Tasting Table's Montauk Pool Party Was One For The Ages

It's hot out. All you want to do is lounge in a body of water with ample booze and food at your fingertips. There's only one solution: Throw a pool party.

If you need inspiration, Tasting Table just hosted a baller pool party at The Montauk Beach House in the Hamptons. So take some cues from the pros and outfit yourself with everything you need for a party you'll remember all winter.

① Double Down on Refreshing Booze

If you're in the sun drinking all day, you'll need to stay hydrated. That means light and fruity cocktails, refreshing beer and ample water. Set up a bar, where guests can mix their own drinks, and put out some buckets for beer and water. (Here's a trick for turbo-chilling a bucket of beers.)

RELATED   Beat the Heat with These Genius Summer Hacks "

At Tasting Table's Summer Sessions, Belvedere Vodka was the spirit of choice, and guests chose from a range of summery cocktails, including a screwdriver lemonade and a lemon iced tea with Pure Leaf Organic Black Tea. Cans from Brooklyn Brewery and bottles of San Pellegrino and SeaGlass wines outfitted icy buckets.

② Go Light and Easy on the Snacks

No one wants to fill up on heavy food at a pool party, so lay out snacks like fruit, small sandwiches and crudités. If you want to kick things up a notch, make a dip or two for those vegetables, like this sorrel dip with celery salt.

③ Get Creative with Pool Floaties 

These days, it's not a pool party without an inflatable swan or doughnut, so don't hold back. Follow your dreams and fill the pool with the most outlandish floaties you can find.

④ Get Moving

Whether you put together a killer playlist ahead of time, have a DJ or even live music, make sure you've got the right tunes to get people dancing. One of the best moments of Tasting Table's pool party was when the folks from 305 Fitness, a crowd favorite, got everyone busting a move in the middle of the lawn. DJ Spiky Phil played hits for the rest of the party, with an interlude from the band 88 Palms. 

⑤ Don't Forget the Ice Cream

Ice cream is a given, so make it special with one of the amazing boutique ice cream shops that are popping up all over the country. No matter where you live, there's no shortage of good ice cream these days. NYC's Ice & Vice wooed Montauk this past weekend with inventive flavors and DIY toppings. Better yet? Make your own ice pops. You have permission to make them boozy, too.

⑥ Plan an Activity

Whether it's a game or a photo booth, add that Xfactor to your party with some kind of activity. Tasting Table hosted two pop-ups, one by Katama Swim and one by Cienne, to give partygoers something to browse while they hopped between the pool and the lounge chairs. And, yes, there was also a photo booth.