Even the Grinchiest of Grinches and the Scroogiest of Scrooges’ ice-cold hearts thaw just a little bit when it comes to getting together with friends for a few holiday drinks. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, from the second to third week of December, and well into the New Year, it is a great time to attend or even host a holiday party.

I’ve been to some pretty amazing parties where the host serves an elaborate themed menu, showing of their incredible culinary skills, however where many parties have failed is when it comes to party drinks. Typically BYOB (bring your own bottle) is expected.

It’s understandable of course, after all who really can afford to both feed and supply alcohol to all of their friends around this time of year. However, being able to supply some creative drinks alongside the incredible food would just blow your guests away.

The affordable solution: create a drink menu and assign each guest a particular bottle or ingredient to bring with them. Here are some of our favorite Christmas Party Drink recipes to add to your drink menu:

#1 – Eggnog

What is Christmas without a glass or two of everyone’s favorite treat – eggnog! Whether you purchase it from the store or make it from scratch, everyone loves a little eggnog each year, especially when it’s spiked. Since eggnog is our #1 pick for the most popular Christmas party drink we will not only provide you with a recipe to make homemade eggnog, but we’ll also provide you with two boozy variations. Think of it as our Christmas present to you.

· Simple Eggnog Recipe (Serves 20)

1 dozen eggs
12 oz white sugar
2 quarts milk
2 quarts whipping cream

Separate egg yolks and set whites aside for latter use. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients, mix well and chill in refrigerator. Before serving whisk egg whites and fold into mixture.

· Brandy Eggnog

1 oz brandy
½ oz dark rum
8 oz eggnog
whipped cream
ground nutmeg
cinnamon sticks

Shake brandy and rum in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a mug, add freshly made eggnog, top with whip cream and garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon sticks.

· Eggnog Martini

1 ½ oz dark rum
3 oz eggnog
almond extract
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
cinnamon stick

Shake rum, eggnog and almond extract in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into martini glass rimmed with cinnamon. Garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon stick.

#2 – English Christmas Punch

This Christmas punch is enough for 27 glasses, and best of all it is served on fire! Caution should be taken when igniting the punch; you don’t want to end up with a Griswold Christmas tree.

26 oz dark rum
26 oz dry red wine
24 oz strong tea
1 lb superfine sugar
juice of 1 large orange
juice of 1 lemon
orange slices

Combine wine, tea and the juice of one lemon and orange into a saucepan. Warm the mixture, being careful not to boil. Pour into heatproof punch bowl. Add sugar to a large ladle allowing excess sugar to enter punch bowl. Pour rum over ladle until sugar is saturated. Ignite the rum and sugar mixture carefully pouring into punch bowl. Stir to extinguish flames, add remainder of rum and orange slices for garnish.

#3 – Mulled Beer

Far be it from me to tell you how to drink you beer, I am after all a proponent of warming up with a cold one, but sometimes it’s nice to offer your guests a warm drink. This holiday recipe, which serves 20 of your closet friends, creates a warm and spicy twist on the traditional Christmas beer.

10 bottles of dark ale
5 egg yolks
5 tsp white sugar
2 tsp nutmeg
cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger

Combine beer and spices in a large saucepan and heat until ground spices dissolve. Mix sugar and egg yolks together and add to spiced beer ensuring to stir well. Pour into beer mug and garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon stick.

#4 – Hot Buttered Rum

Speaking of warming up with a warm one, this buttery treat is the perfect drink to hand your guests as they enter into you home from the frigid outdoors.

1 ½ oz of brandy
½ oz dark rum
1 Tbsp unrefined brown sugar
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz water
cloves
ground cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and warm on low heat. Works best if you make multiple cups at one time. Pour mixture into mugs and garnish with ground cinnamon

#5 – White Christmas

For those guest who wrinkle their noses to the though of eggnog, surprise them with this alternative. The additional flavors do a good job of masking that eggnog taste for those not so inclined.

1 oz Southern Comfort
½ oz white chocolate liqueur
4 oz eggnog
chocolate flakes

Shake all ingredients a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into martini glass and garnish with chocolate flakes.

#6 – Poinsettia

This elegant cocktail is made with Champagne, or sparkling wine, which will add a touch of class to any holiday party.

3 oz sparkling wine
½ oz triple sec
3 oz cranberry juice

Combine triple sec and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.

#7 – Candy Cane

Here’s a fun cocktail to make for those that have a peppermint tooth – they are easy to spot, as they are the ones always stealing the candy canes off of your tree.

¾ oz berry flavored vodka
¾ oz peppermint schnapps
¾ oz white crème de cacao
¼ oz grenadine
half and half
soda water
candy cane

Combine vodka, peppermint schnapps, white crème de cacao, and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass rimmed with crushed peppermint candy. Fill with half and half, top with soda water and garnish with a candy cane.

#8 – Merry Christmas

Last but not least, here at the BarWhiz Blog we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas with a cocktail of the same name.

1 oz gin
1 oz cranberry juice
1 tsp lemon juice
club soda
fresh cranberries

Shake gin, cranberry and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice, top with club soda and garnish with fresh cranberries.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

 
Whether you are trying to save money, or are just getting tired of the club scene night after night, weekend after awesome weekend, the classic house party is always a fun and inexpensive alternative to going out.

We’ve already given you the Complete Guide For Throwing A House Party and reviewed the
Most Popular Drinking Games, so today we will provide you with the Most Popular Drinks To Serve At A House Party.

#1 – Beer

Whether you serve it on tap, in the bottle or in the can, you can’t go wrong with having a full stock of beer at your house party. If you are throwing a kegger, always buy double the amount, especially if it is going to be a big party, because that draft beer doesn’t last long. A little trick to save some money but still look like you only buy the premium stuff is to start with a keg or two of the premium and then serve the low-grade suds once everyone is feelin’ fine.

#2 – Cocktails

It doesn’t matter if you make them fruity or boozey, cocktails are a staple for any house party. The best way to ensure you have enough variation is to grab your standard bar well of bottles, that’s vodka, gin, whiskey and rum (white and dark if you really want to impress your guests). Grab a variety of mix, from fruit juices to soft drinks and throw in some fresh fruit for garnishes. Also, if you don’t have an ice machine at home make sure you purchase a couple of bags of ice – and it is probably not a bad idea to have a blender on hand either.

#3 – Shots & Shooters

Another staple of the house party is shots and shooters, so make sure you add a few liqueurs to your shopping list as well. In addition to your cocktail liquors, to make some of the most popular shots and shooters you will need tequila, amaretto, goldschlager, jagermeister, sambuca, and various flavours of schnapps. However, by far the most popular shooter at any party is the famous Jell-O Shooter, so don’t forget to stock up on some J-E-LL-O.

#4 – Punch

They say a proper punch contains at least five ingredients, one of which is sweet, one is sour, another is strong, the other is weak and the final one is spiced. You can’t go wrong with serving punch at a house party, and best of all it is a great way to serve a lot of people easily and affordably.

Since a BarWhiz drink post isn’t complete without at least one recipe, we’ll share with you our favourite punch:

Strip & Go Naked

1 case of your favourite beer
26 oz bottle of rye
26 oz bottle vodka
26 oz bottle spiced rum
8 cans of frozen pink lemonade
crushed ice

Combine all ingredients in a large vessel such as a ‘clean’ garbage can, mix well and serve in classic red cups. Stripping and going naked is optional.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

From posts about the best party cities around the world, to tips on how to party frugally, we are here to help you not only find party, but also how to party on a budget.

There is nothing better than a good old-fashioned house party, both for the party atmosphere and for saving some money. You might think hosting a house party is as simple as inviting over a few friends and opening up a bag of chips, but to throw a good house party takes planning, organization and some skill.

In order to help you throw your very own house party, one that will be talked about for weeks, we have put together this simple guide, which will help you with everything from choosing a guest list to coming up with a few party games.

So without further adieu, here is the Complete Guide For Throwing A House Party On A Budget:

#1 – Choosing A Guest List

Before you even begin deciding on who you want to invite, you first need to think about the amount of people your budget can accommodate. The larger the guest list obviously means the more the expense, and usually the bigger the party.

Besides budget, you’ll want to ensure you have adequate space for the amount of people you are planning to invite. You will need enough room for everyone to fit, while still having space for people to break off into groups, and walk around to get food and drinks. And don’t forget about an area to dance!

A large house party would consist of more than 25 guests. With the large group you can afford to diversify your guests, inviting people from different aspects of your life. With a large group of people your hosting duties are usually minimal when it comes to getting conversation going. As mentioned, large parties can be quite expensive, so you can cut the costs by making it a BYOB.

A medium sized party will comfortably fit between 10 to 15 guests. With the smaller group you can afford to offer some drinks and a few finger foods without going over budget. If you get creative with the menu your guests will appreciate the effort.

A smaller house party would consist of fewer than 10 guests. These house parties are usually a little more intimate and work well where everyone knows each other. If you still want to invite guests from different groups in your life, choose wisely. Having people that do not feel comfortable mingling with strangers can make for an awkward party, one where you as the host will be doing a lot of the work keeping the conversation going. Small parties are also a great way to show off your culinary skills without breaking the bank.

#2 – Picking A Theme

Theme parties are a fun way to bring friends together and have a few drinks. The right theme can get everyone excited and allow your guests to really let go of any of their inhibitions – beer also helps too. However, picking the wrong theme can be a disaster. With the wrong theme you may find that your guests are not as enthusiast about the party as you are, and some may not participate or even show up.

Try running your theme idea by a few of your closest friends on your guest list to get a feel for how they are going to take it. Definitely pick something that does not require guests to go out and spend an inordinate amount of money looking for a costume, and certainly do not pick anything too obscure that those on your guest list will not be familiar with.

Once a theme has been decided you can use that to help you plan the other aspects of your party, from lighting and décor, to music and even the menu. The more creative you make it, the more memorable the party will be.

#3 – Creating The Proper Lighting

Even though the theme may dictate your lighting choice, creating ambiance in your house party is one of the most essential aspects, besides the booze of course, at making your guests feel welcome and at ease with their surroundings. Even without a theme, lighting will play an essential role in creating a party atmosphere.

The most inexpensive way to create some ambiance is by dimming the lights. If you don’t have a dimmer switch, you can try using tea lights, making sure of course they are located out of harms way – i.e. from being knocked over during the crazy arm-flailin’, booty bustin’ dance off.

#4 – Arranging The Music

Besides lighting, one of the other most important aspects of creating a memorable house party is music. Whether the music coincides with your theme or not, you should create a playlist, or ask one of your more capable guests to play DJ.

A good DJ always plays to the energy of the crowd, so knowing what your guest are into before hand will help you to create a playlist that will work well for your house party. Start with something light but upbeat to create the atmosphere, and work up to songs with more energy that will get the party jumpin’.

#5 – Planning A Menu

The size of your guest list will really determine your menu. As previously mentioned, the larger the party, the more the expense. So when it comes to planning a menu there are a few options to not blow your budget, as well as having to spend all day in the kitchen preparing.

With a large house party guests will not expect to be served food, but it is still a good idea to have a few munchies prepared. The classic chips n’ dip and other types of fingers foods, like fresh cut veggies, pitas and hummus, always go over well.

For the medium sized party you may want to throw in a few additional items, such as some canapés along with a cheese and fruit platter.

The smaller house party is where you can let your culinary skills shine. You don’t have to treat your guests to a full course dinner, but even making something as simple as handmade burgers for the BBQ will go a long way to impress your guests.

An additional way to save some money is to plan a potluck for the party, or even get everyone to chip in on some pizza, because remember, pizza and beer always goes hand-in-hand.

#6 – Coming Up With Party Games

If done incorrectly, a house party can be a dime a dozen. Anyone can simply invite over a few friends, turn on some music and have a few laughs while enjoying a favorite cocktail or three. But these ‘parties’ are really just boring old get-togethers. With your house party you want to do something memorable. Something creative. Something fun that will have your guests talking about it for weeks.

Your theme can go a long way to helping you create this memorable experience, but with or without a theme, it really comes down to the party games that will get your guest involved. Party games work for all sizes, from large parties to smaller intimate ones.

When designing activities remember to be creative, make them fun, and know when to initiate them. If the party is already in full party mode it might be best to shelf the game until the party dies down a bit.

With the right mix of guests, a fun and engaging theme, lighting to set the ambiance, a playlist to get the party moving, some food, and a few party games, you can easily create a memorable house party, while still staying on budget.

Author: Corey Rozon