The next time you decide to throw a dinner party at your home, keep in mind that serving good quality alcohol is to be expected of you.
As your guests arrive and you invite them to roam around the property and mingle with other people while the final touches to the dinner are being made, offering some refreshment is the norm. Of course, as you are all enjoying the sumptuous feast you prepared, having a bottle of wine that complements the meal is a must. And when you bring out dessert and the conversations deepen, your friends will love to keep a glass of their preferred drink in their hands as you engage in enjoyable discussions and reminiscences.
A few days before your event, it's best to pay a visit to your local bottle shop so you can make a list of the alcoholic beverages you would like to get and make arrangements with the shop's staff for completing your order. If you are still unsure about what to get, here are some useful tips to serve as a guide.
1. Consider what kind of alcohol the majority of your guests will like. This will help you figure out how much to get for different kinds of alcohol. Compare the number of beer drinkers to the number of wine lovers in your guest list. You can make a rough estimate of how many bottles or cans of beer each person is likely to consume. As for the wine drinkers, allotting about half a bottle of wine for each person is a safe bet.
Keep the beer choices simple; choose a premium, imported or craft beer, along with a local option. And people will usually be evenly split on their preference for red or white wine (although white is more preferred during the cooler seasons).
Then pick a modest assortment of spirits and mixers so that you can successfully cater to guests who prefer hard drinks or certain cocktails.
2. Have something ready for non-drinkers and designated drivers for the night. Inevitably, there will be guests who won't be fond of drinking or will not be allowed to drink too much in order to safely drive home. Purchase non-alcoholic alternatives like cider, soft drinks or ginger ale, and have light beer on hand so that people who will be driving can have a drink or two that can easily wear off by the time they have to head home.
3. Prepare the right supplies. You'll need plenty of ice, which you can also purchase from your friendly bottle shop staff. Use ice buckets to keep bottles cool (a great tip is to add water and salt to speed up the chilling process). If you don't have the right glassware for specific drinks, you can hire some from the shop as well. And do your research on the important ingredients of cocktails you will be making, like mint leaves, lemon peels, olives, pearl onions, and the like.
4. If a toast will be made during the party, pick up an impressive (and relatively pricey) bottle of champagne. But afterwards, a good sparkling wine (which is more cost-effective) can be served.
5. Encourage responsible drinking. While you are the host of the dinner party, be mindful of your guests' levels of intoxication as the night wears on — don't just keep topping up drinks and refilling glasses. Your guests' safety on their way home should be a priority. Have taxi service information available so you can contact taxis to take your inebriated guests home safely.