How to Throw a Great Holiday Cocktail Party

Throwing a stellar cocktail party is surely no easy task. For those who have attempted it already, we applaud you, you brave souls. And for those of you who are looking to host a beautiful, memorable, one-of-a-kind holiday cocktail party this year, all you need are a few quick tips. And guess what? We’ve got them all right here.

First things first—the drinks. 

You can’t throw a holiday cocktail party without drinks, right? So, the best place to start is with the cocktails themselves. You have some options in selecting which tasty beverages you’re going to carefully curate your entire party around, so no pressure. Obviously you can throw a mish-mash of cocktails in the mix and just have your guests bring their own bottles and mixers, but really, what fun is that? The best part about a holiday cocktail party is that there are holiday-specific cocktails! If you’re looking for a few killer cocktail recipes, then Pinterest is an incredible resource. Check out a few of these insanely tasty cocktail recipes and start creating your own cocktail menu!

Christmas Sangria

The North Pole

The Lit Reindeer

The Pomegranate Ginger Paloma

Choose the right holiday cocktail party invitations.

Lucky for you, we have some of the best cocktail party invitations in the business. Once you have your cocktail menu squared away, it’s time to start sending out holiday invites. You can choose to keep your gathering small, or make it a big to-do. Regardless, sending out the invitations is the best way to know who is coming, who can’t make it, and who will be on your naughty list until your next cocktail party. Take a look at a few of our favorite holiday cocktail party invitations.

Toasty Santa Invitation

Celebrate Champagne Invitation

Christmas Cocktail Invitation

Cherry Liquor Invitation

Cocktail Time Invitation

Cocktail Napkin Holiday Invitation

Snacks are just as important as the cocktails.

If you’re serving up a slew of alcoholic beverages, then food will be extremely important to help keep your guests in check. After all, nobody wants to throw a party where everyone feels like garbage the next day. Snacks are a great way to keep things simple, while also making sure all your guests are fed. Trays of appetizers, or a big table with snacks will help keep stomachs filled and guests happy. In fact, you can even look up which Hors D’oeuvres pair well with your cocktail menu!

Choose the ultimate cocktail party music.

With mobile apps like Spotify, Pandora, or Apple music, you can personally curate your own sounds to fit the theme or dream of your perfect cocktail party. Creating a music playlist for your party will alleviate any stress that accompanies dead silence, or even that dreaded song you know is secretly stuffed in the depths of your library that will pop on if you simply rely on shuffle. Avoid yourself any embarrassment when The Little Mermaid Soundtrack comes on, and choose your cocktail party playlist ahead of time. Take a listen to this example below by clicking on the photo.

Throwing a great cocktail party doesn’t need to be stressful, nor break the bank. With a few tips and tricks and some careful planning, you’ll be on your way to an incredibly memorable gathering with friends and loved ones.