Country Curtains' founders Jack and Jane Fitzpatrick always wanted to celebrate the holidays with their employees, but November and December have simply been too busy for us ever since our inception. Never ones to bow to convention, the Fitzpatricks launched their own tradition in 1968 that continues today: 'Christmas in July' parties at Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home in Lenox, Mass.

Santa and Mrs. Claus often make an appearance at these grand parties festooned with red and green balloons, holiday napkins, and candles, as do tumblers of a particular cocktail; Jane’s sister, Zoa, whipped up a batch of whiskey sours for everyone at one of the first Christmas in July gatherings, and the drink remains a staple today.

Author Gina Hyams was so impressed with the Country Curtains Whiskey Sour she included it in her new book, The Tanglewood Picnic: Music and Outdoor Feasts in the Berkshires. The book celebrates the eight-decade tradition of picnicking on and includes 150 photos of Tanglewood picnickers from the 1940s through the present from the BSO Archives and audience members’ family scrapbooks, plus a dozen classic picnic recipes and the ultimate Tanglewood picnic checklist.

Country Curtains Tanglewood Picnic Whiskey Sour Punch

Yields approximately 106 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 gallons water

2 (24-ounce) packages Timmy’s sweet and sour cocktail mix

3 (12-ounce) cans of Minute Maid frozen lemonade concentrate

3 (1.7-liter) bottles of Seagram’s whiskey

Garnish

About 12 oranges, cut into half-moon shaped slices

3 (16-ounce) jars of Haddon House maraschino cherries

Ice

Instructions

Pour all of the ingredients into a large insulated beverage jug and stir with a long spoon. Fill a punch bowl with ice, punch, oranges, and cherries. Add additional orange slices and cherry garnishes to each serving as needed.

 

This recipe is excerpted from The Tanglewood Picnic: Music and Outdoor Feasts in the Berkshires by Gina Hyams.