How to host the perfect cocktail party
| 1) Decide on the guests |
A good number of guests for a top cocktail party is between 30 and 70. Any more than this, and it's difficult to have the cocktails flowing quickly enough, but any less - and people just won't loosen up and enjoy the party before the 4th cocktail.
At cocktail parties, try to have a good mix of people (some friends, some work colleagues and maybe some friends of friends).
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| 2) Choose your drinks |
This is part of the fun! Plenty of variety and choice available - with a drink to suit every taste.
Webtender.com is a great resource, for helping make sure you don't miss that crucial ingredient. If you visit the website, go to the "in my bar" page and list the items you've got available to you. Some of the options aren't very common, but stepping out to the shops to buy a few bananas or some brown sugar might mean you'll have a few extra options available to you that will really help keep things interesting.
Once you've checked the items on the list you've got - the site provides a list of cocktails you can make, as well as ratings from other users!
Some alcohol companies also have great sites, with some great ideas. Smirnoff, Cointreau and Bacardi all have some great starting ideas!
An important point to keep in mind is to keep things simple. Having a few key ingredients and having enough of them to go around is much better than having a really wide variety but in quantities too small to keep guests happy.
Try picking Vodka, Midori, Bacardi, Cointrieu and Schnapps in roughly that order. These drinks allow for a lot of different and exciting combinations with some mixes and some ice!
Providing different styles of drinks is also recommended. Stronger drinks in martini glasses, weaker ones in tumblers or high ball glasses and maybe a shot. Mixing it up, so to speak, is part of what makes the party enjoyable.
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| 3) Allocate the ingredients |
You can do a good cocktail party on a budget!
Rather than having to pay for all the alcohol, mixes and food yourself - asking guests to bring a bottle per 2 people is a good way to ensure that there is sufficient drinks for the number of guests, as well as a good way to help disperse costs. If you buy the base ingredients, like coke, sprite, ice, and juices - most people are very happy to do this.
Having a plan and allocating who should buy what also helps ensure you don't end up with an excess of one type of drink and too little of another.
For example, have two work friends bring a bottle of vodka, while two other friends could bring a bottle of Midori.
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| 4) Send your invites |
Invitations to your flashy cocktail party don't need to be a cause for a headache. Sending out a letter with a classy invite is nice, but often it's much easier just to email people - email is quick and easy. But ensure invites contain names, so that you don't end up with gatecrashers ruining your carefully planned evening.
Letting people know what to bring and wear to the occasion is also important. A cocktail party is a great opportunity to have people dress up - why not suggest Black Tie?
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| 5) Sort your décor |
A good cocktail party should be a classy affair - but this doesn't mean it has to cost you the world. Invest in a few key pieces and build up some of that "old school" appeal. Some candle stick holders, cigarette lighters and some silver bottle openers can look really good. A bit of eye catching art is also a good way to make sure your rooms look their best.
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| 6) Food, food, food |
Cocktail parties usually start a little late, about 8pm or so. In this situation, it's not expected for the host to provide a full blown meal. Light fingerfood is usually recommended though as not only a responsible host but also to add to the theme you're going with.
Mini spring rolls, wasabi peas, antipasto platters and similar dishes are a simple and easy to prepare or buy and look much better than chips and dip straight from packets.
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| 7) What are your essentials? |
A couple of shakers, a blender, some stirrers, a jigger (double sided measuring cup) and ice tongs are the main requirements. Don't forget loads of ice and mixes though! It's also recommended that you've got a couple of water as well - in case guests over-indulge just a little!
Cool looking serving glasses, while not an essential, don't have to be expensive either. Even places like K-Mart stock glassware that looks the part and will work great for your occasion.
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| 8) Music |
Starting out upbeat and energetic, flowing through to more mellow and classy is a good way to make sure people feel comfortable and to set the right mood.
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| 9) Other helpful hints |
Having a few things ready right from the word go is a good way to get people to mix initially. Especially if some of your guests are just "friends of friends" or don't really know each other that well. Liquor shops stock pre-made cocktail slushie mixes, which can be frozen and ready to scoop out into martini glasses well before your party. Alternatively, punch is a great way to make sure the guests can have something to drink in between cocktails or before the event really gets going.
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| 10) So who makes the cocktails? |
The host of the party definitely should not have to be stuck in the kitchen all evening, mixing drinks. There are a few options here.
The first is to hire a younger relative dress up as a bartender and mix the drinks. They'll probably think they're pretty cool acting as the bartender and will probably do an ok job - just be prepared for some of the alcohol to go missing before the night is through!
Secondly, you can have cards printed up - with the names of guests on some, as well as instructions for drinks on others. Then have one guest pull a card out of a hat, and make the drink described on the card for the guest named on a second card.
This way is fun, and helps share the load of making the drinks between all the guests. Both these options ensure you don't get stuck making all the drinks and can enjoy your well planned party as much as everyone else! |
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