{"id":299,"date":"2011-11-22T10:24:44","date_gmt":"2011-11-22T14:24:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chefjudigallagher.com\/scrumptious\/?p=299"},"modified":"2011-11-22T10:25:15","modified_gmt":"2011-11-22T14:25:15","slug":"cocktail-party-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chefjudigallagher.com\/scrumptious\/cocktail-party-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Cocktail Party 101"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>Do you hear what I hear? That\u2019s the sound of the holiday social season gearing up\u2014December is almost upon us, which mean it\u2019s time to put on our shiny, sparkly holiday best and hit the holiday cocktail party circuit. In fact, chances are, you\u2019re probably hosting a cocktail party of your own, am I right?<\/p>\n

And let\u2019s be honest, here: hosting a holiday cocktail party is cause for nerves, especially if you\u2019ve never done it before. There are always questions about what kind and how much food to serve, how much alcohol to have and how to time your party so that you\u2019re not stuck in the kitchen while your guests are mingling in your living room.<\/p>\n

Luckily, I\u2019ve got some answers\u2014my own and some tried-and-true from others\u2014to the above questions, and well as tips and tricks to help make this year\u2019s soiree the best ever.<\/p>\n

How much food should I have?
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You have two options here: If your party takes place either before or after dinner, then you\u2019ll want to serve five to six hors d\u2019oeuvre options, with one to two of each hors d\u2019oeuvre per person. If the party takes place during <\/em>mealtime, then serve eight to 10 hors d\u2019oeuvres and plan on having two to three of each per person.
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What kind of food should I have?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m taking a cue from the queen of entertaining\u2014Ina Garten\u2014here and saying that you should have hors d\u2019oeuvres that all be prepared ahead, with most being of the no-cook variety. I\u2019ve included a few recipes below [JUDI, YOU HAVE SOME, RIGHT?]<\/strong>, but here are some other tips: remember your vegetarian guests, mix it up for a more exciting menu and keep it seasonal for the freshest and best-tasting options. Plus, hors d\u2019oeuvres that evoke the holidays are just fun.<\/em>
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What are the best kind of cocktail to serve at my fete?
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I\u2019m partial to champagne\u2014again, it\u2019s just fun and festive, especially around the holidays. You can also never go wrong with a big bowl of colorful punch, something like a jewel-colored pomegranate martini, or something seasonal like spiced cider. Don\u2019t feel pressure to have a full bar unless you want to; I\u2019ve had great success with a signature cocktail bar featuring drinks like the ones I\u2019ve listed above. But a note: always<\/em> make sure to have nonalcoholic options, and remember that each guest will probably imbibe two drinks during the first hour of the party and one drink each hour afterward.<\/p>\n

Below is a very helpful chart, courtesy of Bon Appetit <\/em>magazine, that will help you plan the amount of alcohol you need for any cocktail party, no matter the size:<\/p>\n

Liquor and Mixers for a Full Bar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Guests<\/strong><\/td>\n10-25<\/strong><\/td>\n25-35 <\/strong><\/td>\n35-60<\/strong><\/td>\n60-100<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Spirits (bottles)<\/em><\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
White wine<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Red wine<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Champagne<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vermouth dry<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vermouth red<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodka<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rum<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gin<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scotch<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whiskey<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bourbon<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tequila<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brandy\/cognac<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aperitif<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cordial<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Beer (bottles\/cans)<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n75<\/td>\n80<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Mixers (2-liter bottles)<\/em><\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Club soda\/seltzer<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ginger ale<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cola<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Diet cola<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lemon\/lime soda<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tonic<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Juice quarts<\/em><\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tomato<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grapefruit<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orange<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cranberry<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Extras<\/em><\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grenadine<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Angostura<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source: BonAppetit.com\u00a0 <\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

What else can I do to make my party sparkle?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have a great soundtrack playing in the background. Lately, I\u2019ve been partial to Adele, but something upbeat and instrumental is always nice, too. Many holiday CDs can be hokey, but there are some options out there that aren\u2019t\u2014it all depends on your taste. Just keep the volume low enough that the music doesn\u2019t overpower the conversation. As for ambience, I\u2019m taking a tip from the Barefoot Contessa again and saying that you can\u2019t go wrong with dark lighting and lots of candles. And finally, even if you feel frantic, never let your guests see that: greet them with a big smile and a drink in hand\u2014and when you see what a great time everyone is having at your party, the stress will melt away just like that.<\/p>\n

Happy entertaining!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you hear what I hear? That\u2019s the sound of the holiday social season gearing up\u2014December is almost upon us, … <\/p>\n

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