This is a topic on which I, personally, am not an expert. By any means. But NYC high-end caterer Jenn de la Vega is. And she recently shared with Food & Wine magazine her time-tested methods for formulating successful holiday party drinks menus…
This is one of the touchiest topics of all among those who host holiday parties: What kinds, and how much alcohol to purchase in order to irrigate a holiday party crowd properly.
Many competing factors
There are many competing – and often conflicting – factors in play when trying to come up with ‘some-thing for everyone’ drinks arrays for holiday parties.
Who are you inviting and what do they like to drink? What kind of booze is seasonally- or theme- appropriate? More to the point – especially in the context of modern cultural and legal restraints on drinking… How much is a ‘responsible’ amount to allow per guest?
By the numbers…
You need only a few key numbers, de la Vega says, to come to some reliable and accurate conclusions – at least, to the last of those questions.
Play the percentages…
“In the past, my answer never changed: 30% spirits, 30% wine, 30% beer, and 10% soft drinks,” de la Vega shares. “However, in recent years, more and more guests have begun to re-evaluate their rela-tionship with alcohol. Many seek alternative nonalcoholic options beyond the old standards like Coke, Diet Coke, and ginger ale. ”
With that in mind, she’s come up with a slightly more complicated ‘formula’ by which to calculate ob-jective, ‘hard’ numbers to guide your drinks provisioning.
“My new recommendation for serving any large group is 30% spirits, 30% wine, 15% beer, and 25% soft drinks. As many people take a “flexitarian” approach to drinking, guests will often alternate between alcoholic and nonalcoholic pours throughout the evening.”
Not rocket science, but…
De la Vega also offers a slightly more-complex algebraic equation to calculate how many servings of alcohol to allow for:
(G x T) x DPH = total number of drinks to provide
Where G is the number of guests expected, T is the time, in hours, the party will run, and DPH is the number of drinks you plan to serve each guest per hour.
General ‘recommendations’…
You’ll also want to at least consider de l Vega’s general planning tips for ‘managing the bar’…
- Narrow the options. Buying larger-sized bottles of a single spirit is cheaper than buying standard bottles of multiple liquors.
- Choose one or two headliner spirits or signature cocktails. If averaging 1 1/2 ounces per pour, you can expect 16 shots, or around 12 mixed drinks, from a 750mL bottle.
- Canned cocktails or spritzers can save on cleanup. These can also be easily dressed up with self-served cocktail cherries and separate cups with ice.
- Stock one red and one white wine. If the party is large enough, order bottles in multiples of 12 to likely receive a case discount from your local wine shop.
- Consider a pony keg of draft beer. A ‘pony’ is a quarter of a keg and will serve around 60 pints — 20 drinks per hour for a three-hour party. It’ll cut down on cleanup, recycling, impress beer nerds, and is the most sustainable option.
- Simple, nonalcoholic spritzes will keep drinks accessible. Mix a can of plain seltzer with 1 ounce of flavored syrup or 2 ounces of fruit juice for a quick and easy winner.
- Double your ice. Always ensure you stock two batches of ice — one for chilling cans and bottles, and the other to serve in drinks.
My take
De la Vega’s tips for building and managing a holiday party ‘drinks operation’ is the best short-and-sweet’ guide I’ve seen in a long time. And it’s right up-to-date with current trends and standards in booze service.
Her’s the only article I’ve seen in recent years that puts all the issues you need to consider under one ‘cover’.
Next step? Check off the ‘alcohol’ item on your party prep list, and go forward with con-fidence into planning the food!
~ Maggie J.