History of the Cocktail Party
These sophisticated gatherings are enmeshed in modern American culture. In the United States, a confluence of social influences during the 1920s helped establish a significant cocktail culture. An economic boom, combined with new freedom for women, created a leisure class that wanted to party. Prohibition banned the manufacture, sale, or consumption of alcoholic beverages, so speakeasies arose to satisfy society's demand. Competing for customers, speakeasy owners began inventing whimsical cocktails, many of which are long-forgotten, such as the Mary Pickford and No. 21 Punch.
During this era, the other option available to revelers was to host private parties in their homes, or in hotel rooms--as famously depicted in the "Thin Man" movies starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. At these private affairs, ordinary folk tried their hands at mixing drinks. The skill of properly preparing a cocktail soon was on par with other flourishes of home entertaining.
Throughout the 20th century the cocktail party has fallen in and out of favor, but has experienced a resurgence. Cocktail parties are relatively simple, inexpensive ways to entertain. The format is more relaxed than a dinner party, and it is the perfect way to enjoy guests without having to adhere to the choreographed program of a sit-down meal.
Cocktailing
The stock required to provide a full bar to guests can make it cost-prohibitive--and with too many choices, your guests may stick with their standard drink orders. A more practical and economical approach is to offer one or two signature cocktails, along with beer, wine and some non-alcoholic choices.
Standard cocktails use 1.5 fluid ounces of spirits per drink, so plan on getting 16 cocktails from each bottle. (Alcohol has been bottled by metric measurements in the U.S. since 1979, with the 750 ml bottle replacing the previous standard bottle size, popularly known as the "fifth"). Figuring one cocktail per guest per hour, plus beer and wine, the beverage shopping list for a 4-hour party featuring martinis and Manhattans for 20 guests might look like this:
- 4 750-ml bottles of gin (and/or vodka)
- 3 750-ml bourbon
- One bottle (750 ml) dry vermouth
- Two bottles (750 ml) sweet vermouth
- Bitters
- Pimento-stuffed cocktail olives
- Maraschino cherries
- Cocktail napkins and picks
- 6 bottles of white wine
- 4 bottles red wine
- 24 12-oz bottles of beer--a mixture of light and dark beers
- Water, still and sparkling
- A variety of soft drinks
- Ice, at least half a pound per person
It is hard to say why, but clear alcohol (such as vodka) tends to go faster than brown (such as whiskey), and white wine is more popular in party settings than red. Buy accordingly, unless you know the true tastes of your guests.
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Cocktail Party Know-How
Tip #1: Never skimp on the ice. Nothing puts a damper on a cocktail party quicker than warm drinks. A good rule of thumb is half a pound per person in a cool climate, and two pounds per person in warm weather.
Tip#2: Print out your drink menu, including the featured cocktails, wines and beers you'll be serving, and place it in an attractive freestanding frame on your bar.
Tip #3: Use your space creatively. Put the drink and food stations away from each other to encourage your guests to spread out. Consider putting the bar in a usually underused part of your house, on a back porch, in the guest bedroom or a far corner of the living room.
Tip #4: If your guest list exceeds 20, you may want to hire help. It will free you up to enjoy your guests, and minimizes post-party clean-up. Hire a dedicated bartender and/or a server who can take drink orders, bus tables, wash dishes, and replenish hors d'oeuvres.
Tip#5: Rent glassware. Choose styles that suit the drinks you'll be serving. In addition to the classic cocktail glass (Martini-shaped), plan on providing wine glasses and pilsner glasses for the beer and non-alcoholic drinks. Rent a total of four glasses per guest, and have plastic glasses on hand as back up. The added bonus to renting? No need to wash when you're done: simply replace the glasses in their boxes and return to the party rentals warehouse.
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