cocktail_party

Everything You Should Know for Hosting a Flawless Cocktail Party

How To Host a Perfect Cocktail Gathering

Cocktail parties may have taken a little break during the more casual decades of the 1960's and 1970's, but since then they have regained their popularity with full strength. Wine and beer are still popular beverages, but there has been a tremendous resurgence in the popularity of mixed drinks.

For the busy host, a cocktail party is a convenient way to entertain any kind of guest list ranging from neighbors to business associates.

The typical time for this party is only two hours. Because of the fluid nature of this party (no pun intended!) you can mix guests who might not feel comfortable sitting across from one another at a three-hour dinner party.

My favorite part of hosting a cocktail party is that you can experiment with a wide variety of food on your menu. Since everyone will be eating only little tastes, if they don't like something, you can be confident that there will be plenty of other choices for them. Everyone is likely to find something they will enjoy.

But returning to the most important part of the cocktail party, the cocktails, I asked fellow guide Colleen Graham, About's Cocktail Guide, to let us in on what the most popular drinks are these days on the cocktail circuit. Below is a list of her choices for current favorite cocktails. Be sure to check them out along with her tempting photos for each drink.

• Cosmopolitan - A fun, pink drink that was popularized on the HBO series Sex and the City.
• Dirty Martini - Don't worry, you won't need to wash after this drink. But with the addition of olive juice, this drink has a salty bite to it.
• Chocolate Martini - This drink has special appeal to anyone with a sweet tooth. But it doesn't look like what you'd expect.

• Apple Martini - I don't know if this would count toward your 5-a-day fruit and veggie requirement!

Whether you're an experienced cocktail party host, or are just stepping into the stylish world of cocktail party entertaining, here are tips to help make your next party a successful event.

1. Stock up on plenty of ice. You'll need it for chilling bottles of wine or champagne as well as serving in drinks on the rocks. A good rule of thumb is plan to have 1-pound of ice per guest.
2. Be prepared with an assortment of glass styles to cover the type of drinks you plan to serve. These include wine glasses for wines, juice and water; straight-sided highballs for tall drinks; tumblers for spirits and juices; and martini glasses.
3. Have twice as many glasses on hand as guests. For wine, champagne and martini glasses, wine glass charms will help guests to keep track of glasses as they mill about your party.
4. For a 2-hour party where you only plan on serving wine and/or champagne, you'll need to have one bottle for every two guests. Have a mix of white and red varieties. White used to be the predominant favorite, but red is becoming just as popular.
5. For a basic bar you'll want to stock up on vodka, whiskey, wines and beer. For a more complete bar you can add gin, tequila, rum, bourbon, vermouth, sherry, and brandy.

1. Don't forget to stock up on mixers including orange juice, soda, tonic, ginger ale, cola, tomato juice, Tabasco, lemons, limes, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce.
2. If you anticipate your guests will be wine drinkers, you can prepare by uncorking a few bottles in advance, and then replacing the corks.
3. Consider hiring a bartender to mix the drinks for your party. That will allow you much more time to socialize with your guests. There are even caterers that specialize in bartending services only.
4. Have coffee available for any guests that may need a little assistance at the end of the party. Your local taxi company phone number should also be handy and offered to any guests you believe shouldn't be driving.
5. As our Cocktails Guide points out, a cocktail party is not a family event!

The beauty of cocktail party food is that it can be a fun, eclectic selection of items. Since nobody will be eating lots of any one item, you can toss in a few experiments and still have enough safe items so that no one will go home hungry. Here are some basic guidelines for planning your cocktail party menu:

• Aim for variety in your menu including seafood, meat selections, finger food, canapes, hot and cold dishes.

• Although sweets are not typically considered cocktail party food, I like to offer one or two sweet nibbles toward the end of the party. In addition to satisfying any lurking sweet teeth, it helps to let guests know that the party will be wrapping up soon.
• When estimating food quantities, plan on serving approximately 6 bites per person, per hour for a two hour party, when no dinner will be served.
• For hors d'oeuvres that are not pieces, such as cheese and dips, one ounce is equivalent to one bite.
• It is always better to overestimate than underestimate the amount of food you serve.

Menu for a Cocktail Party

If pressed for time, you could leave off one or two of these choices. But since many can be made in advance, why would you want to?

Paige's Hot Peppered Candy Walnuts- This recipe is a highly recommended accompaniment to martinis.

Tapenade Cracker Bites- This very easy nibble uses all prepared foods.

Four Cheese Pate Recipe- This recipe is like a dressed up cheese ball. It's easy because no baking or cooking is required.

Salmon Tarts- Another very easy bite that uses only three ingredients.

Szechwan Cold Garlic Shrimp- This one will take a bit of work, but since a lot of the recipe can be prepared in advance, it's worth it.

Beef Satay- These little sticks of beef are accompanied by a peanut dipping sauce.

Bruschetta- An elegant and popular hors d'oeuvres.

Forgotten Cookies- A friend gave me this recipe years ago. I love how simple and foolproof it is.

Mocha Shortbread- The texture of shortbread almost makes it fall into the savory category fitting for a cocktail party.

Hosting a Cocktail Party

Cocktail parties have been a popular social gathering for years. They were a hit during the first few decades of the 1900's, were fueled by Prohibition, and died off a little during the last part of the century, but they're back.

Cocktail parties are great for entertaining friends or business associates, or a combination of the two. They're also great for open houses or receptions, both business and personal.

The average cocktail party lasts 2-3 hours during which guests snack on a simple spread of food and imbibe on great cocktails while chatting with other guests. It's actually quite an easy event to plan and there are so many options available.

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:

1. How many guests will be attending?
2. Is this a casual event for friends or a formal business networking event?
3. How much time and effort do I want to put into it?
4. Will there be a full bar or a limited cocktail menu?
5. Will the party be indoor or outdoor? If outdoor, do I have a plan for inclimate weather?
6. What type of food will be served?
7. Is there a theme for the party?
8. Should guests be asked to bring anything?
9. How much money do I want to spend?

Planning the Food

A full course meal is not necessary for a cocktail party.

Simple foods, such as hors d'oeuvres and other finger foods, allow guests to graze throughout the event as they feel the need.

Some tried-and-true cocktail party foods such as bruschetta and tapenade and crackers are perfect for almost any taste. Even something as simple as a cheese, crackers and cut fruit platter is perfect for the casual party.

To be a good host you should have some kind of food available and if you don't want to deal with food at all, call a caterer.

Planning the Drinks

Obviously, the drinks are the most important part of a cocktail party and there are two options.

1. Full Bar: If you opt for this you give guests the option to choose their favorite drink. This is great if you have a well-stocked bar or if you're willing to buy the essential spirits and are able to mix up a variety of drinks (or have a good bartending guide).
2. Drink Menu: This is my favorite because it encourages people to step out of their drinking routine. You’ll also save money because you don’t need a fully stocked bar. Make up a list of the drinks (including ingredients) and set it on the bar for guests to peruse.

• How Much Liquor, Beer, and Wine to Stock for a Great Party

Get Some Help

Only the ultimate host or hostess can do everything on their own and still be available to socialize with guests. The rest of us need some help.

Ask friends or family if they'd be willing to handle the food or bartend for the event and if that doesn't work hire out the work. Many catering companies also provide bartending services so this is logical if you're already calling the caterer or you could ask an aspiring or young bartender if they'd like the experience.

It's always nice to offer your bartender (pro or amateur) a tip jar for guests to contribute to.

Helpful Hints for a Great Party

• Make sure you have all of the essential bar tools.
• Send invitations early, but not too early, 2-3 weeks should be sufficient unless it's a busy time of year like November and December.
• Get food pairing suggestions from What to Drink with What You Eat.
• Have plenty of cocktail napkins, plates and glasses available.
• Plan on 50-75% of invited guests to attend to estimate the number of drinks you'll be pouring and how many bottles you'll need.
• Estimate 2-3 drinks per person.
• Add a "WOW" factor. This could be a drink, garnish, food dish, activity, display or whatever fits your party.

More Party Planning Ideas & Advice

Every good host or hostess is responsible for those drinking at their party.

Be aware of guests who have had too much to drink, cut them off when necessary and arrange for designated drivers. Also, have a few non-alcoholic drink, or mocktails, available for non-drinking guests.

Cocktail Party

For your next cocktail party, serve some of our favorite dishes and drinks for your guests. From fun and elegant finger foods to classic cocktails, these great cocktail party recipes are delicious, fun and easy to make. They are perfect year-round and perfect for any occasion.

Daiq on a Hot Tin Roof

This refreshing daiquiri from Benton Bourgeois of the Hot Tin bar, at the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans, uses passion fruit for a tiki twist on the classic. The Smith & Cross rum is highly recommended, as it adds a spiced tropical note to the drink.

Tiki Ribs with Pineapple Pickles

Star chef Danny Bowien coats ribs with a soy-spiked caramel glaze, which makes them savory and sweet. His tiki-style garnishes: shredded coconut, maraschino cherries and, when he has them handy, cocktail umbrellas.

Fried Peanuts with Asian Flavors

To make these addictive peanuts extra-tangy, Chris Yeo soaks them in lime juice before frying them and tossing them with tart shredded lime leaves. He served them at the Atlanta party because Georgia is the peanut capital of the country.

Marinated Olives

These spicy olives are infused with fennel, a favorite flavoring of chef Trey Foshee.

Lobster Sliders

These are lush, miniature takes on classic New England lobster rolls.

Marasca Fizz

This Champagne cocktail calls for pitted sweet cherries soaked in an anise-infused syrup.

Herb-Marinated Chicken Skewers with Harissa

Andres Barrera briefly marinates chicken in herbs and cumin before skewering and grilling it; then he serves it with a cool chickpea puree and fiery harissa. His harissa is a knockout, scented with toasted and ground cumin seeds, coriander and caraway seeds, but jarred harissa also works.

Cameron's Cooler

Scotch-lover Father Cameron Ayers (a close friend of Duggan McDonnell's) challenged the mixologist to come up with a Scotch-based cocktail that was bold and refreshing but stayed true to the whisky's roots.

Pimento Cheese & Bacon Crostini

A thick layer of cheddar cheese, chopped pimentos and bacon crumble make for an irresistibly cheesy crostini.

Chicken Drumsticks with Asian Barbecue Sauce

Instead of making a traditional American barbecue sauce, Grace Parisi prepares a sweet, sticky, slightly fiery version using Asian ingredients, like chile sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and ginger.

Grilled Merguez Sandwiches with Caramelized Red Onions

A North-African lamb sausage flavored with the spicy pepper spread harissa, merguez is delicious in sandwiches like these (fresh Mexican chorizo or another spicy sausage will also work well in this recipe).

Shrimp and Chorizo Flatbreads

Store-bought pitas are topped with good-quality prepared hummus, fresh shrimp and spicy slices of chorizo.

The origin of this classic rum cocktail is one of the great debates in tikidom. Both Ernest Beaumont-Gantt (a.k.a. "Donn Beach," the father of tiki culture) and Trader Vic founder Victor Bergeron lay claim to its invention. This version borrows from Beaumont-Gantt's recipe, which adds dashes of Pernod and Angostura bitters for complexity.

Wine Bar Nut Mix

This fantastic sweet-savory mix of pecans, almonds and walnuts from The Casual Vineyard Table, by Carolyn Wente and Kimball Jones, makes a great gift.

Mini Burgers & Crispy Onion Rings

The accompanying onion rings are unbelievably crispy, thanks to the club soda in the batter.

Golden Spritz

Salers, a traditional French aperitif made from the bitter root of the gentian plant, has become a pet mixer among US bartenders. At Herbs & Rye in Las Vegas, Emily Yett adds the yellow liqueur to her crisp vermouth spritz.

The Negroni is commonly credited to Count Camillo Negroni. He was a Florentine aristocrat who, in the early 1900s, asked for gin in his Americano in addition to the usual sweet vermouth and Campari.

Green Goddess Sangrita

Joaquin Simo, co-owner of Pouring Ribbons in New York City, created this spicy-sweet take on sangrita, the typically tomato-based chaser for tequila. "The combination of tequila and sangrita is designed to be sipped, not shot," Simo says. "It can be consumed pretty much any time you're relaxing with friends."

The oldest-known recipe for the mojito appeared as the Mojo de Ron in a 1929 Cuban guide called Libro de Cocktail (The Cocktail Book).

Goat Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms with Bread Crumbs

Goat's-milk cheeses are typically lower in cholesterol, calories and fat—and higher in calcium—than cow's-milk ones. Here, creamy chèvre is stuffed into antioxidant-rich mushrooms and topped with crispy herbed bread crumbs.

Classic Cheese Fondue

Chef Ryan Hardy makes his luxurious fondue with two kinds of Swiss cheese (Emmentaler and Gruyère) and two kinds of spirits (white wine and Kirsch), all traditional ingredients. Some of the dipping items are also classic, like cubes of crusty bread and pickles, but some are unconventional, like slices of Hardy's salami and other hearty house-cured charcuterie, which are all wonderful with the winey fondue.

Kill Devil Punch

A block of raspberry ice releases berries into the bowl as it melts.

Tennessee Rose

Mixologist Suzanne Bozarth sweetens this winter whiskey sour with cassis to give it a pink blush.

Brewsky Sangria

This tangy beer-based sangria was inspired by a British customer's request for a shandy, a refreshing blend of lager beer and lemonade or soda.

Bruschetta Duet

We like the variety here—the same toast spread with two different toppings. The green-olive tapenade, which uses pre-pitted olives, can be made in minutes with a blender or food processor. The sautéed mushroom topping is equally savory hot or at room temperature.

Cocktail Meatballs

According to Southern tradition, the hostess at a ladies' luncheon should serve little meatballs in a chafing dish or on a platter with toothpicks as a satisfying snack for any men in attendance. The recipe here is by Debra Shaw, the cafeteria manager at the Golden Age Nursing Home in Greenwood.

Shrimp Cocktail with Tomatillo-Horseradish Sauce

Spicy Cocktail Shortbreads

Gail Monaghan has made these curried shortbreads for years and even packaged and sold them for a time. They are delicious with a glass of Champagne, or at the end of a meal with fruit salad, ice cream or sorbet.

Almost all of the cocktails at JP incorporate wine; the garnishes are made by chef Darren Bartley, who brandies peaches for this drink.

Coconut-Crab Cocktail

When FoodNation takes Bobby Flay to San Francisco, he gorges on Dungeness crab. Here he combines morsels of sweet crab with Asian flavors—lush coconut milk, piquant lime juice and aromatic cilantro—then serves it with salty chips.

Everything You Need to Throw a Fabulous Cocktail Party

We love a good cocktail party. Great drinks, delicious snacks, and lots of laughs with good friends. Whether yours is large or small, everyone you know or a few close friends, The Kitchn has some tips to make it the best one you've ever hosted.

First, The Drinks

First things first: Let's start with the drinks.

• The Kitchn's 9 Bottle Bar column is a great place to start if you're ready to build your bar, bottle by bottle, garnish by garnish.
• Keep it simple and Just Add Booze: Stock These 5 Mixers for Quick and Easy Cocktails.
• Cold out? Try this Snow Day Cocktail Recipe: Spiked Chocolate Truffle Hot Cocoa.
• How did I miss this post? Every time I go to Brooklyn, I look forward to a trip to the Clover Club to drink what I thought was their signature drink, The Clover Club. I'm so excited that I know how to make them, I'm not even embarrassed to admit that I now know the bar was named after the drink, and not the other way around.

More Cocktails for a Party

But Food Is Just as Important

A cocktail party without food can turn into a brawl faster than you can say "liquor on an empty stomach." Or maybe your friends are more well-behaved than mine. Either way, there are plenty of great party appetizers you can serve, from simple to fancy!

Don't Break Your Budget

Bank account a little light this time of year? Here are some great tips to throw a party on a budget.

Party Tips & Inspiration

Whether you're throwing your first cocktail party, or looking to make a few changes in your routine, we hope you can find inspiration on The Kitchn.

Are you ready? When's your next cocktail party?

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Easy Cocktail Party Ideas and Themes for Every Occasion

Last Updated: Jan 6, 2017

You can never go wrong with hosting a cocktail party. Whether you’ve graduated from throwing dinner parties or you’re simply looking to try your hand at making cocktails, this is a party idea for the aspiring entertainer. Conversation, good food, and even better drinks are your key objectives here. Follow the complete guide below to planning a cocktail party that’s one-of-a-kind.

Cocktail Party Themes

Throwing a cocktail party isn’t just about serving a variety of cocktails. You have food and decorations to consider, along with your bar set-up. Cocktail parties are a blast and you can make them even better by choosing a theme to influence all of your food, drink, and décor ideas. Whether you’re looking to set a themed dress code or re-create your favorite destination, a cohesive and fun theme paired with cocktail party invitations will make your party planning process much smoother.

• Around the World: Take your guests “around the world” with this all-inclusive cultural theme. The goal of this party theme is to showcase a variety of foods and drinks from different cultures. Your guests will attend the party under the assumption that they’ll be trying new things which creates for an unforgettable cocktail party. You can choose a worldly party invitation and decorations to match that symbolize your appreciation for different cultures.
• Color-Based Theme: You can craft a theme for your cocktail party ideas based off of one color or a color palette. If you want guests to dress in a certain color or follow a dress code, this is the perfect theme for you. Parties based on color schemes allow for you to mix and match decorations, foods, and drinks, as long as they follow your color palette. Plus, cocktails come in just about any color.
• Alcohol Type: If you prefer one type of alcohol in your cocktail, turn your preference into an entire theme. For instance, you can throw a New Orleans-inspired ‘Mardi Gras’ party and serve only bourbon-based cocktail drinks. You can also host a ‘Fiesta’ with Mexican cuisine and serve Tequila-based cocktail drinks and margaritas. Alternately, head to the islands with a rum-inspired party characterized by Carribean-inspired food, drinks, and colors. You can base all of your party décor on the region that is most tied to the alcohol type you choose.
• Retro Cocktail Party: Re-connect with the ‘60s by throwing a retro cocktail party! Cocktail affairs in the ‘60s were typically characterized by low ball glasses, garnishes, martini recipes, and champagne cocktail set-ups. Focus on mastering these kitschy ideas and then serve food to match. You can whip up simple appetizers that were popular during this era by pulling recipes from 1960s cookbooks. Lastly, send retro party invitations that encourage guests to wear clothes that were popular during this decade to take your party theme to the next level.

Planning Your Cocktail Party Menu

After you’ve chosen a cocktail party theme, you can begin to plan your menu. As the hostess, your goal should be to enjoy the cocktail party as much as your guests! Any good cocktail party includes plenty of conversation between the hostess and friends. Try serving a delicious array of hors d’oeuvres to spare yourself time in the kitchen. You can hire a few servers to offer guests hors d’oeuvres throughout the party to reduce your stress and keep the party going. Hors d’oeuvres and easy-to-grab eats are perfect for keeping guests satisfied while avoiding large messes and kitchen chaos. Additionally, serving smaller bites doesn’t mean you can’t be creative with food options. Here are a few tips for planning the perfect cocktail party menu:

• Mix and Match Hors d’oeuvres. A cocktail party is your time to shine. Whether you’re cooking or hiring a chef, you should offer a variety of eats to make your cocktail party feel like an experience. All of your guests should leave your gathering having tried something new. Incorporate a diverse selection of petite dishes that each have different flavors and textures to craft a well-rounded party.
• Load Up on Snacks. Although you’ll be offering savory and sweet hors d’oeuvres, do your best to place snacks at each table area that will last beyond the popular bites. Popular snacks include cheese and cracker trays, gourmet pretzel sticks, hummus, seasonal fruit, bread, popcorn, tortilla chips and salsa, spinach dip, and more. Guests will appreciate snack alternatives as the party comes to an end.
• Offer Vegetarian Options. Vegetarians want to have a good time too! While you’re planning out your menu, take a moment to set aside Vegetarian-friendly options that are also savory. If you have spare budget, you can also plan out a few gluten-free and vegan bites so your party caters to all guests.
• Prepare the Day Before. When you’re hosting a party, day-of problems and last-minute details are bound to happen. You can reduce stress by completing as much food prep as possible the day before! Purposely choose menu items that can be re-heated or served cold to make use of designated food prep time.

Cocktail Party Drink Ideas

When it comes to your cocktail bar, there are a few rules to follow and ways to perfect your menu. Offering the right garnishes, deciding on variety in alcohol options, and providing water are checkpoints in your party planning process. Follow these tips below to make sure your cocktail party ideas go as planned:

• Planning Your Drink Menu: Serving drinks may seem easy but when it comes to a cocktail party, you should approach your bar with an organized plan. Begin planning your bar set-up by considering if you’ve chosen a cocktail party theme. If you have a party theme in mind, you can choose 2-3 cocktails based off of your theme. However, if you forego choosing a cocktail party theme, you should serve a full bar with 5-6 cocktails that have different alcohols and flavors. A full bar will also allow the bartender to make a few custom drinks for guests who may not follow the drink menu. If you’re honoring a guest at your cocktail party, you can opt to serve 2-3 cocktails that are signature to the honoree and what they prefer. You can name the drinks after the honoree for an entertaining effect.
• Wine Bar: Don’t forget about the wine! Although cocktails are the highlight of this party idea, offering a small wine bar can be beneficial for guests who don’t enjoy strong cocktails. You can set up an array of white and red wines near your bar area to cover all bases. If many of your friends love wine generally, combine wine party ideas with cocktail party ideas for an unexpected theme.
• Garnishes: Go all out with garnishes for your cocktail party. Start your grocery list by including necessary garnishes such as cherries, olives, mint, lemon wedges, lime wedges, and sugar cubes. You can then add extra garnish ideas such as herbed ice cubes, berry-infused ice cubes, edible stir sticks, or alcohol-infused fruit to excite guests.
• Hydration Station: Although every cocktail party should be 21+, you should offer alternatives to alcoholic drinks. Set up a hydration station, also known as a water bar, so guests can drink water throughout the party. These parties are classic and fun but water is always needed. You can give your water bar a lavish feel by offering inexpensive fruit mix-ins so guests can make their own flavored water, along with cut-up lemons and limes.
• Glassware: Add a personal touch to your party by creating customized wine glasses or custom mason jars to serve your cocktails. If you’re hosting a cocktail party for a special occasion such as an engagement party, birthday party, or bridal shower, custom glasses can add a detailed and charming touch to your bar set-up. You can personalize glasses with witty sayings, initials, or a line about the honoree.

Although cocktail parties have been around for decades, they’ve become a modern way to showcase different foods and drinks. Consider hosting a cocktail party for milestone birthdays such as a 30 th birthday party, a New Year’s Eve affair, housewarming celebrations, or a holiday party. You can use any of the above cocktail party ideas and tips to plan a stress-free night full of unforgettable moments.

Cocktail Parties

By Allrecipes Staff

Throw a cocktail party for a more relaxed and relatively inexpensive way to entertain.

Cocktails! | Photo by Meredith

If you have a fully stocked bar, great. But you don't really need one to throw a terrific cocktail party. A more practical and inexpensive approach is to offer one or two signature cocktails, along with beer, wine, and some non-alcoholic choices.

Standard cocktails use 1.5 fluid ounces of spirits per drink, so plan on getting 16 cocktails from each bottle.

Figuring one cocktail per guest per hour, plus beer and wine, the beverage shopping list for a 4-hour party featuring martinis and Manhattans for 20 guests might look like this:

• 4 750-ml bottles of gin (and/or vodka)
• 3 750-ml bourbon
• One bottle (750 ml) dry vermouth
• Two bottles (750 ml) sweet vermouth
• Bitters
• Pimento-stuffed cocktail olives
• Maraschino cherries
• Cocktail napkins and picks
• 6 bottles of white wine
• 4 bottles red wine
• 24 12-oz bottles of beer--a mixture of light and dark beers
• Water, still and sparkling
• A variety of soft drinks
• Ice, at least half a pound per person

Tippler's Tip: Clear alcohol (such as vodka) tends to go faster than brown (such as whiskey), and white wine is more popular in party settings than red.

Cocktail Party Tips

Tip #1: Never skimp on the ice. A good rule of thumb is half a pound per person in a cool climate, and two pounds per person in warm weather.

Tip#2: Print out your drink menu, including the featured cocktails, wines, and beers you'll be serving.

Tip #3: Use your space creatively. Put the drink and food stations away from each other to encourage your guests to spread out.

Tip #4: Consider hiring a bartender if your guest list exceeds 20. It will free you up to enjoy your guests, and minimizes post-party clean-up.

Tip#5: Rent glassware. Choose styles that suit the drinks you'll be serving and plan on providing wine and beer glasses for the other drinks. Rent a total of four glasses per guest, and have plastic glasses on hand as back up.

Don’t Forget the Ice!

The best tasting cocktails are made using fresh ice from pure, filtered water. "Fresh" means the cubes haven't been lounging around for weeks in the freezer soaking up the stale essences of long-lingering foods.

Make cocktail ice the morning of the day of your party, and you’ll enjoy the freshest, most delicious cocktails.

How to Throw a Cocktail Party

Fifth of What?

Alcohol has been bottled by metric measurements in the U.S. since 1979, with the 750 ml bottle replacing the previous standard bottle size popularly known as the "fifth."

History of the Cocktail Party

Cocktail culture grew out of Prohibition-era America during the 1920s. Speakeasies soon arose to satisfy society's thirst for illegal drink, inventing whimsical cocktails, many long-forgotten, such as the Mary Pickford and No. 21 Punch.

Of course, the other option was to host private parties in homes or hotel rooms. The skill of properly preparing a cocktail soon was on par with other flourishes of home entertaining.

Though it's fallen in and out of favor throughout the 20th century, the cocktail party's back in style!

Ready to shake up some cool cocktails? Find recipes for classic cocktails.

Cocktail Party

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15 Fabulous Pitcher Drinks for a Party

What's a party without a cocktail? But shaking them to order just isn't practical when there are guests to enjoy and dinner to finish. Two words for you: pitcher drinks. These cocktails are full of fresh flavors and ingredients, but they can be made in big batches, refrigerated, and pulled out right when the first guests arrive. Let's start with strawberry margaritas, and move on to Hurricanes. The party's just getting started.

This round-up of cocktails start with the best of the spring season and will carry you right into summer back yard parties. Right now, a tumbler of the honey-bourbon Gold Rush or a grapefruit mimosa sounds perfect. When the strawberries start showing up in markets, that Strawberry-Basil Margarita should be at the top of your list, hands down.

Do you have a favorite large-batch cocktail for serving at parties? Please share!

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How to Throw a Cocktail Party

Everything you need to host a fabulous fête, including setting up a bar, easy hors d'oeuvres, and planning tips

Text by Linnea Johansson; photos by Paul Brissman

• intro
• planning the menu
• serving the food
• planning the cocktails
• how to set up the bar
• food & drink quantity charts
• guest list and invitations
• setting the scene
• rentals & staffing
• timeline & prep tips

T he traditional cocktail party fare is hors d'oeuvres—small, savory finger foods that can be eaten in one or two bites. The recipes included here are all good examples. Typically, hors d'oeuvres are served before a meal and are not meant to be a substitute for a meal—the French "hors d'oeuvre" translates to "outside of meal." However, nowadays I find that it's common for hors d'oeuvres to wind up replacing meals, so if your party takes place during normal lunch or dinner hours, plan to serve enough food to constitute a meal.

Below, you'll find tips for planning the perfect cocktail party menu. For specific guidelines on how much food to make, consult our food quantity chart, and be sure to check out our section on serving advice.

Recipe Suggestions

Before you plan a single hors d'oeuvre, think about what foods are in season. If it's summer and farmers' markets are filled with corn and tomatoes, chances are that's what your guests will be craving. Plus, seasonal ingredients are nearly always the freshest, best-tasting options, so the effort you put into cooking will pay off.

Cocktail parties are a great opportunity to try new or unusual recipes without the risk there would be with a dinner party for which you're only making a few dishes. Try something new, then fill out the rest of your menu with recipes you've made in the past and no-cook items such as olives and nuts. That way, if one item isn't a huge success, there are lots of backups.

An exciting menu doesn't mean that each recipe has to be difficult or time-consuming. Your menu can consist of five simple hors d'oeuvres—as long as each recipe has a different flavor, temperature, or texture, your guests won't be bored. Search our recipe database for quick, easy hors d'oeuvres.

Almost any dish can be made over into cocktail party fare. For example, serve your favorite soup in shot glasses or bake your famous mac and cheese in small ramekins.

If your party takes place during lunch or dinner hours and will be a meal for your guests, consider constructing your menu as if it were a regular meal with multiple courses. Start with lighter, cold "appetizers" and follow with hot "main dishes." You can even end with sweet treats such as chocolate truffles to signal that the party is coming to an end.

Make sure that 20 to 30 percent of your menu is meatless. This is crucial for any vegetarians in the crowd but it also adds variety for the rest of the guests.

To ensure that you have enough food, stock up on "fillers" such as nuts, olives, breadsticks, and dips. These will save you if folks are really hungry, if unexpected guests pop in, or if one of your labored-over hors d'oeuvres doesn't come out as planned. You can also set up a cheese tray with honey, spiced jams, and crackers or bread. Or, serve popcorn topped with Parmesan cheese or drizzled with flavored oil such as truffle oil.

Make sure that 75 percent of your menu can be prepared in advance. That means no heating, constructing, or garnishing—just serving. To cut down on last-minute scrambling, include several canapés in your menu. These mini open-faced sandwiches can usually be prepared fully in advance and served at room temperature.

• Keep It Manageable

If you're hosting a large party (more than 20 guests) and don't have a helping hand, reduce the number of hot items on your menu. One person can handle serving two or three steamy treats, but more than that is difficult. Swap in more cold or room-temperature hors d'oeuvres or enlist help.

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Year's Best Cocktail Party Recipes

A good cocktail party means more than just excellent drinks—the snacks have got to be great, too. Here, a collection of our very favorite finger foods, from goat cheese crostini to crispy chickpeas.

Gin is mixed with violet liqueur in this easy-to-sip cocktail.

Sriracha-and-Wasabi Deviled Eggs

Chef Joanne Chang's mother used to make hard-boiled eggs for dinner: She would add them to the beef or chicken she was braising in soy. This is Joanne's riff on those eggs, made spicy with hot sauce and wasabi.

Daniel Boulud's Caipirinha

Sweet, tart and strong, the caipirinha is mixed with the Brazilian spirit cachaça. Cachaça is similar to rum but made from sugarcane rather than molasses.

Crab Rolls with Lemon Aioli

New Orleans chefs often drown seafood in rich, spicy sauces, but here, chef Jason McCullar simply dresses sweet crabmeat (a Louisiana staple) in lemon-scented aioli. The crab salad is wonderful piled on hot dog buns like a New England lobster roll or arranged delicately on small rolls as hors d'oeuvres.

Crispy Kale with Lemon-Yogurt Dip

"I like the idea of making a healthy kind of potato chip that's not one of those packaged, dehydrated vegetable chips," Seamus Mullen says. He roasts kale with extra-virgin olive oil and garlic until it's crunchy.

Goat Cheese Crostini with Pickled Peppers

Jim German likes to spread its fresh, creamy goat cheese on toast and top it with pickled peppers.

Mixologists around the world make this fizzy, lemony drink with gin, but New Orleans bartenders opt for cognac.

Scallops with Potato Pancakes and Caviar Sauce

Chef Vinny Dotolo found inspiration for this elegant dish by thinking about New Year's Eve classics. Both Champagne and caviar flavor the butter sauce that he spoons over seared scallops set on mini potato pancakes.

Crispy Chickpeas

To make these addictive snacks, chef Jason Travi tosses canned chickpeas with flour, coriander and cumin, then fries them. He loves popping them into his mouth while he's watching football.

Ramoncita Lopez Special

Bartender Eric Alperin mixes this refreshing, frothy cocktail for friends.

Pincho Ribs with Sherry Glaze

These ribs are named after Spanish snacks known as pinchos. Jason McCullar rubs them with a smoked-paprika spice blend, then lacquers them with a sherry-spiked glaze. For an ideal cocktail snack, look for riblets, a half portion of baby back ribs; they're especially meaty. Or ask your butcher to split your rib racks crosswise.

Vegetable Summer Rolls with Chile-Lime Dipping Sauce

These rolls, filled with bell pepper and slivers of avocado, are an effective way to get children to eat vegetables.

White Bean Dip with Parsley Oil

To give this creamy bean dip its fresh herbal flavor, Jim German drizzles it with olive oil blended with lovage leaves. Since lovage isn't always easy to find, a combination of parsley and celery leaves can mimic its flavor.