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The secrets to hosting a great cocktail party

Aside from the drinks, a few details will help your cocktail party go with a bang

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Photo by Fábio Alves on Unsplash

If you love making your own cocktails, there are few things more fun than inviting some friends or family round for a cocktail party. Hosting is a great way to share your enthusiasm with your guests, and to try out some new and interesting drinks on a willing audience.

But drinks aside, there are some key tips to hosting a successful cocktail party that will help make your life easier and ensure your guests have a good time — and don’t forget the ice!

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1. Snacks

If you’re focused on your drinks, you might not give much thought to food. And most people won’t expect to be served a full meal at a cocktail party. However, you do need to make sure there is something to eat, both to give your guests something to nibble on and to help soak up all the alcohol. Nuts, chips, and other small snacks are easy to throw in a bowl and put out between drinks.

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2. Non alcoholic options

With increasing numbers of people opting to avoid alcohol or preferring to drink only occasionally, it’s good form to have a range of non-alcoholic drinks options available too. If you’re feeling ambitious you can try some non-alcoholic cocktails, but at the least have some soft drinks available in the fridge.

3. Offer a greeting drink

It’s nice to provide a simple drink to guests as soon as they arrive, before you get to the harder cocktails. I like to offer a simple Prosecco drink like a Hugo or a Mimosa to people when they arrive, as it’s quick and easy to make.

4. Provide water

Even for those who are drinking alcohol, it’s important to have plenty of water on hand. This will help keep everyone feeling good as well as clearing the palate between drinks. Put out a large jug of ice water and a stack of glasses somewhere close by so people can help themselves.

5. Mix multiple drinks

Depending on how many guests you have coming, you may choose to pre-batch your cocktails to save on time. But if you have a smaller guest list, another option is to mix rounds of drinks together. You can easily take a cocktail recipe and double or triple it, then mix the ingredients all in one go to make multiple drinks faster. You don’t want to fill your cocktail shaker too full or it can get messy, and you’ll need to shake a bit longer and harder than usual to make sure your ingredients are sufficiently diluted, but this is a great way to make drinks for 4-5 people in one go.

6. Help with washing up

If you have kind friends, you might find that people offer to help out while you’re making rounds of drinks. Take them up on the offer! There’s no need to do everything yourself. One task which always needs to be done at a cocktail party is washing up the glasses, as you’ll very quickly build up a huge pile of glasses even at a small gathering. Washing these as you go will help keep your bar space relatively clean and tidy, so set your friends to the washing up if they offer.

7. Finishing up the evening

At some point you’ll begin to tire out, and that’s a great time to switch to something simple to finish off the night. A round of neat whiskey for leisurely sipping is a great choice, or I also like to serve simple amaros over ice. These make a fine way to toast out an evening well spent.

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Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…
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