Cocktail Party Information

What you should serve:

Food: Serve finger foods only. Those frilly toothpicks and cocktail napkins should be everywhere. Cocktail weenies, meatballs, cheese & fruit trays, canapés, boiled shrimp are all standards. Try some of my favorite hors d'oeuvres.

Drinks: Well cocktails of course...this is a cocktail party. Make sure that you use top shelf brands. DrinkersGuide.com provides almost three thousand drinks, select some that you like, and print them out. Wine is also acceptable, but make sure it is a good brand. If you do decide to serve beer, make sure it is a premium or microbrew. Don't forget your guests that do not drink, you should also keep some bottled water and a few non-alcoholic cocktail choices.

Other Tips:

The perfect Quintessential Party will have 12 to 30 guests and lasts two hours.

Remove all of your chairs. This encourages mingling, the essence of the party. Do keep in mind any handicapped guests and make accommodations.

Set up a bar if you don't have one and hire or appoint a bartender.

Bring in extra end tables (the taller the better).

Confine the party to one room, but if you want a designated smoking room, offer something unique in this room like a bottle of Cognac with some snifters.

If you don't have an ice bucket, by all means, hide those plastic bags.

Make every effort to not appear tacky and this includes plastic glasses.

Don't allow guest to bring anything. It simply isn't done.

Above all, do not allow children.