Yet, for many, the very idea of hosting is troubled- will it be fun? Will it be stressful? Does there need to be a holiday or an occasion like a fotball game to plan a party, etc? Having people over for drinks is fun, tastes delicious, and can foster connection and create space for great conversation. It’s easier than a dinner party, because only light snacks need be served, and the timing of a drinks party is generally only a couple hours, so it’s far less of a social commitment. As gatherings go, it’s as casual as they come.

Drinking socially is something we’ve been doing as homosapiens since we first began indulging (fermented honey, rice, and grapes.) Of course, not all of us choose to drink alcohol, and every reason someone may have not to drink is equally valid. Still, everyone can be included in the act of drinking socially. In modern times there is no shortage of drink options from elegant non-alcoholic mocktails to canned hard seltzers to cold smoke infused cocktails.  

There are also many reasons NOT to get together, from busy family schedules to longer work hours. We tend to entertain less in our homes these days, but there is something essential about the comfort of being together in someone’s living space, pulling up a spot on their couch and staying awhile that is unmatched. The act of making something and offering it to someone is an act of graciousness that cannot be matched by picking up the tab for a round. And so, our formal position on the matter is that inviting someone over for drinks is uniquely necessary, and too good to miss out on.

Our Grandma Nancy is the biggest influence on our love for happy hour get togethers. If wealth were measured in social interactions and empty glasses, our gram would be an heiress. She’s well known by friends and family as always having a stocked bar and an open ear. Whether it’s coffee or whiskey you seek, she’s got it, plus great conversation.

Grandma Nancy’s hosting is never fussy, she wears it like an easy smile, asking you if you need a drink before your shoes are off and taking the time to sit with you, not matter what she was doing before. She’s done this all her life, when raising 4 kids to co-owning a construction business to retirement. With each of these interactions she invests in her relationships, and she is re-paid in more friends and loved ones than anyone I have ever met. Her shining good health at age 84 is due not only to her broccoli breakfasts, but to her ties to her community.

So, while reasons certainly remain not to, in the meantime, life can get away from us. A drinks party invite can be a low pressure, low commitment investment in the people you care about, as early as tomorrow. And we’re here to help you plan your next cocktail (or mocktail, or wine, or mead) party!

• Count your number of guests, and plan to have at least one drink per person, per hour that they will be there. For a two-hour party with 40 guests, you should have at least 80 servings ready. It’s also good to have a couple of options available. If serving wine, have a red and a white, and a beer option. If serving cocktails, I always recommend one clear (gin, vodka, light rum) and one dark spirit (bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spiced rum.) Give them a couple of options and people will pick their preference. There is no need to accommodate every potential choice, from Uncle Gerald’s Gin and Tonics to Aunt Margie’s Bloody Mary’s. I’ve worked enough weddings to know that everyone will find something they like well enough on the menu given a couple basic options.
• Always include non-alcoholic options. Not everyone drinks alcohol at all, and not everyone may be drinking alcohol tonight. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t thirsty, or that the simple gesture of holding a glass doesn’t bring some ease to their stance. Most non-drinkers I talk to or serve still go to the bar when they first arrive somewhere, to get a non-alcoholic drink. A drink in hand is a blessed salve in social situations. To be included is essential to feeling comfortable in social situations, and this can be achieved for your guests by offering exciting NA options. Ideally, these non-alcoholic options go beyond soda or juice, for more “adult” like flavors. Serving those options in a similar manner, say an elegant glass with a garnish instead of a can of soda, goes even further towards an inclusive drinks party. A variety of sparkling waters and tonic, or a line up of Simple Goodness syrups next to some plain seltzer are great choices.
• Mix the first drink for the guests, then let people mix their own drinks. This one might be controversial, but we love a DIY bar set up. If you don’t have a recipe in mind for your drinks party or people will be coming and going at different times, making batching the recipes more difficult (no one likes a waterlogged cocktail) don’t worry about it. If you can trust your crowd to be responsible with service and underage guests won’t have access to it, you can set up a mixing station that turns the drinks into an icebreaker activity. We always print a recipe card that includes instructions for a cocktail and a mocktail and put it in a frame on the bar with a variety of syrup flavors, a bowl of cut citrus wedges, ice and an ice scoop, a couple of spirits, club soda, tonic, and garnishes such as fresh herbs, cinnamon sticks, flowers, and stir stick or straws. Folks can pour their own drinks according to their preferences, and it’s fun to play with different syrup, soda, and fruit combinations. This tip not only saves the host from mixing drinks, it also occupies their guest at the crucial time at the start of a party when you’re still putting out napkins or telling people where to put their coats.
• Serve Food, not a feast. A drinks party need only a few snacks to counteract alcohol and let people graze. Something salty, something sweet, something savory is a good rule. That might look like a bowl of olives and pickles, a bowl of mixed nuts, and some crackers and salami- think simple!
• Put a start and an end time on the invite. Something I hear a lot is that entertaining is only enjoyable in small doses. That’s ok! Put an end time so guests don’t feel obligated to stay late and can make plans for later. In the below photo we are probablygiving a toast to being home by 8 pm.
• lots of ice. Have a few bags in the freezer for drink making and chilling wine or champagne. This is probably not the time to rely only on your in fridge ice maker. Ice is the least expensive ingredient in a drink, but arguably the most important. An ice bucket near the bar area helps guests to make their own drinks. A mixing bowl with a spoon or ice scoop in it) can also work. Depending on your bar surface, you might want a towel underneath for condensation drips.
• Parties are supposed to be fun. Keep it low key and it will be! Put too much pressure on yourself or the menu and the night is never fun. If buying pre-canned cocktails or sticking to wine that's as easy to serve as opening and pouring will help you to be able to enjoy your own party, then that's the way to go!

Photos by Rylea Foehl photography