Beer and wine are as popular as ever, but the last decade has brought mixed drinks roaring back into popularity. Whether it’s an evening throwing back mixed drinks with friends, getting chummy while impressing business associates or celebrating the holidays with loved ones, cocktail parties are a great way to bring together friends with a variety of good drinks in a comfortable setting that’s sophisticated but laid back — and without the high preparation or social pressures of a dinner party.
It can be ultraformal, but it doesn’t have to be.
“In this economy, it’s so much more cost-effective to entertain at home,” said Stephanie Via-Hagar, who’s spent the last 15 years as an event planner and part-owner of Entertainment Unlimited Events, based in Dayton. “You can have a cocktail party inexpensively, and can even do it potluck-style, and have each person bring a kind of food or drink to contribute. It’s so much more affordable than going out as a group.”
The big thing to remember is, if you’re new at throwing these, start light. Don’t stress or go overboard.
“There are staples you should have, but also, it’s your own bar,” said Brian Petro, bartender at the Funny Bone comedy club at The Greene in Beavercreek. “Know the tastes of your guests. If you’ve never touched gin, you don’t need gin. Or if your friends are big brandy drinkers, or you love margaritas, try to adapt your home bar to what you and your guests like.”
Spend a little more money to buy better liquor, he said.
Higher alcohol content and vastly superior taste and quality are the difference you’ll find between bottom- and top-shelf liquors, which not only mean better tasting drinks, but more bang for your buck and bottles that don’t empty as quickly.
“For a vodka,” he said, “I’d recommend an Absolut. I also think Skyy is underrated, and a very good vodka. As far as tequila, I’d recommend an 1800 or Cuervo Gold. I’m a big fan of reposados, which are darker and not as popular right now as the silver tequilas. Tanqueray is a good gin to start with, or Hendrick’s. Hendrick’s is good to start with because it has the same flavors and sensations but doesn’t have the piney juniper taste. A nice whiskey like a Jim Beam or a Jack Daniel’s always works. For rum, get a nice Bacardi. I’m a big fan of Appleton Estate or Cruzan. Don’t just go straight for the cheap stuff, he said. The Popovs or rums or gins you can get in a big jug for a dollar and a half. Bad alcohol has a bad bite.”
If you’re looking to throw in a few alcoholic mixers as extras, Petro has a few suggestions. “Triple sec has a nice, orangey flavor and goes into a lot of drinks —cosmopolitans, Long Island iced teas, margaritas.
Peach schnapps is another I like. It goes well in almost everything. Some sort of sour pucker is always a good idea, too, like a cherry or apple or raspberry. There are a lot of drinks that call for those, and a lot of variations you can make. You can mix raspberry, for instance, into a margarita or cosmo. I always have Kahlua. And Starbucks has a coffee liqeur that has a great flavor; I like to sip that on the rocks.”
Petro also recommends experimenting when out at public bars. “If you’re out one night, and you’ve heard good things about a liquor and have never tried it, or you see a bottle that makes you curious, get a shot of it on the rocks. If you don’t like it, maybe you can mix it with Coke or something and get a nice drink out of it. Going out is a good time to experiment and find new things you like, then you can adapt your home bar with your changing tastes.”
Petro also offers his own recipe for an original autumn cocktail, the Golden Harvest, with warm, spicy flavors.
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