With the holiday season just around the corner, we want to share our favorite tips for party success, plus advice from the experts about hosting holiday cocktail parties. Whether you’re hosting a small, elegant cocktail party or a raucous celebration, we have lots of ideas for pulling it off.
First, set the tone for your party. Decide whether you want people to dress up, dress down, bring the kiddos or plan on a wild, kid-free night. Your party invitation (mailed or emailed) will help set expectations. Let people know what to expect for food and drink (e.g. light appetizers versus hearty fare) and any special instructions regarding finding your home, parking or what to bring. I like to say something along the lines of, “Join us for a casual holiday open house with light appetizers and our favorite seasonal drinks. Bring yourselves and a festive spirit any time between four o’clock and seven o’clock on Saturday.”
When it comes to setting the scene, decor – such as candles, string lights or garlands and a festive tablescape – sets the mood for the night. If you’re on a budget, Bridal Bliss‘ Nora Shiels, owner of the full-service event planning company servicing Bend, Portland and Seattle, suggests looking in the produce aisle for vibrant colors that double as decor. Think big bowls of citrus fruit, pomegranates or even cinnamon sticks. You can also use items from your yard, like pine cones, cedar boughs and branches of holly. “A lot of people forget about atmosphere,” Shiels says. “Don’t forget to light candles and turn on some festive music. Even if people aren’t listening to it, it adds to the ambience.”
Shiels says she like to offer one or two specialty drinks at a holiday cocktail party. “It’s fun to do a warm cocktail,” she adds. “Rum cider, a hot toddy or something that can sipped.”
She also suggests, if your budget allows, hiring someone to help in the kitchen and bar, which frees up your time to socialize. “It’s a game changer to hire someone even just to serve food and fill glasses. You can hire culinary students – they have their licenses and can pour and clean up as the party goes on.”
Other fun cocktails to serve include seasonal drinks to like eggnog, glogg, Tom & Jerry’s or hot buttered rum. Many drink recipes, like the one below by longtime Seattle bartender Jim Romdall, can be scaled up to make a large bowl of punch. You can freeze wheels of citrus, herbs or berries in large blocks of ice to keep the punch cold throughout the night. A cooler full of cold, fizzy, non-alcoholic drinks like DRY cherry bubbly is great to make available as well. This gives people options in terms of drinks. Pitchers of water and stacks of glasses make self-service easy too.
While it’s tempting to go for the ease of disposable glasses, you can pick up cheap glassware at IKEA, Goodwill or even restaurant supply stores. Or, if you want to spend a bit more on your new glassware collection, it might be worth buying things like this crystal whiskey glass. Spending more on glassware will benefit you in the long run. If you buy cheap glassware and cutlery, don’t expect them to last very long!
The setup of the party room is also worth considering, particularly if your home is small, is where people are going to sit, stand and walk to find food and drink. If you’re serving self-serve buffet style, this can be easily setup in the kitchen, freeing up the dining table and other seating areas for people. Consider hosting drinks in a different room so there isn’t a bottleneck for both food and drinks. If you’re serving heavy appetizers and finger food, you can lure people out of the kitchen or other high-traffic zones by putting things like the deviled eggs or cheese platters in a separate space.
In terms of eats, Shiels says food is a must. “You definitely need food at a cocktail party – even if it’s a party later in the evening, you need to have food available.” She suggests hearty food that is easy to grab and eat with one hand. If the party is going late – plan on serving a late night snack, or what I like to call a “booze sponge.” I’m a big fan or grilled cheese sandwiches, served with strong mustard for dipping, and pickles or chips on the side. Even if your party is more formal, if it is going late, people are likely drinking a fair amount and kicking off their shoes. And hardly anyone can resist a hot grilled cheese sandwich. Shiels agrees, “It’s all about the guest experience, and that everybody is comfortable. But it’s also fun to surprise them with something unexpected – a special dish, entertainment, festive cocktail, each help make a party memorable.”
Holiday in Rio
Recipe by Jim Romdall, Northwest Regional Manager of Novo Fogo
1 ounce Novo Fogo Chameleon cachaça
½ ounce apple brandy
½ ounce Amontillado sherry
¼ ounce allspice liqueur
½ ounce lemon juice
¼ ounce simple syrup
1 ounce sparkling wine
Combine cachaça, brandy, sherry, allspice liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass, then top with sparkling wine.
