8 Essential Ingredients for Any Cocktail Party
Have you ever planned to throw a cocktail party and couldn’t figure out which ingredients to use? This can be an obstacle for people who want to throw one but aren’t sure how to mix the ingredients properly. Planning a cocktail party is not too difficult if you know what you’re doing – you should have the right ingredients, recipes, and tools for mixing!
A party without drinks isn’t a party at all. Hence, figuring out the ingredients to stock up is imperative. The same applies to an article. Crafting a good essay isn’t possible without using the right tools. If you order research paper online, it can help by providing the right tools for crafting a perfect paper. Let the professionals do the work while you plan the perfect party.
Now – here are eight juicy tips for picking out the right cocktail party ingredients.
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine is essential to any cocktail party because it adds a touch of classiness that other wines can’t pull off. If you’re planning to host a cocktail party, you’ll want to have sparkling wine on hand. It is an essential ingredient for any good cocktail party because of its versatility and because guests can consume it plain or with other types of drinks.
Sparkling wines are perfect party drinks because their bubbling provides a lightness that complements the typical heaviness of cocktails. They also pair well with most types of food, including appetizers, main dishes, and desserts.
To get the most out of your sparkling wine at your next party, consider serving it in combination with other drinks or as a base for cocktails such as mimosas and bellinis. Try serving it alongside your favourite spirit – whether gin, vodka, or rum. Mix in some fruit juice for added flavour and colour; a little bit goes a long way: one ounce per person will do wonders when paired with an ounce or two of juice (or even soda water).
Vodka
Vodka has become one of the most popular spirits in the world. This clean, clear spirit is made from various grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and corn. It’s almost completely tasteless and odourless, making it ideal for mixing into cocktails. In order to get the best out of your vodka, purchase a good quality product with reasonable alcohol levels.
If buying flavoured vodka, look for a brand that uses natural ingredients to give its product its unique taste. Otherwise, you may end up with artificial tasting drinks.
Juice
Now here’s a fun step. Freshly-squeezed juice is the key to making your cocktails stand out from the crowd. But despite what you may think, you don’t have to use fresh fruit for this. Purchased ones are good and can substitute ready-to-drink apple or cranberry juice for any of the following:
- Squeezed lemon
- Squeezed lime
- Squeezed orange
- Bottled or canned pineapple
Just be sure to get the clear kind with no pulp. If you decide to go with bottled juice, it’s not more expensive than making it yourself. Don’t skimp by reusing juice sitting in your fridge for a while. You should also avoid using other fruit juices; they’ll give your drinks an unappealing thickness.
Whatever you do, don’t try to blend fresh fruit because it won’t work as well as you may think. Always buy pre-made juice – and make sure it stays cold until used.
Mint Leaves
A mint leaf is an essential ingredient because it adds a cooling effect to cocktails and can be used to garnish drinks. The leaves are muddled in the bottom of a glass, topped with ice, and poured over another liquid like lemonade. The resulting liquid gives off a fresh, sweet aroma.
When planning a menu for the party, consider incorporating mint into one or more of these dishes:
- Refreshing summer salads
- Savory grilled chicken
- Sweet desserts like raspberry sorbet
Try mixing up a simple Mojito cocktail using rum as its base if you prefer something more traditional. Adding some color will give the drink an extra pop.
Lemon Peel
Lemon peel is also an essential ingredient for any party. It looks pretty when you garnish a drink and can be very effective. Lemon peel is high in Vitamin C, which has been known to help boost metabolism. It’s a win-win scenario!
Ice
Chilling is perhaps the essential part of making a good cocktail. If you don’t have ice, you can use frozen fruit to make sure the drinks are cool enough. The best bet is to have plenty of crushed or cubed ice on hand.
If you’re serving drinks over ice, it’s a good idea to chill the glassware before using them. To do this, place them in the freezer for five minutes before the guests start arriving. Use an ice mould or tray if you want shaped pieces – you can buy these from stores selling kitchen supplies.
Herbs Spices or Bitters
There are different herbs, spices, and bitters you can use to add a slightly bitter note to cocktails. Experiment with fresh herbs like sage, basil, thyme, or rosemary. Also, spices like cinnamon or star anise and specific bitters like orange, chocolate, or lavender can help.
Use fresh ingredients since they add more flavour and offer unique visual elements. For instance, if you’re adding lavender bitters to a cocktail, it could be fun to garnish the glass with some sprigs of fresh lavender.
Syrup
A little sweet, a little sour, and a whole lot tasty, the syrup is used to sweeten beverages and add depth of flavour. The most common types of syrup are simple syrup, grenadine, orgeat, lime, and honey.
Although syrups are liquids made from sugar or honey, they are different inconsistency. Simple syrup is the thinnest in texture, while grenadine has a thicker texture and a sweet-tart taste that works well with whiskey sours or planter’s punches.
Orgeat has an almond flavour that works well with rum-based drinks, while falernum adds notes of clove to tropical drinks like the mai tai or zombie. Honey can be added to any cocktail but works best with rye whiskey.
Conclusion
We all have it in us to be master mixologists. You don’t need to spend hours studying cocktail recipes, memorizing the classics, and planning elaborate cocktail parties to impress your friends with your drinks menu. You have to stock up on a few essential ingredients – covering the main spectrum of flavours, textures, and styles.
