Cocktail Party Ideas

Aug 17
19:59

2008

Cheri Brennan

Cheri Brennan

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Throwing a cocktail party can be a great way to get friends, co-workers or other business associates together in a loose, laid back environment. There’s no better way to network, social or business, than at a party with a cold drink.

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These cocktail party ideas may hearken back to the golden era days of Hollywood so play it up with some diffused lighting,Cocktail Party Ideas Articles silver candlesticks and a few vases of roses for a touch of class.

To create an environment conducive to mingling, make more space by pushing the sofas and chairs back to the walls.  Create a few sitting areas so guests can engage in private conversations, have a place to set their drinks and get a rest from those stiletto heals.  Avoid the junior-high dance feel by spreading the chairs out instead of lining them up against the wall. For those starry-eyed, would be lovers; scatter a few pens and notepads around the room to allow for the easy exchange of digits.

Perhaps the most important item on your list of cocktail party ideas is, of course, the bar. Find a spot off in the corner or to the side and designate it the bar area. Stock it with booze, juices, sodas, club soda, ice, fruit garnishes, pimiento-stuffed olives, assorted glassware, shot glasses, a cocktail shaker, a stirrer, swizzle sticks, cocktail napkins and a cocktail recipe book for flashes of liquid creativity. Budget permitting, you can pull out all the stops by hiring a professional bartender for the evening.

Can’t afford to hire a bartender and don’t want to spend your whole evening behind the bar? A great cocktail party idea is to simply make the bar self-serve. Get the recipes for a few favorites and multiply them by 10 and place in pitchers. Or you can just provide the liquors and mixers, set out a book of recipes and let the party-goers craft their own libations.

Which ever way you decide to go don’t settle for the same old beer and wine. After all there won’t be any novelty to your cocktail party if your guests are downing the same old drinks they have the other 51 Saturdays of the year.

For the most part, it’s the mingling and sparkling conversation that makes a cocktail party swing but if you want to shake things up a bit try these cocktail party ideas:

* Best Martini Mixologist. Round up the martini aficionados and let them showcase their stuff. Be sure you have vodka, gin, dry vermouth, pearl onions, olives, lemon twists, a shaker and a stirrer on hand to unleash the martini magic.

* Best Original Cocktail Challenge. Have your guests create a completely original cocktail from your assortment of liquors, mixers, garnishes, swizzle sticks, and drink umbrellas. Make sure they name it, the more ridiculous the better!

* Play the cocktail party version of Mad-Libs. One guest comes up with the adjective and another comes up with the noun (for example, Tasty Pie or Hot Wax). Then they have to formulate the drink to match the name. Best tasting concoction wins!

* Best Bartender Showoff (Tom Cruise style). Break out the shakers and plastic glasses, crank up the “Hippy, Hippy Shake” and let your guests shine. Keep this one in the kitchen so the spills that go with the thrills won’t leave you with a huge carpet cleaning bill.


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