| |
Bar Recommendations, Beverage Suggestions and Tips for a Holiday Cocktail Party
The Holiday Cocktail Party Menu offers the opportunity to serve elegant but simple cocktails. It is always easier to select a single cocktail to serve along with 2 to 3 different wines and, of course, the ever popular beer. If you want to do a single cocktail, we recommend the colorful and not too sweet Cape Cod. This recipe can be prepared by the glass or by the pitcher.
Another great choice is a special Champagne Cocktail. Doing a champagne cocktail requires a certain level of commitment in terms of stemware, champagne costs and creating the cocktails as they are better made one at a time. Personally, we think it is worth it if you can afford it and are willing to do it right. Be sure to use flutes (they needn't be expensive but they must be flutes). Since you are creating a cocktail, the champagne doesn't have to be Moet Chandon or Dom Perignon. Spring for something in the $8 dollar a bottle range. Here is a recipe for a spectacular Peach-Raspberry Champagne Cocktail that will keep the designated bartender busy!
General Guidelines for Beverages
- Plan on 3 to 4 drinks per guest.
- A 750ml bottle of wine will pour 5 to 6 standard glasses. Plan on one bottle for every 2 guests who are likely to drink wine. Buy red and white; if you aren't comfortable choosing wine, don't hesitate
- A 750ml bottle of liquor will make 25 standard drinks. If you have 20 guests, 4 bottles is plenty. For a full bar you should have two bottles of Vodka and one bottle each of Gin and Scotch, and several bottles of mixers such as club soda, tonic, ginger ale, vermouth, juices and sodas. Here on Guam, rum is a popular choice so you might consider adding rum to the shopping list.
- To round out the bar, be sure to have a nice selection of beer. Guam is no slouch when it comes to an interesting variety of beers. Newest to the island is the popular Thai beer Singha which has a nice light refreshing quality.
- For your guests who don't drink adult beverages, consider sparkling apple cider for a festive touch and offer sodas and juices as well.
Serving Tips
- Have twice as many glasses on hand as you have guests. You can buy inexpensive glasses in bulk from Sunny Wholesale.
- Set your bar up on a sturdy table and put one edge along a wall so that it won't block the flow of guests. If your kitchen has a large countertop, you can use that. Cover the table with a plastic sheet and then a tablecloth. Arrange the bottles and mixers in the middle with glasses on either side. Set out a bowl or bucket of ice on the table (you can put back up ice in a cooler under the table).
- DO NOT RUN OUT OF ICE! Don't forget the corkscrew and bottle openers for the beer. Have lots of cocktail napkins, stirrers, picks, olives, lemons and limes. Be sure to keep a few good kitchen towels handy to mop up spills.
|
|
