Parties & Entertaining Archives - The Ultimate Home Bar

Best Holiday Party Starters

Cocktail & Drink Recipes, Holiday Tips & Ideas, Parties & Entertaining

Are you looking for some quick and easy appetizer recipes for your holiday party? From pizza crackers and mushroom puffs to chocolate covered almonds, you can try hundreds of different recipes. Some appetizers take only a few minutes to prepare, while others contain less than five ingredients. If you have unexpected guests, these holiday party starters will save the day. Here are a few simple recipes that you can try:

Italian Cheese Tray

With a little creativity, you can turn most groceries into impressive party foods. Do you have some cheese and bacon in the fridge? Use them for preparing a spectacular cheese tray. You can also add olives, sliced ciabatta bread, prosciutto, grapes, and nuts. Arrange all ingredients on a serving platter.

Pizza Crackers

Pizza crackers are perfect for holiday parties and can be prepared within minutes. It’s a fast, healthy way to satisfy a taste for pizza and impress your guests. These appetizers can be made with mozzarella cheese, multi-grain crackers, garlic powder, onion, tomato sauce, basil and other herbs. Add cheese, tomato sauce, and herbs on crackers. It’s that easy! You can also use bacon, olives, pickles and other basic ingredients.

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Surprise your guests with a delicious ice cream! All you need are some frozen bananas, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder. Bananas have a naturally sweet flavor, so you don’t have to use sugar or artificial sweeteners. Blend all ingredients, add the mixture in colorful glasses or plastic cups, and keep them in the fridge for a few hours. Even those who want to lose weight can enjoy this delicious treat!

King Crab Appetizers

These holiday party snacks take more time to prepare, but have a fantastic taste and a rich texture. The main ingredients include shredded Cheddar cheese, refrigerated biscuit dough, crab meat, cream cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and green onion. These crab tartlets take 10 minutes to prepare and another 20 minutes to cook. You can keep them in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.

Easy Egg Rolls

Egg rolls are the perfect party food! These Asian inspired appetizers are made with oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, egg roll wrappers, scallions, and garlic. You also need oil for frying. These snacks are quite easy to prepare and look delicious! For extra flavor, you can add mozzarella cheese, salmon, prosciutto, bacon, tuna, deli meat, and various spices.

Summer Cocktail Recipes for a Memorable Party

Cocktail & Drink Recipes, Parties & Entertaining, Stocking your home bar

Summer cocktail recipes are refreshing and full of flavor. If you need to cool off, nothing could replace a breezy summer drink with mango, strawberries, gin, and lemon. Those who have their own home bars can try hundreds of different recipes such as the Strawberry Daiquiri, Gin and Tonic, Pina Colada, Classic Spanish Sangria, Jackson Punch, and Cherry Smash. Your guests will love these summer cocktail recipes! Enjoy these refreshing drinks during parties, reunions, family dinners and other special events!

Summer Cocktail Recipes with Alcohol

Have you ever tried a Watermelon-Tequila Cocktail? This flavorful drink is made with watermelon, granulated sugar, water, blueberries, fresh lime juice, fresh mint leaves, and tequila. Prepare the sugar syrup and then puree the watermelon in a blender. Mix lime juice, mint leaves, blueberries, and sugar syrup in a large pitcher. Add tequila and watermelon juice. Refrigerate for two hours and then serve with ice.

One of the most popular summer cocktail recipes is the True Manhattan. This classic drink has a refreshing taste and a sophisticated flavor. It contains whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Use a maraschino cherry for garnish. Substitute dry vermouth for the sweet to make a Dry Manhattan.

For a memorable party, try the Jackson Punch. This raspberry-imbued refresher has a rich texture and a fabulous taste. It’s one of the most loved summer cocktail recipes out there. To prepare this drink, you need the finest cognac, aged rum, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, raspberry syrup, water, and ice. Use half an orange wheel and fresh raspberries for garnish. This cocktail is more difficult to prepare than other summer drinks, but it has a great taste that will wow your guests.

Summer Cocktail Recipes without Alcohol

If you want to surprise your kids with a delicious drink, try the June Bug. This refreshing cocktail is made with ginger ale, orange juice, grenadine, and orange sherbet. Blend all ingredients and pour into cocktail glasses filled with ice.

The Iced Fruit Punch is one of the most flavorful summer cocktail recipes for a memorable party. This delicious drink can be prepared in a multitude of ways. You can choose juices in different flavors and colors, freeze them in ice-tray molds in festive shapes, and serve them in colorful glasses. This summer cocktail requires ginger ale, seltzer water, and six cups of assorted fruit juices. It has only 75 calories per serving, so it’s ideal for those who want to stay fit and enjoy the party.

Best Cocktails with Rum for a Memorable Party

Cocktail & Drink Recipes, Parties & Entertaining

Do you like rum cocktails? Rum is as popular cocktail mixer used for many tropical drinks. It is served everywhere in the Caribbean, featuring an exotic taste. The world’s best known rum cocktails include the Cuba Libra, the Mojito, the Black Devil, the Pina Colada, and the Miami Vice. Hundreds of drinks are made with rum. This fine liquor comes in a wide array of flavors, colors, and styles. There are dark rums and light rums, spiced rums, amber rums, dry rums, and flavored rums.

This popular liquor brings an exotic touch to any party. It’s arguably the most cocktail-friendly spirit. Rum is made from fermented sugar cane juice and can be more refreshing than gin or vodka when mixed with the right ingredients.

Let’s start with the famous pina colada. This classic cocktail contains light rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream. It has a sweet taste and a creamy texture. Some bartenders use amaretto, dark rum, or coconut rum to prepare this drink.

The Daiquiri is a basic rum cocktail that everyone should be able to prepare. Its main ingredients are rum, syrup, and lime juice. Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, mix well, and pour into a cocktail glass. Variations include the strawberry daiquiri, the cranberry daiquiri, the beachcomber, the banana daiquiri jelly shot, and the limey cocktail.

The Mai Tai is a more sophisticated drink that requires several ingredients such as light and dark rum, orange curacao, simple syrup, almond flavored syrup, lime, and fresh orange juice. This is the perfect spring or summer drink. It has a smooth texture and looks delicious! If you have a tiki bar, you should definitely prepare this rum cocktail. The Mai Tai has been served in Polynesian bars for decades.

The Ti Punch is a traditional cocktail from La Martinique. It contains rum, cane syrup or sugar from sugar cane, and lime. This rum-based drink is similar to the Daiquiri. It’s usually served before starting a meal.

Another famous cocktail with rum is the Hurricane. Its key ingredients are passion fruit syrup, dark Jamaican rum, and lemon juice. This sweet drink is very popular in New Orleans. It can also be prepared with cranberry juice, Navan liquor, Grand Marnier, Irish cream, coffee liquor, or white rum. The Hurricane was created around 1940. It’s a classic cocktail that every bartender should know.

Next time you have guests, try one of these delicious cocktails. Your family and friends will be pleasantly surprised.

Party Foods and Snack Ideas for Your Home Bar

Bar & Party Snacks, Parties & Entertaining

Are you ready for guests? Do you have enough drinks in your home bar? What about snacks and appetizers? No home bar would be complete without some crispy snacks and party foods. After a few drinks, everyone wants to grab a snack and eat something light. If you want to make your guests feel comfortable, stock your bar properly. From chicken wings to popcorn and nuts, there are plenty of options.

Serve your friends with tamari and maple-roasted almonds. To prepare this snack, you need maple syrup, tamari, whole shelled almonds, and a bit of oil or nonstick cooking spray. You could also try meat pies or pork skins. These party foods go well with beer and wine. What about a fancy grilled sandwich with ham, cheese, apple, and mustard. Or how about roasted peppers, mozzarella, and roast beef on hamburger buns?

There are thousands of snacks and party foods that you can try. Use your creativity and try new combinations and ingredients. Do a quick search online. You’ll find a huge selection of recipes for easy party snacks, pizza appetizers, stuffed mushrooms, grilled shrimps, potato chips and more. Think about your guests and their preferences. Are they vegetarians or vegans? Do they prefer fish or meat? What drinks are you going to serve?

If you want to serve beer, prepare some sweet bagel chips, garlic chips, caramel popcorn, nachos, or apple quesadillas. Beer goes well with salty snacks, including pickled eggs, cashews, tortilla chips, ham and cheese empanadas, sausages, and pretzels. If you serve wine, then you should stock your bar with olives, crackers, cheese, veggies, ham, roasted peppers, and hummus. For example, you could prepare some mini pizzas with cheese, tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Add olive oil and bake them for a few minutes. Nuts and cheese go well with wine too.

Make sure you know how to pair cocktails and food. Martini goes well with chocolate mousse, seared sea bass and other sophisticated foods. The Manhattan should be served along with Asian barbeque sliders. The Mint Julep is a popular cocktail that can be served with cheese sandwiches. If you’re going to prepare a French 75, cook some bread appetizers too. For grapefruit cocktails, serve endive boats. Baked stuffed jalapeños go well will mojitos. There are many other tasty snacks that you could try. Once you create the drink menu, it will be easier to decide which snacks to prepare.

How to Set Up a Home Bar for Parties

Parties & Entertaining

Are you planning a party at home? Serve up fancy drinks and entertain guests with a well stocked bar. First of all, decide where you’re going to set up the bar – in the kitchen, in the basement, in the living room, or in the backyard. Pick a room that has easy flow from more than one direction. The kitchen is a perfect spot to place your home bar, providing there is enough room. Evaluate your budget and decide whether you should buy or build a home bar. Think about the tools and gadgets you will need for mixing cocktails. There are a few mixers, spirits, glassware, and spices that any bar should have.

Select the type of bar that is right for you. Consider your budget, as well as your space requirements. The bar can be as big or as small as you’d like. One of the best things about having a home bar is that you can pick your favorite theme and customize it according to your taste. This piece of furniture will complement your house and reflect your preferences. Even if you live in a small apartment, you can still have a home bar for parties.

Once you build a home bar, decide what drinks you wish to buy. Preparation will require a trip to the supermarket or the liquor store. If you want to throw a themed party, you’ll need special decorations and accessories. You may also have to serve your guests with themed drinks like a Blue Hawaiian or a rum punch. For example, if you’re having a tiki party, decorate your bar with tiki torches, Hawaiian leis, luau balloons, luau piñatas, and exotic flowers. For a western party, use metal horseshoes, rustic mirrors, western clocks, tin signs, cowboy hats, and sheriff badges.

Don’t forget about barware and glasses. Your home bar needs some basic tools for mixing drinks and serving guests, such as cocktail shakers, ice bags, muddlers, bar spoons, strainers, jiggers, ice cube trays, tall glasses, short glasses, wine glasses, and bottle openers. You will also need up to 12 basic stemmed wine glasses. If you’d like to go one step further and impress your friends, get a citrus zester and a bar knife for adding garnishes to cocktails. Use scoops and large spoons to serve ice. Do not use your hands. Stock your home bar with gin, vodka, scotch, whiskey, and vermouth. Make sure you have alcohol-free drinks available.

Why a Home Bar Is Such a Popular Idea

Home Bar, Parties & Entertaining

More and more people are starting to realize the benefits of having a home bar. If your living room tends to be the gathering place for your family and friends, consider building a bar. This superb piece of furniture can enhance your living room, or add charm to your garden, kitchen, or entertainment room. When you’re home, you feel calm and relaxed. You can enjoy a glass of wine or beer without having to drive later. The best part is that you can mix your favorite drinks and create fabulous cocktails in the comfort of your home.

There are millions of reasons to build your own home bar. Many homeowners say that they don’t have the space or budget for a custom made bar. If you do a quick search online, you’ll see that there are hundreds of home bar designs to choose from. It’s virtually impossible not to find one that fits both your space requirements and your budget. From the bar and cocktail accessories to the wall fixtures and chairs, you can find unique pieces to suit your personality and taste.

Whether you build or buy a home bar, you’ll be satisfied with the end result. Having a bar at home will save you time and money. If you prefer to build one, visit a construction site or a furniture factory. Here you’ll find most of the materials you need for free or dirt cheap. After a construction job, many contractors want to get rid of the excessive materials. All you have left to do is to build your home bar. The Internet is a great resource for finding bar construction plans.

Decide whether you want a wet bar, a portable bar, a permanent bar, an old fashioned pub, or a modern glass bar. Search for construction plans online, get all of the materials needed, and then hire someone to build the bar. The whole process shouldn’t take more than two or three days. Building your own home bar is much more affordable than buying one. You can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

If you’re the kind of guy who loves to socialize and spend time with his friends, then you should definitely get a home bar. You won’t be in the living room or in the kitchen messing up the place. A home bar has lots of storage space for your favorite drinks and bartending accessories. You can even add a plasma television, a dart board, or a pool table.