With those summer barbecue parties now safely in the rearview until next year, we can start looking forward to—and planning for—that other rite of the cooler months: the cocktail party.
Nothing impresses or refreshes quite like a well-planned and executed cocktail party. The best ones, after all, are remembered long after the last guest stumbles out the door.
Hosting a memorable soiree can take a bit of organization and planning, but don’t let that deter you. The key is to build your next party around just one tasty drink. Throwing a Sangria or margarita party will please the masses, and require little more than making sure you have enough clean glasses.
So forget the college-style system of putting an assortment of booze and mixers on your kitchen counter or dining room table. That usually ends either with you making drinks the entire night or guests having to fend for themselves.
“You want to make something fun so it’s not just another vodka soda for everyone,” says Ryan Gaudin, a partner at the much lauded Osteria Marco in Denver. “But don’t freak out, people are there to enjoy themselves and with just a little pre-planning you’ll be fine.”
It’s never a bad idea to keep a couple cold beers in your fridge, since there’s always at least one beer-only drinker at every party. But overall the brew is best left for summer, so ditch the keg and treat your guests to a real drink.
Here are some recipes from the pros that’ll keep your guests singing your praises until it’s time to fire up the grill again.
Classic Red Sangria.
“Sangria is great for parties, it’s a great drink and you can make it as much as a day in advance,” says Roger Kugler, general manager and sommelier at Suba in New York’s Lower East Side.
Pick a full flavor wine (cheap table wine is generally best) that won’t get lost in the other flavors. Add the fruit as you serve. For a fall twist, add a cinnamon stick to each glass to swizzle.
