Holiday Party Guide - Cocktail Night

Have you been looking for a good reason to get together with your family and friends recently?

A cocktail party can be an original and fun occasion for everyone to do that. Besides, it’s easy to plan, very glamorous, and yet relatively inexpensive: you can serve fancy items like caviar and still have some money left over because you'll only be serving small bites. If you have never hosted such a party previously, the below hints will be of a great use for you.

So, the first step that will help you is choosing a theme. In order not to make your guests feel like on a childish hangout, you can offer them some particular flavor or color as a main theme. That element can than be present throughout the entire evening with table décor, glassware and tableware. A creative theme can make your party feel special without adding to your budget, and it will help you come up with ideas for food, drinks, and decorations.

Since you have a cocktail party, the second essential element are the cocktails. You can either prepare and serve them yourself, or hire a bartender for the night. The drinks themselves can include several options: 

• A drink of the evening: a specially created beverage, may be pre-mixed. The name can relate to the theme of your party.

• Limited or full bar: if some of the guests do not want to have the evening special, they can be offered some alternatives. A cool idea is to have a self-serve station with certain ingredients (for example, vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice, tonic, glasses, and limes) which allows your friends to make a no fuss alternative to the specialty cocktail. Add bourbon, coke and ginger for a second alternative to the signature drink, plus soda options for non-drinkers. Or just offer a full bar to fit every taste.

Martinis and/or Manhattans: the most glamorous option (what can be more stylish than a room full of people sipping martinis?). You can have the drinks prepared beforehand  and when ready to serve - add some ice. Don't forget to make sure you have enough martini glasses on hand. You can check for some especially elegant ones at Luigi Bormioli.

You’ll obviously need ice for the night. How much ice? You will need at least one pound of ice per guest. An effective rule of thumb that errs on the side of never running out of ice is to get 10 pounds per every 4 guests.

And last, but probably the most important advice: remember that the key to any great party is for the host to have as much fun as the guests!

Luigi Bormioli, the designer label of glassmaking, is synonymous with Italian Lifestyle. Our proprietary glassware formulas allow for an exciting fusion of elegance and technology.  Designed to enhance the tabletop and elevate the entertaining experience, these machine blown glasses are made in Italy, lead-free, durable, have laser cut fine rims, and will maintain their clarity after thousands of dishwashing cycles. You will enjoy their quality, brilliance, and strength for many years to come.