How To Throw a Spectacular Cocktail Party

Throwing a Cocktail Party is an excellent way to celebrate any occasion. Better yet, It can be a great way to have fun for those of you who like to throw parties "just for the heck of it"! A properly planned cocktail party will provide comfort and entertainment for all the different types of people on your guest list. It can also be a great opportunity to introduce some new people to those you are already acquainted with. Here are some recommended steps for you to take to ensure your party is a success.

1. Set a date and time. Cocktail parties are ideally held on Friday or Saturday. A typical cocktail party should last approximately 3 hours. A practical start time for your party would be somewhere between 6 and 9 pm.
2. Decorate accordingly. Keep in mind the type of crowd you will be hosting, as well as the occasion, if any, that you will be celebrating. Fresh flowers, and candles placed accordingly in the area which you will be entertaining are a must for all cocktail parties. For special occasions you may want to create a theme for your party. For example, if you are celebrating a college graduation, or an athletic accomplishment, you may want to decorate in the school or team colors. If you are celebrating a recent wedding you may want to decorate according to the newlyweds' honeymoon destination. If this is more of an office or business related type of party, I recommend keeping it simple, but elegant.
3. Be sure to have enough ice. You don't want to run out of ice in the midst of your party. It is better to overstock on ice than to not have enough. Ice will be needed for most mix drinks, as well as any "on the rocks" requests. It may also be needed to chill wine or champagne bottles you may be serving. A good rule of thumb is to have 1 lb of ice on hand for each guest.
4. Have an adequate selection of liquor. To provide a basic selection which should enable everyone a beverage option they are comfortable with, you should have the following available: wine, champagne, vodka, whiskey and beer. For a more complete bar which will allow your guests to customize drinks to their preference, you may want to add the following: gin, tequila, rum, bourbon, vermouth, sherry, and brandy.
5. Have the proper mixers, and garnishes. I assume most of your guests will not be drinking the liquor straight-up. If they do, God bless them! Here are the mixers, and garnishes you will need to keep the others happy: tonic, ginger ale, cola, tomato juice, tabasco, lemons, limes, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Have the proper stemware. Now you have all the ingredients to open your own tavern, but what will you serve the drinks in? I recommend you have the following handy: wine glasses, high balls, tumblers, martini glasses.
7. Serve delicious appetizers. A cocktail party is meant for mingling, and should not involve a sit-down meal. You want your guests to move around, and socialize. Serving finger foods will work toward that goal. You should have a diverse variety of appetizers, and snacks, which will provide something for everyone. Some essentials include: at least one vegetarian dish, cheese and crackers, a spicy appetizer, a cold cut tray, a seafood-type appetizer, and some simple snacks such as potato chips and pretzels.