Written by Maureen Murphy & Sarah Palmer Hosting a cocktail party! With New Year’s Eve approaching this weekend, you may be hosting your final celebration of 2016!  We have some great tips for hosting a simple cocktail party! A cocktail party is a convenient way to entertain guests ranging from neighbors to business associates. The duration of a cocktail party is usually 2-3 hours, and foods usually consist of simple hors d’oeuvres and other finger foods, allowing guests to graze as they mingle.

• Offer a varied menu making sure to include seafood, meat selections, finger food, canapés, hot and cold dishes
• Plan on 8 (if being passed) and 10 (if on a buffet) hors d’oeuvres per person
• When serving cheeses:
  • Choose a simple cracker without excess salt or flavors to enhance the flavor of the cheeses(s)
  • Choose crusty breads for mild cheeses or a heavy fruit or nut bread with an aged or more complex selection when serving bread
  • Serve cheese with your favorite fresh fruit:
    • Grapes can be served with almost any cheese
    • Pears go great with blue cheese, gorgonzola or aged Gouda.
    • Fresh berries are perfect when eaten with a soft ripened cheese such as brie or camembert
    • Fresh or dried figs are particularly nice with Spanish Manchego or Reggiano Parmesan
• Use hollowed out peppers as serving containers for dips
• Stock the bar with an assortment of glass styles to cover the type of drinks you plan to serve
• Provide wine charms or even different colored ribbons for wine, champagne and martini glasses to help guests keep track of their glasses
• Have plenty of mixers available – juices (orange, cranberry, grapefruit and tomato), soda, tonic, ginger ale, cola, and Tabasco, lemons, limes, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce

Let us help you prepare for your cocktail party with our wide assortment of party platters! We offer everything from finger sandwich trays to fresh seafood & vegetable platters. Call us at 1-800-666-7667, option 4, Monday –Friday, 8:30 am – 7:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, or click here to order online. Looking for recipe ideas? Be sure to check out our Pinterest board!