16 Things You Need To Know About Developing The Perfect Cocktail Party Drink Menu, Straight From Mixologists

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If you've always thought that hosting a cocktail party sounds like it's more work than fun and have avoided throwing one for precisely that reason, we have some great news: It's not nearly as stressful, hectic, and high-pressure as you think it is. It's all about managing your expectations, and keeping things simple and manageable to make the night memorable for good reasons.

Let's talk for a minute about the center of the evening, and that's the cocktails. Putting together a cocktail menu might seem like the most challenging part, so we reached out to a handful of industry experts to get their top tips on how to put together an outstanding drink menu. They absolutely delivered, giving us suggestions for everything from easy cocktails that are always a win to where to find some serious inspiration.

We spoke with Master Mixologist Nikki Bonkowski; Stasch Kuras, who's building and mixing up cocktails at Chicago's Ithaki Estiatorio; James Beard Foundation, Tony Burch foundation fellow, and CEO of El Guapo bitters and syrups Christa Cotton; the beverage director at The Greggory, Rafael Royal; Max Schikora, bar director at Echelon Kitchen & Bar; Liam Davy, the beverage director behind the cocktail menu at Hawksmoor Chicago; Colby Poulin, beverage director at Vast in Oklahoma City; Zak Lindahl, beverage director at The National, Autograph Collection; Annemarie Schumacher, entertaining expert behind Make Every Day an Event; Derek Brown, founder of Drink Company and the author of "Mindful Mixology;" mixologist Mark Young, head of the cocktail program at Dora; and Luke Wilmoth, beverage manager and lead sommelier at Cucina Enoteca Newport Beach.

And don't worry, you don't need to be a professional to take these tips to heart. Cocktail parties are all about the connection and conversation, after all, and the host should definitely be included in that.

When we reached out to chat with Nikki Bonkowski, she also gave us a super easy way to make serving drinks easy, and that's by batching cocktails. There's no end to the cocktails that lend themselves pretty perfectly to batching, and stronger drinks make ideal pre-batched cocktails. And don't worry, it's not complicated. Bonkowski gave us some guidelines, and it starts with figuring out how many guests you're expecting, and how many drinks you want your batch to stretch to. She gave the example of 20 guests, with two batched cocktails per person. Take your recipe, multiply that by 40, and you'll have your large recipe.

She also says that you can make things easy by taking your needed spirits, converting ounces to milliliters, and you'll know how many bottles to buy. Sure, it's going to take a little bit of math, but instead of making those 40 drinks one drink at a time, you can cut down on your hosting duties in a big way.

Choosing spirits that you're going to be building your cocktail menu around can be a challenge, and whether you're selecting one type to showcase or a variety, it's important to think not about what you love, but what your guests love. That's some advice that comes to us from Stasch Kuras.

"Making a drink list for a cocktail party is all about knowing your audience," he says. "My friend group loves bourbon old fashioneds, so that's what I batch for them. Vodka and tequila are the most popular spirits in the U.S., so I always include them on my menu." That audience is important, and while you might not know everyone's personal preferences, choosing versatile spirits — like vodka — is a great way to start building a menu everyone can appreciate. Remember, just because you love the incredibly potent rye whiskey and absinthe classic Sazerac, that doesn't mean it's for everyone.

There's a psychological phenomenon called the paradox of choice, and it's basically the idea that when we're presented with too many choices, making those choices is exhausting and we're more likely to regret the final outcome. It's easy to see how that applies to cocktails. Even before social media, there were a ton of options. Fortunately, Nikki Bonkowski gave us a great tip on how to narrow things down. She says, "Picking a flavor profile prior to choosing the cocktail is the best way to start. ...lean into the season. For instance, if it's fall, then try to stay on the theme of fall flavors. Ciders, apples, ginger, cinnamon, and who could forget pumpkin!"

That helps narrow things down a lot, right? Let's take an example, and stick with her fall theme. There are a ton of great cocktails you can batch-make for a Thanksgiving vibe, from a classic old fashioned or boulevardier to the hot toddy. Bonkowski suggests spritzes — which only call for a few ingredients — as the perfect, versatile batch cocktail to capture seasonal flavors, particularly with garnishes.

New cocktails and creative experimentation can make things overwhelming, but here's some advice from Christa Cotton. She told us, "It is easy to get caught up in whatever drink is trending on TikTok, but the classics are the classics for a reason. An old fashioned, a Manhattan, a daiquiri — those recipes have stood the test of time because they are beautifully balanced and endlessly adaptable."

That, she explained, is why she always recommends turning to the classics for at least one cocktail on the menu. "Starting with a tried and true foundation means you know the drink will work," she explained, adding that from there, it's possible to channel your own creativity into the foundation cocktail. For example, there are a number of expert upgrades for a Manhattan, from adding aromatic garnishes to using bitters to change and add flavor notes.

When you head to a restaurant and see that there's an ever-changing list of seasonal menu options, you know you're in for a treat. You can definitely channel that same energy into your cocktail menus. Rafael Royal told us that the grocery store is a great place to find inspiration and an easy cocktail or few.

"For an impromptu cocktail party, my first stop is always the grocery store's produce section. Start by seeing what citrus or berries are in season; that's your foundation for fresh, flavorful drinks." Royal suggests turning your fruit of choice into a purée, then batching a sangria or punch with vodka or tequila blanco for an easy-to-make, easy-to-serve cocktail that's a win with pretty much anything that's in season. "It lets you actually enjoy the evening, mingling and socializing with your guests instead of spending the night behind the bar."

There's one place that you might completely overlook when it comes time to finding inspiration for your cocktail party menu. Max Schikora gave us a few pieces of advice — including a reminder to stick with cocktails that have wide appeal and are most likely to be popular (like margaritas or spritzes).

From there, he suggests checking your pantry or fridge for inspiration. "See if you have any cool ingredients to spice things up. If you have cinnamon, you can make a cinnamon syrup and use it as a sweetener. Have a cucumber in the fridge? Muddle it in a drink or use it as a garnish." If you're not sure how to use the treasures you find you have on hand already, he says that heading to the internet and seeing what fun ideas others have come up with is a great way to use what you have on hand to turn it into something fun.

Fresh lemons and limes are an outstanding addition to a number of cocktails, and they're what might make for the perfect extra-refreshing summertime cocktail. Especially when the weather turns hot, it might be tempting to fill the menu of a cocktail party with lemon drop martinis, to make a Tom Collins for everyone, or whip up some gimlets, but citrus can actually make things very complicated very quickly.

Liam Davy gave us a few words of warning about relying too heavily on citrus. "Lemons and limes are expensive, and juicing them takes time. Also, all citrus juice drinks need to be shaken, which is time-consuming and messy." All that adds up to a lot of hassle, expense, and a lot more time you'll need to spend prepping and making drinks instead of mixing with your guests.

If you're looking for one spirit to anchor your cocktail menu around, vodka is definitely versatile, but you might think it's not quite fancy enough. If that's not going to make a statement, don't worry — Colby Poulin has you covered with a suggestion for a go-to spirit that's endlessly customizable and strong enough to carry an entire menu.

"My go-to spirit is always gin — versatile enough for bright, refreshing cocktails like a Bee's Knees at a daytime fete, yet bold enough to anchor a perfectly chilled martini or negroni as the evening's conversations unfold," Poulin told us. There are a number of different types and styles of gin, and it's the ideal spirit to use if you're thinking of building a cocktail menu around a single liquor while showcasing the range of drinks you can make. Start with a classic gin and tonic for something light and refreshing, and we'd even go as far as to suggest that the aptly-named Last Word is the perfect way to wrap up the evening.

Some of the things you should definitely take into account when you're deciding on those cocktails is alcohol content as well as how long it takes most people to finish a drink, and this is some advice that comes to us from Liam Davy. "For most people, two or three martinis are enough to make you feel a little fuzzy," he told us. "To keep the evening going, offer a few longer drinks that people can linger over without feeling like they've had too much."

Think of adding the kind of cocktail that people are going to want to sip slowly, and some classic cocktails are perfect for this. Add a classic negroni, an old fashioned, or a traditional whiskey sour for something that's going to slow things down a bit.

Davy has another piece of advice, too. In addition to adding slow-drinking cocktails, he advises swapping in lighter drinks between heavier, higher-alcohol ones. After a whiskey-forward old fashioned, move on to a spritz. "Keep the night from ending early," he advises.

Coming up with a drink menu for your cocktail party isn't just about coming up with the drinks themselves, it's also about deciding how and when you're going to serve them. Zak Lindahl gave us some thoughts on a part of building a cocktail menu that's easy to overlook.

"Think about texture and temperature variety," Lindahl advises, "whether carbonated, silky, stirred, or shaken. The goal is a menu that feels curated yet comfortable, where every pour invites conversation rather than competes for attention." What that means for your cocktail party can, of course, vary, and might include something like serving a refreshing spritz or traditional lime and mint mojito in the middle of the evening, and perhaps wrapping things up with the perfect warm and comforting hot buttered rum. Keep things varied and interesting throughout the night, and you'll have a memorable menu.

Christa Cotton knows a thing or two about just how important these ingredients are to a great cocktail. She told us that when you're building your menu, you should put just as much consideration into sourcing great bitters and syrups as your seasonal fruits and spirits.

"Bitters and syrups are the backbone of a great drink," she explained. "They bring balance, depth, and personality to the glass. When you use high quality ingredients, you taste it immediately. A well-made syrup or a thoughtfully-crafted bitter can take something ordinary and make it unforgettable." She likened it to olive oil. Use an olive oil that's just kind of so-so for a bread dipping oil, and you'll get something that's equally so-so. Find the best olive oils out there for that bread dip, and you'll get a full experience that's greater than the sum of its parts. Sourcing all high-quality ingredients is a great way to make sure you're serving your guests an outstanding cocktail.

The bottom line is that a cocktail party is about entertaining, making your guests comfortable, welcome, and having the chance to do a little socializing yourself. It's easy to get caught up in making a menu of super-fun cocktails that you can't wait for everyone to try, but you shouldn't overlook the wine.

Annemarie Schumacher reminded us that while cocktails are great, you shouldn't forget to keep a few bottles of wine on hand, too. She suggests planning to have three bottles of red wine and three bottles of white, and it makes sense, doesn't it? Whether someone at the party only prefers wine over cocktails or isn't keen on one of the drinks on your menu, you'll have wine as another option — and, it's one that doesn't take time to prepare. Also? There are a variety of easy ways to turn that wine into a quick, light spritzer and give it a fast upgrade, so this also makes a great backup plan.

Adding low- or no-alcohol options to your menu is a great way to ensure that there's something for everyone. Derek Brown spoke with us a bit on the importance of adding these options to any cocktail party menu, saying, "More and more people are reducing or eliminating alcohol from their diet for reasons ranging from health to personal preference. Fortunately, it's easy to make delicious non-alcoholic drinks."

There's a few ways to add no- and low-alcohol options while still keeping things easy, and Brown suggests taking your cocktail menu and simply swapping in non-alcoholic spirits for the standard version. That way, your other ingredients can remain the same, while you're presenting guests with options.

He also says that there are plenty of cocktails out there that are alcohol-free and still outstanding, giving us the example of his own Pinch Hitter. That combines lemon juice, ginger syrup, apple cider vinegar, and aquafaba (with an optional salt tincture and lemon wheel garnish) for a cocktail that doesn't need alcohol to be worthy of a spot on a party menu.

Part of the fun of hosting a cocktail party is feeling like you're serving your guests something truly special with cocktails that they might think they're only going to get in a restaurant or at a bar. There's a balance to be found between easy and special, and Liam Davy had a great tip: Don't forget garnishes.

"It's always nice to have people taking photos of their drinks at your party. Creating cocktails with bright, photogenic garnishes is a great way to make your gathering feel more special," he explained. "Think big, bright-stemmed cherries, oversized melon balls, juicy olives, and colorful pickles, all far more exciting than a boring old lemon twist." No matter what you're serving, there's options for garnishes out there. Take tequila. Some creative garnishes for tequila cocktails can include things like dehydrated fruits, a Tajin rim with lime, tamarind straws, or even a sprig of lavender.

When it comes to his own cocktail parties, Mark Young told us that he embraces the same ideas of seasonal ingredients and layers of flavor that he puts on restaurant menus. Still, Young told us that he still has his favorite, go-to cocktails, including a signature one of his own creation.

The Chatham Artillery Punch is one of those classic Southern cocktails that you should try at least once, and there are a lot of different versions of it. Some versions call for a mix of spirits like rum, cognac, bourbon, and Champagne, so it's pretty potent. Young took that idea and turned it into his own cocktail, which uses dark rum, dry sparkling wine, sparkling apple cider, Calvados, and lemon juice for an upscale version of it. If you're confident in your abilities — or, if you have plenty of time to experiment — why not take a page from his book and create your own signature cocktail? Take your own favorite drink, experiment with flavors, syrups, garnishes, and substitutions, and make your own.

Whether you're overwhelmed or just finding yourself out of inspiration, don't worry, we have some advice for you, too. Or rather, Luke Wilmoth has some advice. He told us he's a huge fan of keeping things simple, refined, and accessible.

If there's a secret recipe for a successful cocktail party, this just might be it. Why? Because Wilmoth gave us his curated, sure-to-please lineup, and it starts with an ultra-chilled, almost-icy vodka martini. From there, the ideal follow-up is a daiquiri, heavy on the lime and fruit. And finally, he says that you should wrap up the night with a Boulevardier, an incredibly easy-to-make classic cocktail of whiskey, Campari, and vermouth with an orange peel garnish. All your bases are covered, you're serving a variety of cocktails that pretty much guarantees there's something for everyone, and the individual characteristics of each drink escort the night along. Hosting doesn't have to be complicated!