Planning a cocktail party? Planning everything may seem stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. I have some amazing cocktail party ideas that will help you throw a party everyone will remember.
Cocktail Party Ideas Everyone Will Remember
Get Creative with Cocktail Garnishes
Garnishes can really take your cocktails to the next level. They enhance the flavor of the drink and its visual appearance.
You can choose garnishes that match the season or the theme of your party. Winter cocktails, for example, may have garnishes like cinnamon sticks, cranberries or even cookies.
Valentine’s Day cocktails may have heart-shaped fruit.
Some ideas for fancy garnishes include:
- Edible flowers (lavender, nasturtiums and pansies)
- Flavored ice cubes with herbs or flowers
- Citrus wheels and peels
- Skewered fruits or vegetables
- Fresh herbs like mint, rosemary or basil
Serve Fun Finger Foods that Pair Well with Cocktails
You can’t have a party without food, right? If you really want to impress your guests and keep them satisfied all evening, try serving finger foods that pair well with cocktails, like:
Offer a selection of different appetizers to keep everyone happy. You can even suggest pairings for the cocktails and food.
Related: How to Host a Game Night Party for Adults: Easy Setup, Games, and Food Ideas
Choose a Theme
One of my top cocktail party ideas is to choose a theme. Having a theme will make it easier to choose cocktails, food and entertainment.
For example, you can do a Van Gogh Starry Night theme with blue and gold as your colors. You can hang string lights indoors or outdoors to create a cozy ambiance.
Set tables with Starry Night patterned tablecloths and dishware. The possibilities are endless.
As for cocktails, you can serve:
This is just one theme idea. You can go with whatever theme you love and that your guests will appreciate.
Set the Scene with Lighting
Whether you’re hosting the party outdoors or indoors, you’ll need to think about lighting. String lights and fairy lights are perfect for creating an intimate, cozy environment.
For indoor parties, you can also hang fabric from the ceiling to soften the space. Table lamps and LED candles can add even more gentle lighting to make the space more inviting.
Outdoor parties can benefit from extra lanterns and candles on the tables.
You can even get creative with the placement of your lights. For example, if you do a DIY bar, you can add lights to make it more festive.
Set Up a Self-Serve Bar
Hosting a cocktail party doesn’t mean that you have to be stuck behind the bar. You can set up a self-serve bar with everything everyone needs to make their own drinks.
Be sure to stock with more than just liquor.
Have:
- Glasses
- Shakers
- Stirrers
- Garnishes
- Recipes for different drinks for easy mixing
You can even add a cute little sign so that everyone knows that the bar is open and ready for use.
Get Creative with Your Serving Glasses and Snack Presentation
One of my favorite cocktail party ideas is to get creative with your presentation. Look at these adorable cocktails served in what looks like potion bottles. You can also find mini bottles of Don Julio Blanco tequila if that’s what you’re serving and mini Patron margarita recipes.
On the same tray, you also have little shrimp tacos served on top of lime wedges. They pair perfectly with the cocktail.
With this idea, guests will appreciate not having to mix their own drinks, and you can serve both food and drink at the same time.
Of course, mini bottles aren’t the only way to get creative with your presentation. You can also serve drinks in:
If you have a theme for your party, you could choose glassware that goes with it.
Create a Signature Cocktail
One fun way to create a memorable evening is to have a signature cocktail for your party. You can make a batch ahead of time and have them ready to serve at the bar, or you can have guests make it themselves.
Not sure what type of drink to serve? Here are some ideas:
Choose something seasonal or a drink that matches your theme to make a real impression.
If you want your guests to make their own cocktails, make sure that you have the recipe on a board for them to follow.
You can have a few other cocktails on offer as well, but your signature drink should be the star of the show.
Related: Fun Indoor Birthday Party Ideas for Rainy Days
Match Your Decor to Your Drink Colors
When planning the decor for your party, choose your colors carefully. If you’re going to have a bar with drinks readily available, then it’s easier to choose your decor. Pick colors that complement and match your drinks, like in this Pin.
For example, if you’re serving Long Island iced tea or tequila sunrise, you can decorate the bar with yellow, red and orange flowers. Blood orange slices and sunflowers are other great choices.
You can even have a neon sign that lets everyone know the bar is open.
Have a Signature Drinks Wheel
Want to add a little fun and games to your party? Set up a signature drinks wheel. Come up with about 10 drinks that you want to serve and put them on a wheel. You can use a prize wheel for this.
Then, anytime someone wants a drink, they can spin the wheel and get whatever drink the wheel lands on.
This can be a fun way to have your guests try out different drinks and keep everyone engaged throughout the evening.
Serve a Welcome Cocktail
Welcome cocktails are one of the cocktail party ideas that I wish I thought of a long time ago. What should your cocktail include? Try this rose champagne topped with fresh cotton candy. It’s a sweet drink that’s perfect for:
- Weddings
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
You’ll fill your champagne glasses about ⅔ of the way. Add enough that everyone has a good drink but not enough that the liquid touches the cotton candy. Keep your cotton candy sealed on the side until you’re ready to serve the cocktail.
Pull off a tuft of the cotton candy and put it on top of your champagne glass’s rim.
Serve these immediately and allow the cotton candy to start dissolving in the cocktail before it’s served to offer a sweet drink to kick off the festivities.
Create a Cocktail Garnish Board
What makes cocktails stand out as an upscale drink? It’s all about the garnish really. These cocktail garnish boards allow you to make a DIY cocktail station that your guests can pick and choose from to add flavor and appeal to their drinks.
You can use any garnish you wish, but these are always universal choices:
- Slices of lemons and peaches
- Orange slices
- Mandarin slices
Mix and match your garnishes to find ones that work well for your cocktails. You can also add:
- Fruits, such as maraschino cherries, raspberries and strawberries
- Fresh herbs, such as sprigs of mint or basil to add flavor
- Olive and cocktail onions, which are perfect for martinis
Don’t forget to leave out salt for anyone who wants to roll the rim of their glass in it or sugar. Allow your guests to be their own “chefs” with your garnish boards so that they can have their drinks the way they want.
Make Rose Ice Cubes for Your Cooler
Rose ice cubes are fun to make and really add something memorable to cocktail parties. You‘ll find plenty of great options online for these:
Remember, these are for your cooler, so the LED ones are certainly not edible. Mikiwon’s ice cube tray will allow you to put actual rose ice cubes in your guests’ glasses.
Set Up a Backdrop for Photos
Backdrops for photos are one of the perfect cocktail party ideas, especially for younger crowds who snap photos everywhere they go. You can do this based on the season. For example, for fall or at the start of winter, you might consider:
- White balloons on either the left or right side of the backdrop
- A saying in the middle, such as “cheers,” “joy,” or holiday sayings, such as “spread the cheer” or “Valentine’s Day.”
- Hanging fairy curtain lights, like these ones
You want the lighting in this space to be dreamy. Not too bright. Not too dim. Just the right light for photos and to get everyone interested in taking photos.
If you want to ditch this idea, you can do anything from a beach-themed backdrop to something more romantic, such as flowers.
Related: How to Plan a Birthday Party – Tips, Ideas & Planning Checklist
Serve Cocktails and Charcuterie Together
Can’t decide where to put your cocktails and charcuterie? Why not put them on top of one another with this amazing idea from Amazon? You can use something like these wine glasses and 4” charcuterie toppers.
You’ll receive a pack of ten, which is more than enough.
On top, you can make little boards with meat and cheese slices and some seasonal berries. I find blackberries to work well because they’re not too juicy, so they won’t impact the flavor of your meats and cheeses.
