If you aren’t someone who regularly entertains guests, planning a cocktail party can feel like an overwhelming or intimidating experience. There’s no need to get yourself worried about throwing an event for your friends — if you follow these simple steps, your cocktail party will be an instant success.
The first thing that you need to do if you want to throw a terrific cocktail party is make a plan for the drinks you will be serving. There are several ways that you can handle the bar situation, depending on how big your budget is for the night. If you are ready to spend a lot on an exhilarating evening, you can set up stocked bar and hire a bartender to serve your guests. If you are working with a more moderate budget, leave out a stocked drink cart and a cocktail recipe book to guide your guests.
Delicious food is an essential element of a successful event, so set up a table laden with bite-sized snacks that are easy to eat while standing. Think of savory appetizers like charcuterie boards, cheese platters, artisanal crackers, cornichons, sliced vegetables, assorted dips and baked hors-d’oeuvres. When it comes to sweet snacks and desserts, pick simple treats like chocolate covered strawberries and mochi ice cream balls. Mochi ice cream is a chilled dessert that is made of a rich ice cream center surrounded by a pillowy soft layer of sweetened rice dough. If you want to delight your guests at your cocktail party, try the latest flavors from MyMoMochi— the unique treat comes in double chocolate, vanilla bean, mint chocolate chip, sweet mango, ripe strawberry, cookies and cream and green tea mochi ice cream. You don’t have to travel far for this ice cream dessert because you can pick up boxes in the frozen food aisle of the nearest grocery store.After getting the food and drinks covered for the night, there are still some cocktail party hosting tips that you should think about when prepping for the event. The following suggestions will help you make sure that your guests feel comfortable during the party and that they get home safe:
· Have non-alcoholic drink options for designated drivers, non-drinkers and guests who are getting too intoxicated.
· At the beginning of the party ask all of the guests to put their car keys in a bowl, so that you can prevent them from driving if they are proven to be too inebriated.
· Offer to call a cab or a ride-share service for any guest that is not a designated driver.
· Set up your guest room for the night as a back-up plan so that guests can stay the night and drive home in the morningIf you have the right drink supplies, set out the right savory and sweet snacks and follow the right hosting tips, you are sure to throw a successful cocktail party. The last thing you need to remember is to not worry too much — after all of your guests have arrived, feel free to grab a cocktail, mingle and enjoy your night.