Cocktail parties are pretty fun to attend, arranging one at home might not be. However, if you have the right tips, you can easily arrange it at home, while having fun!
The holidays are the best time to celebrate, sip into a drink, and enjoy a cocktail party with your friends and family. Going to a cocktail party is always fun, you get to dress up and get with your loved ones to appreciate everything over a cocktail. But is it equally fun when you are the one arranging a cocktail party by yourself? Now it might seem like a headache, making drinks for everyone, while maintaining yourself as a host.
Well, the problems of hosting a cocktail party can lessen with these quick and easy tips. With these tricks, you can successfully host a holiday cocktail party, without feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted. Let’s begin.
Can’t do it without a signature cocktail
You can’t host a cocktail party without having a signature cocktail! It is just the perfect way to elevate your party for the guests. Experiment for a while before picking up that one cocktail that you know is a hit for everyone. If you are having a difficult time creating your own signature drink, here are some options for your consideration –
- Citrus Prosecco Punch
To make this cocktail you just need bubbly Italian Prosecco and citrus sorbet. When you combine these two, you get a light and refreshing cocktail. This two-ingredient cocktail is both pleasing to the palette and super easy to make. The recipe includes one part of prosecco, champagne, or club soda, and one part of citrus sorbet which could be of orange, lime, or lemon. Mix them two together with ice and garnish with citrus slices. This is the perfect idea especially if you are having a large group over to your place for a cocktail party. You can even name this signature cocktail Love Punch or Paramour Punch.
- Caribbean Mist
If you think your cocktail party needs something blue, add this Caribbean Mist and see the magic happen! This combination is of the gorgeous turquoise color with a hint of tropical twist that surely your guests will fall in love with. To make this beautiful signature cocktail, you would need one part pineapple juice, one part mango rum, one part club soda, and a splash of Blue Curacao. You can garnish the drink with some blueberries or sugar rim and name it Something Blue.
- Summer Shandy
This cocktail is a super simple combination of lemonade and lager. This will surely be a hit among your beer buddies who just can’t get enough of it. If you are also a beer aficionado, then you can get creative and customize this shandy by adding your favorite craft beer. This cocktail is extremely easy to make and only requires one part lager-style beer, and one part lemonade. At the end, you can garnish it with lemon slices. The addition of lemonade makes it slightly lighter to sip on than just craft beer. On top of that, it cuts the alcohol content making sure the guests are not overly intoxicated on a few drinks. You can make this signature cocktail I Brew, or Sunshine Shandy.
- Elderflower Martini
If you fancy a martini as your signature cocktail, this would be the easiest option for that as it is the perfect combination of sophistication and sweetness. It is also made with all-clear drinks, making your party a strain-free space. To make this elderflower martini, you would need two parts of vodka, one part St. Germain elderflower liqueur, 3/4-part white cranberry juice, and 1/2-part lime juice. The tasty result is both stunning to look at, light in color, and refreshing at the same time. If you want to make it a little fancier, you can also add white cranberry juice and call it The Cranberry Kiss or a Marry Me Martini.
- Spiked Apple Cider Cocktail
This is mainly a seasonal drink that you can serve with delicacy at an autumn cocktail party. This adds a little bit of spice both in the lives of your guests and in the party, without making it overbearing. With the dash of lime juice, enough citrus is there to give it a refreshing look. To make a Spiked Apple Cider Cocktail, you would need two parts of Gin, and two parts of Apple Cider and mix it with part simple syrup, a splash of lime juice, a dash of cinnamon, and one cinnamon stick for garnishing, you can present this iced cocktail with the name Apple of My Eye, or Falling For You.
- Rosé Lemonade
This is another refreshing cocktail for you that is easy and simple to make and brings out the perfect combination of citrus and sweet. It is light, it is bubbly, and it will surely make your guests charmed. To make Rosé lemonade, you would need a whole bottle of rosé wine and three cups of lemonade. Now mix it with one can of club soda and garnish it with lemon slices. The reason why this will be an instant hit at the party is because it is not overwhelmingly sweet, so it is always hit as a crowd-pleaser. You can even name this signature cocktail as Blushing Lady or a Kiss from a Rosé.
No matter which cocktail you go with, make sure to pick up fresh fruits along with the garnishes that you need that morning of the party itself. Freshly squeezed juices which will be refrigerated throughout the day will surely enhance the freshness and flavor of the cocktail. It is also important to not forget about the midnight toast and for that, you can freeze blueberries or grapes that are freshly brought. You can also float them in the champagne flutes.
Can’t overlook the ambiance for the party
Just as important as it is to make your own signature cocktail, it is equally important to set up youtube right ambiance for the party. You can keep the flowers, and decorate the vases with them. Or you can visit an antique mall on the weekend, just before the party so you can distribute some interesting items around your home. It not only makes your cocktail party turn-of-the-century themed, or adds to an urban setting, but it will also prove to be a great conversation starters for your guests.
Don’t forget the ice
This trick is so simple, almost too simple that it feels like it should go without saying- which is exactly why people have found themselves several times during their hosted parties, getting out of ice cubes for drinks. Besides making your stock full of ice, also make sure that you have plenty of wine and beer stored for the party already and ready to use it in cocktails. If you don’t have any extra room in your freezer, you can also store some in your bathtub. They will be fine there until you are ready to use them again.
Have non-boozy options too
How many times have you been invited to a cocktail party but you didn’t particularly want to drink that day? But had to since there were not any non-booze options? Well, while you host the next party at your house, make sure this doesn’t happen to any of your guests. Not having alcohol is fine, just like having alcohol is. It does not mean people can’t still go to cocktail parties. Think of your friends and guests who don’t drink, does not mean they will be excluded from the fun get-together! So make sure you have enough non-alcoholic options at the party too. Some of the great non-boozy cocktail options for your party are – Virgin Mojito, Shirley Temple, Virgin Piña Colada, Arnold Palmer, Peach Lemonade, etc.
Make your party more intimate
To make your cocktail party more intimate, you need to make some serious efforts. Because at the end of the day, people will also remember how great and comfortable they felt at your party apart from just the drink and food. To make this happen, you can lower the thermostat right before the party begins and guests start arriving. Remember that more bodies mean higher temperature and you want your guests to feel comfortable while they are there. To make the place even more intimate you can also replace the lightbulbs with amber colored bulbs, or low-wattage bulbs. It will give the place a lounge effect. At the same time, do not forget about the music, you can either create your own playlist or get over to pre-made playlists that are available on various platforms.
Lip Smacking Food
People will remember your party for its decoration, cocktails, and food. You need something on your plate alongside your glass, as you cannot just offer your guests booze! Here are some snack and mini-food ideas that pair up nicely with your cocktails –
- Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes
Serving a platter full of bacon-wrapped potatoes will never be disappointing to your guests, especially when they are served aside cocktails. To make this, you can toss small potatoes with a spicy and smoky seasoning mixture. For that heavenly crisp, surround them with bacon strips and there you have the perfect snack that goes really well with cocktails.
- Thai-Style Shrimp Cakes
Crab cakes are common but if you think you have already spent quite a lot on booze, you can opt for shrimp cakes instead, which is a lot cheaper and easier to make. The best thing about shrimp is that it goes with all kinds of flavors. Take Thailand and its cuisine for example, make shrimp cakes with garlic, jalapeños, and enough cilantro so that you can make them turn visibly green. To go with it you can also make really easy sweet chili sauce that is made with red chili peppers, garlic, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, and refined sugar or honey. Or you can go for a store-bought dip for the dish.
- Spanish Tuna-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers
If you are a canned food lover, Spanish people would agree with you because their love for canned food is on another level as well. To make this, take little red peppers that are similar in shape and size to a jalapeño but contain the sweetness of a bell pepper. Dressing the tuna is also really simple. You can use homemade allioli, made with garlic and olive oil. Mix some chopped capers, and shallots, chopped parsley, plenty of extra virgin olive oil, and some salt and pepper.
- Sweet Potato and Feta Rolls
This is especially for your vegetarian friends who will equally enjoy the cocktails along with your non-veg friends. Prepare the sweet potato and onion on a baking tray and bake until softened. Then crush the sweet potato and mix onions, feta cheese, walnuts, cinnamon, and rosemary. Cut a sheet pasty, pour the stuffing, and bake, voila you get your hands on one of the tastiest veg snacks ever!
- Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Herb Tarts
Whether it is an intimate gathering or you are welcoming a large group of people, tarts add a little bit of extra charm to that. To make these smoked salmon, avocado, and herb tarts, take pastry sheets and cut circles from them. Brush them with egg and then bake them until they are golden brown. Now take your avocado, and coriander in a food processor until smooth. Season the mixture and spoon them on the pastry cases. Now top it off with cooked salmon and season with chives and dill.
Ask guests to bring their favorite martini mixture
You can ask your guests to bring their own bottles of their favorite martini mixer such as gin, vodka, etc. If you are worried about having too much alcohol, or too many mixtures, or everyone bringing the same thing over, you can also obviously make specific requests, but politely.
Put everything in order
Arrange your cocktail bar beforehand so that your guests can start right away by choosing their glasses. You need to make sure that people can move from one end to the other, likewise a buffet. You also need to have recipe cards for their cocktails before pouring your own alcohol and preparing a cocktail can be intimidating for some of your guests.
With these tips and tricks, your next cocktail party will go as smoothly as you could ever imagine!
