Do your New Year’s Eve plans have you entertaining at home? If you don’t have a home or basement bar, you’re probably wondering how to set the scene for celebration. Here are three party-perfect ways to create an at-home libation station—no bar needed! All you need is a themed party drink, a small space for placement, and a little ingenuity.
01
Make Room On The Mantle
Move over, Santas and stockings. Put a few decorations away for next year and prep a spot on your mantle for serving holiday spirits. Leave greenery in place for no-fuss, festive decoration. All you need to add is a few bottles for crafting drinks, glassware, barware, and a few well-placed statement pieces (we suggest Holiday serveware). We love this placement because the mantle is a natural focal point in your home and perfect for gathering—plus it gets everyone out of the kitchen so you can focus on being the host with the most.
02
Employ A Bar Cart (Or Bookcase)
If you have a bar cart—perfect! It’s great to have one handy because it makes entertaining so easy. You can move it to wherever you want to hold your celebration—inside, outside, anywhere. Simply stock your cart with drink-making essentials and you’ll be ready to go! If you don’t have a bar cart, here’s a “novel” idea: clear a space on your bookshelf. Pro tip, display on-theme or interesting books to help break the ice and start conversations.
03
Use A Sideboard Or Island
Better than a bar? A drink buffet! We like the idea of using your sideboard in place of a home bar because it just makes so much sense—simply prep it with everything your guests need to help themselves. Alternatively, use your kitchen island as your celebration central. (After all, the heart of the home is where the party ends up anyway.)
Create Your Cocktail
Wherever or however you set up your cocktail corner, one thing is key: selecting a themed drink. Not only does it add a creative element to your party, but it also limits the ingredients you need, which helps save space on a modest serving station.
Nothing says New Year’s like a bit of bubbly, so we suggest creating a champagne-based drink. We selected Blackberry Champagne Cocktails because, well, they’re pretty! And, they’re easy to prep ahead of time so you can enjoy the party.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup blackberries
- 8 tbsp simple syrup
- 8 tbsp vodka
- 2 750 ml bottles of champagne
Directions:
- Before your party, muddle blackberries, vodka, and simple syrup directly in the bottom of a saucepan. Make sure the berries are well broken down.
- Boil for approximately 10 minutes to make a think syrup.
- Let the syrup cool and store in a glass vessel in the refrigerator until party time.
- Add a tablespoon of syrup to each cocktail or champagne glass. Add crushed ice and top each glass with champagne.
- Serve with a sprig of greenery and a blackberry for garnish. (You can also rim glasses with sugar, if desired).
- Serve and enjoy!
