As the host, you should be well schooled about certain aspects that contribute to a party, such as bartending equipment, how many bottles of wine to get a party of thirty, and know a white wine glass from a red wine glass.  This article will include topics on bar must-haves and must-dos including: how to buy alcohol, calculating how many bottles you’ll need for parties of any size, the types and glasses you’ll need, and essential bar accessories.

Home Bar Must Haves

If your party is at home, you don’t have the advantage of having the restaurant staff or caterer calculating how much and what type alcohol you will need.  This means you’ll have make wise choices when it comes to shopping for drinks.   Before you head to the neighborhood liquor store, you first have to figure out how much you can spend, what beverages you’ll serve (non-alcoholic as well), and then create a list of all the ingredients you’ll need (alcohol, mixers, and garnishes) based on your party’s drink menu.   Once that’s done, you’ll need to figure out how much alcohol to purchase based on your guest count and how long your party will last.

Keep in mind that your average guest will have about one drink per hour. However, others may be heavier drinkers so you can’t just multiply the number of drinks by the number of people you are entertaining and then divide to find the total number of bottles you’ll need.  Ice, mixers, and the size of glasses are all variables you must take into consideration when determining how much alcohol you’ll need. The following is a simple guide that will assist you in creating and coordinating your party drink menu:

ALCOHOL CALCULATION CHART

BOTTLES OF WINE FOR DINNER
No. OF GUESTS   4              6              8              10            12            20            50            100
750 milliliter      2              2+            3+            4              5              8              20            40                           
1.5 liter             1              1+            2              2              2+            4              10            20

 

DRINKS PER BOTTLE (MIXED DRINKS)
BOTTLE              1              2              4              6              8           10           12
750 milliliter      16           33           67           101         135         169         203
1 liter                22           45           90           135         180         225         270        
1.5 liter             39           78           157         236         315         394         474

 

DRINKS PER BOTTLE (WINE AND CHAMPAGNE)
BOTTLE              1              2              4             6             8            10           12
750 milliliter      5             10           20           30           40            50           60
1.5 liter             10           20           40           60           81          101         121

Factors such as the size of your glasses will affect these numbers.

FOR 6 GUESTS                                  FOR 10 GUESTS

LUNCH                                                
10 wine/cocktails                          15 cocktails/wine
10 glasses wine                             15 glasses wine with lunch
6 liqueurs                                       10 liqueurs

COCKTAILS
12 cocktails                                   20 cocktails
12 glasses wine for first 2 hrs      20 glasses wine for fist 2 hrs
9 drinks per hr. thereafter           15 drinks per hour thereafter

DINNER
12 cocktails or wine                      20 cocktails or wine
12 glasses of wine with dinner     20 glasses of wine with dinner
6 liqueurs                                      10 liqueurs
6 drinks per hr. after dinner         10 drinks after dinner 

 

TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Every beverage has its own unique glass. You don’t have to have all of the following, but it’s a good idea to be well informed about what kind of options you have.

Typical Barware:
 
COLLINS
SHOT
HIGHBALL
OLD-FASHIONED
BEER-MUG
BEER PILSNER
IRISH COFFEE GLASS
CHAMPAGNE FLUTE
BRANDY SNIFTER
MARTINI

Bar accessories
What good is having a bar if you don’t have the right tools to open the bottles, stir things up, and shake cocktails to perfection?  Below are the tools of the trade that will make you look, and feel, like a professional bartender.  

• Can and bottle openers
• Easy-to-use corkscrew
• Glass-stirring rod or long spoon
• Strainer
• Tall heavy-duty mixing glass or shaker
• Sharp knife for cutting and peeling fruit
• Wooden muddler for mashing herbs and fruit
• Large pitcher
• Blender
• Measuring spoons
• Jigger measure with half and quarter-ounce measures
• Ice bucket
• Ice tongs
• Punch bowl and cups
• Assortment of straws, swizzle sticks, coasters, cocktail napkins, and toothpicks
• One recipe book of cocktail basics.  Nothing is more humiliating than not knowing how to make a guest’s favorite drink, even if it’s something as obscure as a Slimy Lizard

 

Service please
You have all your bartending tools, so now you have to decide how you fancy your drink serving. You have a couple of serving options:  you can hire servers and bartenders or do it yourself.  Hiring professionals may be ideal for you but not ideal for your budget.  If your budget is limited, here are a few options:

• Shots on ice- fill a stainless steel bucket with ice and place your ready-made shots in it.

• Self service mini bars are an effective way to maximize your time and effort.  Set up a small refrigerator with a variety of mini bottles of liquor and mixers so your invites can help themselves.  Snack bags of peanuts and pretzels are a bonus!

• Everyone gravitates to chilled vodka.  Set a bottle on ice with mixers and juices (cranberry juice, orange juice, and tonic).  Try this with pre-made drinks, champagne, or wine.  I have done many club openings and parties with this setup.  It’s an old event planning trick.  Many celebrity party planners swear by this. 

• Place bottled beer and wine on countertops, coffee tables, and cocktail tables so you can tend to your guests and not the bar.  The more individual time you spend with your company, the more they’ll appreciate your hospitality.

• If you think your guests can handle it, it’s perfectly OK to make your entire bar self-service. Leave a bartending drink guide out and let your company have at it! 
  
  

Finally, nothing jump starts a party by making sure your guests start drinking right away! As the host, this may mean handing them a shot of 151 (or perhaps something less potent) as they walk in the door or simply pointing them in the direction of a table with drinks. Not only does this makes people feel at home but it also sets the mood for the party.

 

By: Michael Bassolino