No one wants to stand around mixing, muddling, chopping, shaking or spritzing cocktails when there is a party going on. Save the multi-step fancy cocktails for an evening with a little less pressure. Here are some fool-proof tips on how to set up a bar for a crowd:
Preferred Location:
- Near a sink. Bonus if its a double basin sink where one side can be a service area filled with ice for beer and wine and the other is for dumping and dishes. If you're like me, and not that lucky, bus bins wrapped in linen work fine.
- We have a beer fridge, but still prefer to pull out a cooler when we have a larger party - your guests won't care, I promise.
Selections:
- Beer, Wine, Bubbles are obvious choices.
- 3-4 spirits and some fancy mixers will round out your selection. Fever-Tree mixers are used when I want to romanticize my life, but no one will judge you if you use Canada Dry ;)
Optional: Batched Cocktail. Impress your guests, but make it easy!
- Hot Apple Cider: Plug in your crockpot, add a gallon of apple cider, whiskey of choice to taste, some lemon juice, orange slices, star anise, cinnamon sticks, whatever you're feeling! If you want to follow a recipe, there's a good one here or here.
- Glühwein
- Sangrias, Punches, etc are all great choices!
Set Up:
Keep glassware easy with a universal wine glass for wine and bubbles (don't forget the wine charms!) a sturdy tumbler for your spirits, stirrers, openers cocktail napkins and a bowl of garnishes are all you need.
Oh, and how cute would mismatched and thrifted holiday mugs be for hot beverages?
Now just let the bar run itself. If a guests asks how they can help: put them on replenish duty throughout the night.