A Toast to the Fourth

While some enjoy the beach on the Fourth of July, I am, decidedly, not that person. Wars over parking spaces? Beach blankets and umbrellas as far as the eye can see? No thank you. I’ll take my deserted backyard and a cocktail on ice over an oversaturated beach any day of the week. This year, as you plan your bespoke Fourth of July entertainment, consider these local foods and drinks, which will amplify your simple dining scheme. Go from good to great with just a few simple steps.

Drink a Different Kind of Pink
It may officially be Rosé Season in the Hamptons, but a cocktail goes better with hot weather than a glass of wine—if you ask me, at least. That’s why I gravitate toward Wölffer Estate’s Petit Rosé Verjus, a nonalcoholic sparkler made from Pinot Meunier grapes. For the teetotalers out there, pour this over ice and add some crushed basil leaves, and you have a cocktail that requires nothing of you at all. For those looking for a little more oomph, add vodka, gin, or whatever else tickles your fancy. Basil and mint are still lovely on the finish. Wölffer delivers locally, and they also have curbside pickup at their wine stand, for that easy holiday fix.

Vegetables, Meat, and More, at Your Doorstep
Balsam Farms, in Amagansett, now offers a socially distanced approach to picking up their delicious fresh produce (and more). Place your orders for Balsam’s locally grown vegetables (or for their specifically sourced foods, like Iacono Farms eggs, Villa Italian Specialties mozzarella, Briermere Farms fruits, Eli’s breads, and Acabonac Farms grass-fed beef) and have it delivered right to your home. You can also place an order for pickup at one of Balsam’s two locations: they have outposts in both Montauk and Amagansett.

The Dairy Queen
Mecox Bay Dairy, in Bridgehampton, has no equal when it comes to South Fork dairy. Their contact-less shop was already the go-to for people in the know. But now, you can also arrange to have your Fourth of July dairy needs met by home delivery. The delivery service offers grass-fed beef, fresh eggs, artisanal cheeses, and pastured pork, all of which can be delivered from Southampton all the way to Montauk.

Lobster Bake, Without the Fuss
What is summer, anyway, without lobster? In Amagansett, Stuart’s Seafood Market prepares cooked lobster dinners to go: pick up your complete meals of lobsters, mussels, local little neck clams, corn-on-the-cob, drawn butter, and cole slaw, and leave the work to the professionals. The true entertaining, then, will lie in keeping the drinks cold and filled, the music playing, and the guests comfortable.

You don’t have to go far to get the best food and drink that the South Fork has to offer. This year, you may not even need to leave your house, thanks to new delivery options. So enjoy the bounty of eastern Long Island this holiday and raise a pink glass to the Fourth of July.