How To Host The Best Festive Drinks Party

9 tips to wow your guests this Christmas the British delicious way

Want to know how to host the best festive drinks party with seasonal ingredients?  Good news. Christmas and local produce go hand in hand.  Choose from traditional fare such as pigs in blankets and stilton or innovate and make your own signature cocktail.

1 Serve drinks at the right temperature

For the best festive drinks party, make sure everything you serve is the right temperature. Calculate how many drinks per person and then uplift it by a third. There’s absolutely no harm in having extra bottles of English Sparkling Wine in the fridge that don’t get opened. Sounds obvious but most of us are guilty of putting a bottle in the freezer halfway through the night at some time in our lives.

2 How to host the best festive drinks parties with a theme

Reindeer noses and Christmas jumpers are one option. However, if you’re looking for a food related theme, try focusing on British ingredients for your festive drinks. It helps to narrow down the choices and ensures that your drinks and food complement one another.  Be it beer or bubbles there is so much choice and it’s easy to find something for every taste.

3 Lean into local

Pick a great bottle of English Sparkling Wine for your budget and serve with cheese from the same county. Sparkling wines have effervescence and crisp acidity and pair brilliantly with salty cheese.  Our English fizz and cheese guide will help you make the perfect match.

4 Best festive drinks parties have good nibbles

A charcuterie board is super easy to prepare and makes a high impact on the table.  There are some amazing companies producing British charcuterie. We love Tempus and can’t sum it better than Commercial Director Druv Baker, “charcuterie is one of those magical things, much like cheese and wine that feels like alchemy”.  And if you can’t get British charcuterie, of course, there are always pigs in blankets.

5 Bring on the cheese

English cheese is delicious and super easy to find. This makes an English cheeseboard an excellent last minute option. Supermarkets have plenty of stilton, cheddar and English brie. If you have a good deli or cheesemonger nearby we can’t recommend Colston Bassett Stilton and Baron Bigod brie highly enough. These are seriously up there with the best cheeses we’ve ever tasted.

8 Smoked fish on wafer thin bread

Smoked Scottish salmon and a glass of English fizz is about as classic a pairing as it gets. If you want something with a twist try smoked trout blinis. There are some wonderful smokehouses across the UK. The Weald Smokery is one of our favourites. It’s a family run business with 25 years’ experience of artisan craftsmanship.

7 Make a signature cocktail

Create your own cocktail just for the night.  Our pear bellini made with 100% British ingredients is quick to prepare and is guaranteed to delight your guests.  You can make a non-alcoholic version too.  Prepare your glassware beforehand. You don’t need a full matching set. Using lots of different types of glasses can add real charm to your drinks party. But do give your glasses a wipe with a glass cloth. This will make them sparkle. It’s a small touch that can really make a difference.

8 Set the mood with the right lighting

The best festive drinks parties aren’t held in brightly lit rooms. Lower the lights to create a wintery and welcoming feel. If you love candlelight as much as we do, try Plaristo they make their own candles in the UK and have a terrific range of colours that will suit any colour scheme or decor.

9 Enjoy yourself

And you know how to do that already.

A final thought

Holding the best festive drinks parties is easy if you remember these three things. Make your guests feel welcome.  Choose local, sustainable and delicious drinks and nibbles. And have fun.  Happy Christmas.