The Huge Hosting Mistake To Avoid At Your Next Cocktail Party

Hosting a cocktail party can be a total joy. Having friends and family in the same room and raising a toast, whether it's for a special occasion or simply just for fun, is a gift for everyone on the guest list.

And while it's always a top priority to serve delicious cocktails and create a cozy, fun vibe, it's important to make sure your guests feel well, too. And one thing that definitely doesn't feel great is drinking on an empty stomach. When crafting the menu for your cocktail party, a major mistake is to spend too much time focused on beverages and not enough on snacks and bites. And while good company plus great drinks is a reliable equation for a good time, an abundance of booze with very little sustenance is a recipe for trouble. Instead of sending your friends home with the makings of a morning headache, be sure that they have plenty to eat so you can safely and comfortably keep the party going.

I learned this lesson in hosting philosophy when I lived in Italy. There, nightly aperitivo hour is a lively and deeply ingrained part of the culture, and while it's an ideal way to connect with the community and stretch the social part of the night, it's easy to get carried away with your tasty spritz or negroni cocktail long before the dinner hour. And while drinking is very much a component of daily life, drunkenness is generally frowned upon. For this reason, Italians feel it's very important to serve little bites along with alcoholic beverages since food helps slow the body's absorption of alcohol.

Additionally, making sure a guest is well fed is simply part of the Italian ideal of hospitality. An abundant spread of bites is a sign of generosity and care. They also believe strongly that food and drink elevate one another, and are simply meant to be enjoyed together. In most cases, these offerings are nothing elaborate. Sometimes it's a bowl of peanuts or popcorn, other times it's crudités and hummus, a board of cheese and cured meats, or even potato chips straight from a bag. If you have time and feel inclined to make more ambitious hors d'oeuvres, this is a great chance to get creative, but you can absolutely keep it simple and affordable, just as long as there's something of substance on the table.

Fortunately, no one ever gets mad at the idea of extra snacks, and there are so many inspired pairings for your drinks. You can make your cocktail party into a themed night and create an Italian-style aperitivo by pairing Aperol Spritzes, glasses of sparkling Prosecco, or bittersweet Negronis, all paired with roasted tomato and sage crostini, squares of herby, versatile focaccia, or marinated olives. Or go for an alternate Mediterranean vibe by setting out some Greek mezze dishes with a selection of complementary Greek wines. Easy Spanish or Spanish-inspired tapas are always crowd pleasers, too, and pair beautifully with a perfect minty mojito or a rum-based Cuba Libre.

It's also always a sound idea to consider offering low-alcohol or alcohol-free options for your party-goers, too. Fortunately, low-alcohol cocktails are a trend that's here to stay, and there are so many exciting and delicious zero-proof libations out there, too, like a fruity, spiced sparkling sangria mocktail. Just remember, even those who opt not to imbibe might still like something to nibble on. So, no matter what you offer by the glass, avoid this hosting mistake and stock up on snacks for your next cocktail party.