Cocktail parties never go out of style - and for good reason - they are much easier to organise than a dinner party and more sophisticated than beers around the barbie. Here's a guide to hosting a cocktail party that is cooler than cool.

Send out the invites:

Sending out a formal invite will alert people to the fact that this is a not-to-be-missed party. Think simple but chic - a black card with silver font, or vice versa. If you want something bright, you could use a colourful cocktail image in the centre of a white card with details on the back. Don't forget to give people a way to RSVP, by phone or email so you know how much food to prepare.

Get organised:

You'll find a cocktail party much less stress to organise than a dinner party, but there are a few surefire tips to a successful cocktail evening.

· Ice

You'll need loads of ice for chilling wine as well as for mixing the cocktails. Don't be shy - you'd be amazed how much you get through, so have plenty on hand.

· Glasses

You will need plenty of glasses - it is preferable to have the authentic glasses that the cocktails are supposed to be served in, and be sure to have loads of spares - as a general rule, you'll need twice as many glasses as guests. What glasses should you have? Wine glasses, highballs, tumblers and martini glasses would be a good range.

· Mixers

Stock your kitchen cabinets with plenty of mixers - orange juice, tomato juice, grapefruit and cranberry juice, soda, tonic, ginger ale and cola. Horseradich, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce would also be good to have on hand. Top off the cocktails, with small wedges of lemons and limes that you pre-cut earlier.

· The drinks

For a basic bar - have some wine, champagne and beer on hand, and you can get into the cocktail spirit with Baileys, vodka, whiskey, tequila, rum, vermouth and bourbon. If you want to cut costs you could request that people bring a particular spirit and a couple of mixers. Remember to have plenty of non-alcoholic options available to your guests as well as coffee and tea for sober drivers.

· The bartender

Of course your guests may want to make their own drinks, but everyone will have much more time to socialize if somebody is there to prepare the guests drinks. Perhaps you have a sibling/relative you can bribe with a few drinks or some cash to help out for the night? If not, you could consider hiring a bartender to make drinks for the night.

· The nibbles

As a responsible host, you will need to keep your guests happy with a regular supply of plenty of nibbles. Preparing a few large platters for the occasion, and allowing people to help themselves is an easier option than going back and forth from the kitchen with your nibbles.

Antipasto platter

What makes a good antipasto platter? The platters can be as grand or as simple as you like, but you could combine any or all of the following; prosciutto ham, sliced salami, bite sized bits of chunky white tuna, pastrami, thin sliced roast chicken, thin sliced ham, strips of smoked salmon, thin strips of provolone cheese, thin strips of Italian fontina cheese, shaved parmesan cheese, cubed mozzarella cheese, marinated artichokes, marinated mushrooms, marinated red peppers, stuffed green olives, sliced hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, blanched asparagus, grilled eggplant, grilled courgette - use your imagination!

First take a large platter and lay lettuce leaves on the platter. Roll all the meats into cigar shapes, and arrange everything attractively on the platter. This can be made ahead and refrigerated until 30mins before serving. Garnish with sprigs of fresh basil. Serve with loads of warmed crusty Italian bread and a lot of toothpicks!

Fruit platter

A fruit platter is also a nice idea - grapes, strawberries, melon, apples and pears are lovely when arranged on a plate already cut for people.

Cheese and crackers platter

A large platter of crackers and breads, and a selection of dips and different varieties of cheese always goes down well with guests.

Vegetables

Vegetables make a wonderful healthy platter for the guests to much on. You could do two platters - grill a range of vegetables with some roasted garlic and drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and rosemary. Serve with garlic aioli. Fresh vegetable can be sliced and diced into crispy cubes and sticks and popped on a platter with a large bowl of dressing such as ranch dressing.

As far as finger foods go...

As a general rule, you'd be wise to serve between six to ten bites per person, per hour for a two-hour party. Don't forget napkins - your guests will need at least three each.

And, if you want to hint to people that the cocktail party is wrapping up, bring out a platter of chocolates, coconut ice, fudge, cupcakes or fruit and marshmallow sticks and offer up the coffees and teas. Another cute idea is to put together a party pack goodie bag for people to take away with them - fill it with chocolates and sweet treats to be savoured later.

So, now that you have got the drinks and food plan sorted - all you need to do is find yourself a fabulous party frock and enjoy the fun... Don't forget to be a responsible host and have taxi numbers available for the drinkers.

Comments (1)

Only registered users can write comments.

Please login or register.