and served chilled.

FAIRMONT LE CH�TEAU MONTEBELLO Cool down with this fruity Fairmont cocktail!

Sweet Fairmont 1 oz of white Rum Orange juice Pineapple juice Cranberry juice Pour all ingredients in a mixer filled with ice. Shake and strain.

FAIRMONT TREMBLANT The perfect refreshment for after a day of activities is Fairmont Tremblant's signature drink, Le Lutin (the elf).

Le Lutin 4 oz. Lemonade Dash Grenadine 4 oz. Seven-Up 1 1/3 oz. Vodka Stir ingredients together and serve over ice.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a collection of world-class resorts and city centre hotels that enjoy unrivalled presence in the communities where they are located. Operating 43 properties throughout six countries, Fairmont is committed to providing guests with exceptional service in distinctive surroundings. For more information or reservations please call 800-441-1414, or visit us online at www.fairmont.com.

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Media Contact: Mike Taylor Fairmont Hotels & Resorts 416/874-2457 mike.taylor@fairmont.com

or

Laura Fairweather Fairmont Hotels & Resorts 416/874-2404 laura.fairweather@fairmont.com