Serving cocktails is essential to home entertaining, but it is so much more than handing over a glassful of liquid. You can make the experience engaging and personal by adding a style all your own with a few thoughtful details. We spoke to Bianca Cirillo, senior account executive at the luxury dinnerware rental company Different Look in Deerfield Beach, about how to offer your guests a taste of sophistication, too.
Have A Thoughtful Plan
“If you have a cocktail serving style, it tells your friends, ‘I thought about this! I wanted to put you at ease as soon as you arrived! I want you to know you are welcome here!’” Cirillo says. The setup doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be as simple as considering your guests’ preferences. “Remembering someone’s favorite drink or spirit [or] serving a bottle of wine that they gifted to you or a Jamaican rum because you traveled there together — details like this make your guests feel special and cared for,” Cirillo says.
Get Creative
When adding a chic spin to your home bar, Cirillo recommends distinctive accoutrements. Opt for embroidered cloth cocktail napkins or a signature paper style you love. Your glassware should suit you, too, she says, adding that every home should have wine glasses, coupes, highballs and rocks glasses. Unique swizzle sticks, meanwhile, can turn a party into a soiree. “They come in acrylic, glass, wood or metal,” Cirillo says, “and can be personalized with any motif.”
Leave An Impression
For an extra twist, design your cocktail menu with drinks inspired by your experiences and present them in a memorable way. “Use illustrations or handwrite names of drinks on small chalkboards — even better if you have a short story about each one,” Cirillo suggests. Delight guests with a glass-rimming station with salt, Tajín or sugar, or a garnish bar with an array of treats (bacon and shrimp for Bloody Marys, pineapple and chunks of fresh coconut for piña coladas). “Now, you don’t have a drink,” Cirillo explains. “You have an interactive experience that people will talk about and remember.”