Hosting Plans Made Simple: 7 Bottles That Can Handle Any Party

Of the many reasons for a get-together to fail, the most complicated one to navigate is multiple beverage requests and limited options. A simple solution is to have versatile bottles that can make multiple popular, classic and simple cocktails and mixes. With seven carefully selected spirits, a casual gathering will likely fulfil a lot of the guests' requests without creating a full-fledged bar in your house. 

Bottom rule for a get-together: You don’t need a lot of spirits. You just need versatile ones!

Hosting Plans For Every Get Together: 7 Bottles To Keep On Hand

The versatility of whisky, for example, Johnnie Walker Black Label, makes it ideal for hosting guests. Its combination of sweet fruit, vanilla, spice and soft smoke allows it to be used in a range of cocktails, including Highballs, Whisky Sours, and other drinks. It can also be sipped neat or on the rocks. The combination of fruit and smokiness creates a layered blend that adds distinct flavours to cocktails. 

White rum provides a completely different flavour profile compared to many other spirits. White rum is produced from light sugar cane, which produces a light-bodied spirit, making it very versatile when producing different types of cocktails. Cocktails made with white rum include Mojitos, Daiquiri cocktails and other tropical drinks. Traditionally, drinks made from white rum go particularly well with lime, mint, pineapple, passion fruit and soda water, providing an excellent option for outdoor hosting plans.

Vodka's versatility lends itself well to a variety of cocktail recipes. One bottle of vodka can be used to create cocktails like the Moscow Mule, Bloody Mary, Vodka Soda, as well as fruitier drinks, like the Screwdriver cocktail. Premium vodkas such as the Smirnoff or others provide a clean, neutral base, allowing other ingredients in a drink to shine. Thus, vodka can take on the flavours of citrus fruits, ginger, berries, herbs and spices. 

A quality blanco tequila provides brightness from the agave character and peppery elements. In addition to Margarita cocktails, it's often used in drinks made with grapefruit juice, orange juice, cucumbers, and chillies. You can even use it to make a crisper version of the popular Picante cocktail (originally made from reposado tequila). 

A coffee liqueur is beneficial to guests by solving the problem of after-dinner cocktails. It has roasted notes of coffee, slight sweetness, and enough versatility to be used in both Espresso Martini cocktails and beverages made with coffee without needing a large selection of liqueurs on the back bar.

Although not always a marquee bottle, orange liqueur is an important support for many classic cocktails. Some examples include Margarita cocktails, Cosmopolitan cocktails and Sidecar cocktails, along with many modern beverages that use orange liqueur. A liqueur like this one essentially works as a “flavour hack”, adding layers of flavours to base spirits and limiting or even replacing the need for complex mixers in select drinks. 

A gin should have a perceptible flavour while still being versatile enough to be used to create many different cocktails. Take, for example, the Tanqueray No. TEN that has the added benefit of being distilled using whole citrus fruit (grapefruit, lemon, lime) along with botanicals (juniper and chamomile). In gins like these, the flavours created during this distillation process work especially well in Martini cocktails, Gin and Tonic cocktails and beverages where the primary flavour is derived from citrus fruits.

Don't Forget The Ice

Even if you have the most stocked bar on earth, you still need enough ice to make drinks. Good party planning specialists say to always overestimate how much ice is needed because it is used when shaking, stirring, serving and for cooling down bottles too. You can't serve a properly-chilled drink without ice. If you have time on hand, you can even get creative with your ice by freezing herbs like mint leaves or edible flowers in it. This elevates the presentation and adds a little flair to home hosting. 

Quick Bottle Calculator

For simple hosting plans, use these estimations:

• 750 ml spirit bottle = approx 25 servings (30 ml of alcohol per measure).

• 10 guests for 3 hours: approx. 2-3 bottles in total, depending on drink preferences and consumption patterns.

• 20 guests for 4 hours: approx. 4-6 bottles in total, depending on the cocktail and non-alcoholic mix.

• Mixed drinkers typically require whisky, vodka, gin, rum and at least one liqueur.

• Always have extra mixers, garnishes and plenty of ice.

Note: The 30 ml is for the alcoholic spirit only in each portion. Other ingredients such as juices, sodas, tonics, syrups and other mixers are separate.

Conclusion

An effective home bar focuses on versatility rather than quantity. For most social events, purchasing just seven types of alcohol will provide enough variety to suit everyone's tastes and make it easy to create various cocktails. Rather than investing in large numbers of speciality liquors, focusing on seven types makes it possible to host a gathering without being overly stressed about what will go into the drinks you serve. All these types of alcohol, adequate ice, an assortment of mixers, and a supply of glassware create a solid foundation from which to create cocktails for almost any get-together.

*Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.