Don't Forget To Serve This Type Of Drink At Your Cocktail Party

Cocktail parties may be all about relaxing, great drinks, socializing, and cultivating a chill atmosphere, but for a host they come with a laundry list of things to worry about. You need a variety of cocktails to cater to everyone's taste, you must organize your space perfectly so guests can easily relax and move around, and, of course, you need some great snacks and appetizers. But with all that on your mind, a certain type of drink can easily fall by the wayside. Tasting Table spoke to professional event planner and author Derek Brown about cocktail party mistakes to avoid, and he reminded us that you don't want to forget about low-alcohol and alcohol-free options.

Brown explains that no- and low-alcohol options should get just as much consideration as your standard cocktails these days. "People are drinking less, with the recent Gallup Poll stating that only 54% of Americans drink alcohol, a 30-year low," he notes. Additionally, he reminds us that many who drink alcohol also enjoy alcohol-free options, adding that "some data suggests over 90% of people who drink non-alcoholic products also drink alcohol." It's a particularly good option for guests who might want a drink or two but don't want anything too hard, as it allows them to alternate between cocktails with alcohol in them and non-alcoholic drinks. These days, there are so many good no-alcohol options that you can get creative with; you'd be missing out if you didn't provide some.

The easiest option for alcohol-free drinks is providing a few good non-alcoholic beers. They have soared in popularity in recent years, so there are tons of tasty options from both big macro brands and craft brewers. Even better, plenty of those breweries also produce more creative flavors like Hazy IPAs, which can make them more enjoyable and interesting, fitting in better with the cocktail party vibe.

Of course, this is still a cocktail party. As Brown says, "There are plenty of delicious non-alcoholic cocktails out there, from virgin piña coladas to creative, no-ABV amaretto sours." Crafting a good mocktail is an art in and of itself, and you'll never be starved for interesting options. One party classic that already lends itself to non-alcoholic flavors is a good punch, and there are plenty of tart and juicy recipes out there that can fill a bowl at a cocktail party.

If you want some batch drinks that feel a little more special, taking inspiration from existing cocktails is always an easy way in — it also helps those drinking them feel more included. There are non-alcoholic spirits like rum available to easily swap in to drinks like a mojito, but plenty of cocktails like mai tais and Moscow mules have punchy flavors that will be just as good even without a booze substitute. You may not even need the normal cocktails at all.