Advice

Picking your guests

A good number of guests for a top cocktail party is between 30 and 70. Any more than this, and it’s difficult to have the cocktails flowing quickly enough, but any less – and people just won’t loosen up and enjoy the party before the 4th cocktail. At cocktail parties, try to have a good mix of people (some friends, some work colleagues and maybe some friends of friends).

Picking your drinks

An important point to keep in mind is to keep things simple. Having a few key ingredients and having enough of them to go around is much better than having a really wide variety but in quantities too small to keep guests happy.

Try picking Vodka, Midori, Bacardi, Cointrieu and Schnapps in roughly that order. These drinks allow for a lot of different and exciting combinations with some mixes and some ice!

Providing different styles of drinks is also recommended. Stronger drinks in martini glasses, weaker ones in tumblers or high ball glasses and maybe a shot. Mixing it up, so to speak, is part of what makes the party enjoyable.

Decor

A good cocktail party should be a classy affair – but this doesn’t mean it has to cost you the world. Invest in a few key pieces and build up some of that “old school” appeal. Some candle stick holders, cigarette lighters and some silver bottle openers can look really good. A bit of eye catching art is also a good way to make sure your rooms look their best.

Food, Food, Food, Food, Food

Cocktail parties usually start a little late, about 8pm or so. In this situation, it’s not expected for the host to provide a full blown meal. Light fingerfood is usually recommended though as not only a responsible host but also to add to the theme you’re going with.

Mini spring rolls, wasabi peas, antipasto platters and similar dishes are a simple and easy to prepare or buy and look much better than chips and dip straight from packets..