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Jim Welborn Bar Services
Helpful Cocktail Tips
Shaken NOT Stirred!
We have all heard the expression made famous by James Bond 007.
But in this case, it's quite true. Anytime you are making a cocktail that uses fruit juices, use a shaker with ice rather than building (pouring) a cocktail right in to the glass. This method efficiently mixes the alcohol and juices so that you serve a well mixed drink where you can taste each and every ingredient all at once rather than tasting a different layer with each sip.
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for Great Cocktail recipes!
Need a Napkin?
Don't skimp on cocktail napkins: Put a stack near each hors d'oeuvre station so guests don't have to hunt for them.
Nuts Anyone?
If serving any kind of nuts for your guests enjoyment, remember to put out small quantites in may places so that you have to refresh them every so often keeping the nuts fresh and tasty! Otherwise, they will become overhandled and stale.
The Basic Bar Gear
You know what goes into the drinks, now you need the tools to mix them up. While you can get away with very few tools, you should consider these tools to be absolutely essential if you want to mix up a variety of great drinks:
Cocktail Shaker
Bar Spoon
Jigger (for measuring)
Strainer (if not built into your shaker)
Muddler (essential if you like Mojitos and Mint Juleps)
While you can get many great cocktail recipes from the internet, nothing beats a good book. And in this case, check out the internet, local book store and yes, even your local liquor store!
Drink Presentation 101
Cutting fresh fruit garnishes is an easy task and they're a great way to dress up any drink.
Cocktails are supposed to not only taste good, they should look good as well. Small things like choosing the right glass and garnish will step up the look of every cocktail you make.
It's All in the Glass
There is not a one-size-fits-all glass for drinks and different styles of drinks require different styles of glassware. You don't need to stock every style. Instead, you can base your decisions on the types of cocktails you like to mix up most often.
Once you have the glasses, you will want to know how to properly prepare them for your cocktails.
How to Chill a Glass - Every cold drink should go into a cold glass. It's that simple and taking the time for this simple step is one of the tricks to getting your cocktails to taste like a pro's.
How to Rim a Glass - Do you enjoy a little salt with your Margarita? Whether it's sugar, salt, or some other flavoring, adding a custom rim to any glass is simple and enhances the experience.
Next...Selecting the Right Garnish!
Garnishes
Garnishes should be little more than decoration for your drinks. At times, they can add a bit of flavor as well, but their primary purpose is ornamental. While you can skip the garnishes at home, it is a nice touch if you are entertaining, so it's a good idea to practice up.
Citrus https://www.thespruce.com/cut-citrus-garnishes-for-cocktails-759982
Maraschino Cherries https://www.thespruce.com/the-truth-about-maraschino-cherries-759977
Creepy Garnishes (just for fun) https://www.thespruce.com/creepy-cocktail-garnishes-759988
Have a Signature Cocktail
Choose a signature drink and makes a big batch. I think this is such a welcoming treat and really brings everyone together as they sip the same cocktail. It could be something as simple as a 2-ingredient Sangria. If your party has a theme, tie your drink in with that theme, but whatever you choose, Enjoy!
Club Soda and Cocktails
When mixing a cocktail that calls for Club Soda, mix the cocktail first, pour the drink into your carefully chosen glass with ice, then top off with the club soda. This maintains the carbonation (fizziness)
Stop Making Up New Drinks. Start Mastering The Classics
Mastering the classics in any art form is an essential part in understanding when, where and perhaps why things associated with said art form began. That may sound rather rudimentary to many of you, but it still amazes me how few bartenders these days have a handle on classic cocktail recipes. You can always have fun with a new cocktail, but the classics are what most guests will ask for!
Tools of the Trade
The majority of the fancy tools mixologists use are either easily found online or can be substituted for everyday household items:
Measure/Jigger Egg cup
Cocktail shaker Thermos flask
Muddler Small rolling pin/End of a wooden spoon
Juicer Squeeze by hand or by puttining the citrus between the handles of a set of tongs and squeeze!
Mixing spoon Long teaspoon/Fork handle
Strainer Tea strainer
If you plan to make cocktails regularly, we recommend that you splash out on a decent shaker, juicer, jigger and strainer.
The Menu
Your menu should include at least one Mocktail and one low-alcohol drink served long over club soda, such as an Americano. People who are driving need such an option in order to pace themselves. Offering an Old Fashioned–style drink and a Martini or Manhattan variation is a good idea for a proper cocktail party, and a combination of the shaken, straight-up category, such as a Daiquiri and a self-serve punch, will do most of the heavy lifting.
Be a Social Catalyst at your Cocktail Party
Sometimes when people host a cocktail party, they become so engrossed in preparing drinks and serving food, they end up spending very little social time with their guests. This defeats the purpose of a good cocktail party!
Remember, as the host you need to be the catalyst in getting other people socializing and having fun.
When each guest arrives, or as soon after they arrive as possible, you should make sure you meet and greet them.
Tell them you are happy to see them and ask if you can take their coat.
Ask them if they would like something to drink.
The idea is to help your quests make a social connection by pointing out some common bond between them.
As the cocktail party progresses, work your way around the room spending time with each and every guest. If it looks like someone is a bit shy, introduce them to someone else and point out a common bond. For example, you might say something like, “Mike, isn’t your son about to start college? Sara’s daughter has been accepted to Stanford.”
Recruit a Co-Host
Or Hire a Bartender
It can be difficult to meet and greet all your guests, make introductions, and converse with your guests if you also function as the bartender. For this reason, cocktail parties run much more smoothly if you enlist the help of a co-host. This person should be someone with whom you work well together such as your significant other, a family member, or a good friend. Alternately, you could hire a bartender for your cocktail party.
Party Timing
It is just as important to establish what time the party will end on your invitations as what time your party will begin. Since cocktail parties do not normally include dinner, it is best to start the party a little after dinner time. Therefore, a good beginning time for evening cocktail parties is 7:00 p.m. The best timeframe for a cocktail party is two to three hours, so if you start at 7:00 p.m, a good ending time would be 9:00-10:00 p.m. Most cocktail parties take place on a Friday or Saturday evening because the majority of people do not have to go to work the next day. However, you should consider your guest list, first and foremost, when deciding when to have your party. For example, if you are hosting a cocktail party for college students on winter break, it might actually be better to have your party mid-week since many college students work on the weekends. Likewise, if your guest list includes mostly retirees, you have more flexibility with the day of the party. You may also want to bump the start time back to 6:00 p.m or even have it mid-afternoon.
Provide a Printed Menu Of Drinks
Proving your guests with a printed menu of drinks will help your cocktail party run more smoothly in several ways.
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The menu will prevent you, or your bartender, from having to repeat the same thing over and over.
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It will help your guests order what they truly desire rather than the first drink offered to them.
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If you provide descriptions for each featured cocktail, this will help those less savvy about cocktails decide what to try without feeling embarrassed about their lack of knowledge.
Be sure to list the types of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks you have on hand too. To make your cocktail menus more attractive, choose a stylish font and print them on paper with a nice texture or pre-printed design. You can get some really nice papers from most office supply stores.
Always Use Fresh Ice Made With Purified Water
Although a solid, ice is porous and will take on the stale taste and odor of any food stored in the freezer. Unfortunately, this can then be transferred to your drinks which can throw the taste and/or smell of your cocktails off. You don’t want a subtle fish odor or the hint of garlic in your cocktails! Furthermore, store bought pre-made ice is often made with water that is contaminated. Therefore, if you really want to serve your guests the best ever cocktails, you’ll need to make fresh homemade ice the day of the party using purified water. Cleaning your freezer and putting open boxes of baking soda in it a few days before you make the ice will help your ice taste better too.
More About Ice
Ice is a more important element than you may think because it can make or break your signature cocktails and even the non-alcoholic sodas you serve!
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It is always best to use large cubes of ice that have less surface area so they don’t melt as fast. One-inch cubes are a nice size for most cocktails and they look attractive in the glass.
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It may also be worth investing in some silicone ice trays because ice cubes are easier to remove from silicone. Plus, silicone trays tend to make clearer ice if you start with a silicone tray at room temperature. This is because the ice freezes more slowly and traps less bubbles at the surface.
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If you really want to impress your guests, you can buy higher end ice cube trays that will make crystal clear ice in interesting shapes such as sparkling diamonds!
Encourage Your Guests To Mingle More
It is basic human nature for people to gravitate toward the people they already know. However, if you are throwing a cocktail party where not all the guests know each other already, you want to encourage your guests to mingle outside of their already established social cliques. One excellent way to accomplish this is by using three or more different food stations instead of putting all the food in one central location. You can also separate the food from the drinks. As your guests migrate between food stations and the drink station, they will meet and mingle with different people.
Glassware Variety To Use
When choosing glassware for your cocktail party, you need to carefully consider both function and presentation. We’ll first consider function.
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Stemware includes wine glasses, champagne glasses, martini glasses, and margarita glasses.
The stem on these glasses serves a very functional purpose of temperature regulation. As your guests hold the stemware by the stem, this prevents their warm hand from quickly raising the temperature of the cocktail. You never put ice in stemware because it will topple over too easily. However, if you pre-chill the cocktail, it should stay cool for a long time without the warm hand touching the flute.
Half the joy of sipping wine is smelling its bouquet. Therefore, the flute opening on wine glasses serves an important function. The opening is intentionally made wide enough so your nose can enter the top of the glass when you take a sip. Since the bouquet on white wines is not quite as important, white wine glasses tend to have a slightly smaller flute opening than red wine glasses. Therefore, for your cocktail party, you should have a larger flute wine glass for red wine and a slightly smaller flute wine glass for white wine.
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The rocks glass, aka old fashioned glass or a lowball.
This is thick and sturdy and functionally holds up to ice well without toppling over. The thickness of the glass also serves to keep the ice from melting too fast.
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The high ball, aka collins glass or tall drink glass.
This is also good and sturdy and holds up to ice well. The tall cylindrical shape of the glass is also best for fizzy drinks containing soda water, like a collins, because there is less surface area at the top for the bubbles to escape. Therefore, the bubbles last longer in this kind of glass. You should be sure to serve drinks in these glasses with a straw because the alcohol tends to settle at the bottom it needs to be stirred occasionally to keep it mixed.
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Champagne glasses.
The flute on champagne glasses is tall and thin, and sometimes curves inward at the very top, to reduce the surface area so the bubbles will not escape as fast. Some champagne glasses have a little “bead” etched in at the bottom of the flute to direct the champagne bubbles into a single stream.
It’s important to consider how each type of glass functions when deciding what drinks you want to serve and which type of glass to serve them in. For example, if you serve champagne in wide open red wine glasses, your champagne isn’t going to be champagne for very long because all the bubbles are going to rapidly disappear. If you try to put an ice cube in a martini glass, you are probably going to make it really awkward for your guests to hold their cocktail stable and it may cause embarrassing accidents.
Savory Food
Dos and Don’ts
For cocktail parties, always serve finger foods! No matter how tempted you may be to serve Uncle Tony’s totally delicious world famous baby back ribs, resist! In fact, try to resist serving anything where a plate is essential. You can’t carry a plate of food and a drink at the same time while eating. So if you give your guests a plate, they will be sitting down a large portion of the night and that is not as inducive to mingling and making new social connections as walking around.
There are a few other tips to keep in mind.
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It is always a good idea to have at least one vegetarian option and one vegan option. You can even mention this on your drink menu for guests who are following a certain diet.
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You may also want to have a gluten free option because many people are now trying to follow a gluten free diet.
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Also, if you want to follow old-fashioned cocktail party etiquette, you should have at least one seafood option.
Timeline and Prep Tips
To make sure you enjoy your party as much as your guests do, you'll need to do some preparty prep. Below is a timeline to help you get everything done on time, plus tips for keeping both the planning and the party low-stress.
Four weeks before:
• Choose a theme for your event.• Determine where in your home you want to host the party.• Decide on a menu and drinks.• Make a guest list and design the invitation.
Three weeks before:
• Send out invitations (if it's a smaller group of close friends, you can wait until two weeks before).• Create a shopping list and cross-check with your menu.
Two weeks before:
• Plan the layout of and decorations for the party space.• Create a shopping list for any decorating supplies.• Buy, rent, or borrow any extra equipment needed.• Hire a server or bartender if necessary.• Make sure your stereo and speakers are working and create your music playlist.
One week before:
• Verify your guest list and call or e-mail guests you haven't heard from.• Buy any decorations needed except flowers and other perishable items.• Place order with florist.• Purchase ingredients that will keep.• Write a service plan for your party, including how you will prepare before the event and how you will cook the food throughout the week.• Start any possible cooking or food prep.
Two days before:
• Purchase the rest of the food, including perishable items.• Decide what to wear to avoid any last-minute fashion stress.
One Day before:
• Pick up flowers.• Clean up and decorate the party space and bathroom.• Decorate and arrange furniture, food tables, and bar.• Set up the bar or drinks station, making sure you have all the necessary equipment.• Prepare as much as possible from your menu.
Day of:
Several hours before:• Buy ice.• Double-check that you have all the food and supplies you need—this is the time to make a last-minute run to the store.• Finish preparing the food (except last-minute heating and garnishing).• Cut up and prepare all bar garnishes.• Queue up your playlist so it's ready to go.
Two hours before:• Get yourself ready.• Cool any beverages that need to be chilled.
Thirty minutes before:• Put finishing touches on food and drinks—to keep hot food hot, store in a 125°F oven until you're ready to serve.• Arrange any room-temperature food on the buffet or food stations.
just before the party starts: • Set ice and garnishes on bar.• Turn on music.• Double-check everything, sip a drink, and welcome your guests!
Set the Mood with a Cocktail Party Playlist
Getting ready for a cocktail party and thinking of putting the ole iPod on shuffle? The convenience may seem tempting, but take an hour and make a playlist instead. Cocktail parties are the time to break out the red lipstick, the fanciest drinks, the funniest stories, and the bounciest music. If you can make a playlist that will have your guests shimmying, singing, and flirting, then you've set the stage for a swinging night.
A few things to keep in mind for a cocktail party are to keep the music up-tempo, mix instrumental pieces with some classics or fan favorites that will help guests relax (doesn't everyone love to hear a favorite song playing on someone else's speakers?), and keep the tunes moving. Think about the type of music you would like to hear at a party: what songs make you feel good, feel like dancing, feel energized? If you put a playlist together from that angle, it's much more exciting than pressing "shuffle" and hoping for the best, or using some generic "lounge" mix that has no personal meaning to you or your friends. Have fun digging through your real and virtual stacks to mix up your own perfect playlist that will keep the mood bright and encourage spontaneous dancing.
Here's a great mix on Spotify. Please go to:
https://open.spotify.com/user/juliabren/playlist/5fsgZrxCzsSk26vJrqmhIJ
Stay Relaxed
Leave yourself an hour before guests arrive to freshen up, slip into something party-ready and light some candles for added ambiance. This creates a welcoming atmosphere from the moment you open the door with a big smile and cocktail in hand, of course. Don't forget that, as the host, you set the tone, so a relaxed attitude will bring out the same in your guests. Have a cocktail!
The Party's Over
It's Time to Call it a Day!
There are so many upsides to throwing a great cocktail party! But how to let your guests know it's time to go home without embarassing or hurting anyones feelings? Try some of these hints:
Turn up the lights in the main areas sending the message that it is time to move along. (Turn off the lights in the un occupied rooms)
Turn the music way down or even shut it off.
Have your bartender announce last call LOL
And for that guy, who you invited, rooted to the couch talking about college days......well maybe you can turn the lights off in that room too!
But of course, it has been a long day, it's most likely very late and you are done in for the day. Be the consumate host and genuinely go up to your last few guests and thank them for coming wishing them a safe drive home and until next time...
Easy Party Decor
Keep it simple! First, by using ballooons and streamers for instance, you are creating a fun and festive atmosphere but also kept some of that hard earned cash in your wallet.
Second, using one or two items, but all over your home/venue, creates drama and a wonderful effect. Take a look at the picture below! The perfect example!
Feed Your Helpers
Have extra nibbles on hand in the kitchen so your friends who are helping out, or just hovering, don't go hungry!
Talk to the Neighbors
Mean or rude neighbors can put an end to your party before it even gets started. So if you know beforehand that your party might get loud, you can simply invite your neighbours or let them know in advance to call you if it gets to be too much. Even if you don't care for your neighbours, if you are polite and courteous, they will hopefully return the act.
Set Limits
The surest way to make yourself miserable at your own party is to try to make six different drinks simultaneously. My biggest cocktail party tip is to focus your offerings to your guests.
If you were to have a dinner party, you wouldn’t offer your guests a four-page menu with 30 different options—don’t do it for cocktails either. Pick a few cocktails you’re going to focus on, make sure you have the makings, and that’s what you offer to your guests.
Party Decisions
A cocktail party can be as simple or complex as you wish to make it. There are a few questions you should ask yourself to begin planning a party:
How many guests will be attending?
Is this a casual event for friends or a formal business networking event?
How much time and effort do I want to put into it?
Will there be a full bar or a limited cocktail menu?
Will the party be indoor or outdoor? If outdoor, do I have a plan for inclimate weather?
What type of food will be served?
Is there a theme for the party?
Should guests be asked to bring anything?
How much money do I want to spend?
Never Let Them See You Sweat“
The more organized you are, the better. Just as a mechanic has his tools arranged before he starts working on a car, you want to have everything on hand. If your guests see you searching for a tool or a garnish, they’ll say, ‘Never mind, I’ll just have a Vodka Tonic.’
This is key: If your guests think that making them a drink is too much work, they’ll politely head toward the open bottle of Chardonnay someone brought. Practice making all your drinks ahead of time, so you have the proportions memorized and the motions mastered. Set all your garnishes out in glass bowls and your mixers in pitchers—not only does this help you assemble drinks quickly, but your guests are more likely to ask for a drink if they see all the ingredients set out. (Plus, it allows them to help themselves to an extra onion for their Gibson without feeling like they’re bothering you.)
Ideally, you want a shaker for every drink you’re making, so you don’t have to wash them every time. (Try asking friends if they can lend you spares.) Put your glasses in the fridge or freezer, or fill them with ice water or cubes so you start your cocktail in a clean, cold glass. Above all, have enough ice. Ice goes quickly when you’re making cocktails at home. Bags of large, solid cubes are fine, though you may find yourself eventually opting to make your own. You don’t have to get fancy ice molds. Go to the hardware store, buy one of those plastic tool organizers with the different-sized square compartments, and rip the top off. This will give you both large cubes for shaking and big spears for tall drinks or crushing.
Finally, invest in a small chest freezer. All week long, freeze cubes and dump them in there. Then, by the weekend, you will have all the ice you need.
However you manage it, having enough ice on hand will help keep you (no pun intended) cool during the party. And that, in turn, will make the party better. If you present yourself like you know what you’re doing, your drinks will taste better.”
Shaken or Stirred? Choosing the Right Way to Mix Your Cocktails
As you browse cocktail recipes you will notice that some instruct you to shake while others suggest that the drink be stirred. The debate of shaken versus stirred cocktails is hot, especially when talking about the famous Martini or any of the other spirit-only cocktail recipes out there.
Is there a theory behind which method to choose?
Yes, there is a general rule (as rules go in bartending). There are always exceptions, so it is best to follow a recipe's instructions or experiment with both to see which method makes the best cocktail in your eyes.
When to Shake...
Shake cocktails when they include fruit juices, cream liqueurs, simple syrup, sour mix, egg, dairy or any other thick or flavorful mixers. Essentially, use the shake whenever you need to ensure that every ingredient is fully integrated into the finished drink's flavor.
Shaking will create a strained drink with a cloudy, effervescent look at first that will clear up within a few minutes after straining. Due to the more violent nature of the shake, this method will also break down more ice and add a greater amount of water to the drink, which is desirable for getting a well-balanced cocktail.
A few shaken cocktails:
Chocolate Martini
Cosmopolitan
Mai Tai
New Orleans Fizz
Ward Eight
When to Stir...
Stir cocktails that include distilled spirits or very light mixers only. Stirring is a more gentle technique for mixing cocktails and is used to delicately combine the drinks with a perfect amount of dilution from the ice.
Many gin and whiskey cocktails are stirred because shaking is said to "bruise" the spirit (though that is also up for debate).
A few stirred cocktails:
Imperial Cocktail
Manhattan
Martini
Negroni
Rob Roy
Final Thoughts
This "rule" refers to cocktails and not necessarily mixed drinks that are built directly in the glass (think Vodka Tonic). These are almost always stirred and served with a sipstick or straw for further, fine-tuned stirring as the drink is consumed.
The point of either shaking or stirring (beyond mixing the ingredients, of course) is to add dilution to drinks from the ice. If either technique is done properly, the agitation will add the perfect amount of ice-cold water and bring your cocktails into balance.
Arrange the Furniture to Maximize Movement.
Since cocktail parties mean lots of standing and mingling make sure your guests aren’t tripping over bulky furniture. Place some seating groups in small clusters for those who prefer sitting. Make sure to have a few tables around for guests to put down a drink while they’re chatting.
The Invitations
Before the party starts you need the invitations, send printed invitations to your guests in something other than an envelope, why not a glass bottle or a rectangle box filled with wood shavings incorporating elements that will be included in the party to come. This will create a sense of anticipation and curiosity about the event, they will also serve as mementos after the occasion is done. By having a good understanding of your guests profile you can always add something personal that will appeal.
For example, if the guest is into rock and the party is in London, send the invite in a record sleeve, the record being, ” LONDON CALLING” and I guarantee that invitee will never forget it.Remember you must also account for all the much needed basics, which includes what drinks will be served, the RSVP info, the dress code, the full timings of the event and the venue address and transport opportunities and accommodation if needed.
Once they arrive everything needs to be both fabulous and dynamic, physically prepared and leaving a mental memory for we in events are in the memory business. We want to create the party the guests are expecting before they even arrive, so go through the flow of the room. How will the guests move around the room, from food to drinks, decorations and most importantly to each other as this is a cocktail party our main star of the night is the bar and its stars, the drinks.
Build Your Bar
You don’t need a formal wet bar to create a central area for serving drinks. Your bar can be anywhere that offers easy access to libations and glasses. So get creative and repurpose an armoire or a built-in cabinet. Serving in small spaces may require a little extra resourcefulness. A bar cart is a great go-to, or you can create a whimsical vignette, like with a repurposed vintage suitcase. The bottom line: The only things you really need are booze, napkins and glasses within easy reach in a central location. Stock good wine, beer and standard spirits such as whiskey and vodka, along with appropriate mixers. And always buy more ice than you think you’ll need.
Prep a Few Days Before
Set up your bar with nonperishables, such as spirits, glassware, and tools for bartending.
Decorate with vases full of flowers, old vintage bottles, paper lanterns, and ripe fruit.
Stock extra glassware in an easily accessible place just in case it's needed.
Making "Sours"
When creating sours, always use lemon for the brown spirits and lime for the white spirits. “It’s not a written rule but if you play safe, you play well.”
The Weak will Inherit the Cocktail.
“How to combine spirits? Similar spirits, you need to use an ounce each. If you want to combine different flavor profile spirits, I always recommend an ounce and a half of the weakest and an half-ounce of the strongest. I’m not talking strong or weak, I’m talking about flavor profile. So gin with mezcal, it’s an ounce and a half of gin, half-ounce of mezcal. If you do reverse, the gin will disappear. The smokiness of the mezcal will take the spirit away. When the spirits are similar like bourbon and dark rum, I recommend an ounce each. They blend very well together.”
Cocktail Recipe
Always read a cocktail recipe through to the end before starting so that you will not be surprised along the way.
Don’t Fill Your Drinks to the Rim.
Inexperienced bartenders and bartenders that have never learned properly fill their drinks to the brim. Don’t do this. Always allow 1/4”-1/2” breathing/travel/ and melting room at the top. If you’re still not convinced then walk into any bookstore and look at any drink recipe book with photos. The exceptions are if you are using real whipped cream and when you shake a drink with sour or juice, the frothy part can go to the rim.
Know the Proper Way to Rim a Drink.
Most dunk the rim of a glass into the spongy section of a rimmer, and then dunk into some sugar or salt. When the salt or sugar is on the rim, it falls into the drink. What you want is the salt or sugar to be on the outside edge of the rim. So you’ll have to tilt the glass and rotate it around. You can also wet the outside edge with a piece of lemon or lime wedge.
Use Both Hands
Experienced bartenders are practically ambidextrous. They constantly use both hands at the same time all the time. In this case when using a shaker, use both hands to insure a secure grip so your cocktail doesn't go flying everywhere except in the glass!
Lighting Is Everything
And we mean everything, because let’s be real. Lighting can make or break the mood of your party. The trick is to have just enough light for your guests to see each other’s expressions and make their way around after dark. Try going with mood-enhancing dim lights and don’t be afraid to get creative. Try draping Lace Paper Lanterns from your trees or ceiling.
Make your Guests Feel at Home.
Have a place for guests to take off their coats in the winter. Use a rolling rack with wooden hangers so it's easy to see where they should hang their coats if I am busy with another guest. Light a fire in the winter or make sure you have a patio heater going if needed. Place little nibbles throughout the house. Be sure there is plenty of toilet paper in all your bathrooms (silly, but important). Light candles. Sprinkle fresh flowers throughout (grocery store ones are totally fine!). Make your home as inviting as possible, and try to think of all the little things you notice when you're at someone's home, other people notice them too.
Let Your Guests Play Bartender.
Try to make sure you circle the room to make sure everyone is fully imbibed, but also make sure there are "stations" so to speak, scattered about the house for every choice of beverage so your guests don't feel like they have to wait for you. From water to gin to bubbly to wine, I want to make sure each and every guest gets the cocktail of their choice, whenever they choose to have it.
Keep It Cozy
When it comes to entertaining outdoors, comfort is key. While many of your guests may start out standing (read: classic mingling stance), be sure to provide comfortable seating for at least 30 percent or more of the crowd. Try making them feel at home with lots of seating options and extra pillows. Take your outdoor decor to another level with accents like assorted fancy pillows.
Using Mint!
When using fresh mint, the aromas and flavours are best enhanced by ‘clapping’ the leaves in your hands. This process bursts the cells in the leaves, releasing the liquids, where all the minty magic is hidden. However, be wary of shredding the mint leaves to pieces and bruising them by excessive muddling. Bruised mint takes on a bitter flavor.
Party In Style
While it’s important to keep your guests comfortable, don’t forget this is a party, y’all! It may not be as extravagant as this unforgettable soiree a la Jay Gatsby, but that doesn’t mean you can’t party in style.
Don’t Forget The Vegetarians
If you’re like most people, you appreciate a barbecue-grilled burger (or two), but as a good host, take care not to alienate the vegetarians in your crew. Try constructing your menu so that 20 to 30 percent is meatless. Not only will you make your veggie-loving friends happy, you’ll be making sure meat-lovers get their daily dose of fruits and veggies.
Continue to the bottom of this page for the latest Helpful Cocktail Hints!
Cocktail 101:
How to Flame an Orange Twist
Who doesn't love a little showmanship at cocktail hour?
Cut a round "coin" of orange peel, at least an inch in diameter. This time, don't worry too much about getting some of the pith. A thicker piece of peel is easier to squeeze over a lit match.
Light a match; hold the lit match several inches above the cocktail.
Hold the orange peel colored side down, about two inches above the lit match. (If you wind up with match soot on the peel, you held the peel too close to the flame.) I prefer to wave the peel slowly over the match for a couple of seconds, to help warm the oil so it lights more easily, but this isn't always necessary.
Twist and squeeze the peel over the lit match. I like to snap my forefinger and thumb together pretty sharply and strongly to press out a lot of oil quickly.
Rub the peel around the rim of the glass. Drop the twist into the drink or discard.
Be patient. The first few times you do this, it might not work very well, but keep practicing, be sure to use fresh oranges, and you'll eventually get it down.
Clean As You Go
We all know that parties can get messy. While there’s no way to entirely avoid spills and slip-ups, you can avoid a post-party disaster zone by tidying up throughout the course of the event. Try getting your guests in on the clean-up effort. Set up small stations where they can put used glasses and other utensils, and be sure to label the trash area with a sign or (for swankier folks) a decorative tray so no one is stuck holding an empty glass.
Serve Seasonal
As you plan your menu be sure to keep in mind what fruits and vegetables are in season at the time. Chances are, that’s exactly guests will be in the mood for. Try hitting up your local food markets before your shindig for your freshest, tastiest and healthiest options.
Remember, Games Aren’t Just For Kids
Who says a group of mature adults can’t enjoy a good old-fashioned potato sack race? Try to make the most of your indoor and/or outdoor space (and get some awesome photo ops) by encouraging them to participate in games and activities throughout the party.The backyard fave (trend) right now? Two words: bocce ball! Whether inside or outsie, it's important to keep your party moving. Dancing or some kind of activity will make your party totally rememberable as in, "Remember what fun we had at so and so's party!" There you go!
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