A successful cocktail party is a fun way to enjoy the company of friends or family while showing off your hosting skills. A little forethought and planning goes a long way toward creating a memorable and impressive evening. By staying organized before your guests arrive you have a much better chance of being able to relax and enjoy the party rather than spending all your time in the kitchen preparing refreshments.

One Liquor, Several Drinks

If you have never thrown a cocktail or dinner party previously, chances are you do not have a full bar ready to go at your house or apartment. At-home bartending supplies can stretch your budget. The best way around breaking the bank at the liquor store is to come up with between two and four signature cocktails to serve your guests. Center your chosen cocktails on a single kind of liquor.

This is one place where a little research before the party comes in handy. There are tons of websites that present and easy to navigate and read database of cocktail recipes. Pick out two to four recipes that will work well with the mood or theme of the evening and use a single kind of liquor. By choosing one kind of liquor to feature in the cocktails you serve you can save a lot of time and money shopping at the liquor store.

Any worry that your drinks won’t be special enough with only one kind of liquor available, think of different presentations. Thrift stores are ripe with interesting, one a kind cocktail glasses that can be washed and used to serve.

Flavor Profiles

Everything you serve should work well as a whole and as individual dishes and drinks. Light appetizers or dinners should be complemented by light cocktails. The same rule applies to heavier or richer foods and drinks. An unbalanced relationship between your drinks and food choices can make for an unbalanced cocktail party atmosphere. For example, chocolate martinis and Irish coffee pair well with rich beef wellington or a chocolate fondue. The best way to stay focused on your flavor profiles is to remember the way you want your guests to feel. If you want a warm and cozy evening atmosphere, stick with more decadent and comforting flavors, and so on.

Preparation & Timing

The more you can accomplish and have ready to go before your guests arrive, the more time you will have to enjoy the cocktail party you’ve worked so hard on. A host who spends all of his or her time slaving away in a kitchen will be left out of guests’ memories of the events. Cocktails that can be prepared by the pitcher can be made and put in the refrigerator until your guests begin showing up. If you do prepare a pitcher drink in advance, remember not to add ice or risk a watered down taste once the drink is served.

Most importantly, you should have fun. Minor mishaps or mistakes are hard to avoid. The success of any endeavor is not how perfectly the evening goes but how well you recover from the unexpected. Remember, you will be in the company of friends. Relax and be yourself.