Cocktail Party Ideas

Pop the cork off of that champagne bottle and raise a glass to the happiest of happy hours! Impress your guests with our party-planning tips, bartending tricks from the pros, everything needed to stock a home bar, and signature mixed drinks.
summer table-setting with blue theme
11 Tips for Setting an Outdoor Table That Will Make Dining Al Fresco So Much Easier
Outdoor table under lights in garden
How to Host a Casual Outdoor Dinner Party That Still Feels Elevated
outdoor party table for summer bbq
7 Ways to Keep Guests Cool at a Summer Party
Preparing the table for summer party
Buffet or Family Style? How to Choose the Right Food Service for Your Next Summer Gathering
Couple making wine cocktails
How to Set Up a Self-Serve Bar for Easy Outdoor Entertaining
extra-dry martini
Extra-Dirty Martini
Amaro Spritz and bowl of olives
Shake Up Your Summer Entertaining and Host an Aperitivo Hour
grilled-shrimp grand aioli
12 Fabulous French Appetizer Recipes That Bring the Bistro Home
chicken liver mousse crostini recipe
13 Make-Ahead Cold Appetizer Recipes for the Busy Host
pomegranate cosmo cocktail drink
17 Vodka Cocktails You'll Want to Make Again and Again
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Antipasto
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Whiskey Sour
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Devils on Horseback
margarita lime orange
Texas Margarita
5 mins
shaken pina coladas
Shaken Piña Colada
10 mins
creamy deviled eggs
Creamy Deviled Eggs
25 mins
elegant home bar setup
How to Set Up a Bar for Your Next Holiday Party
Lychee Martini
Lychee Martini
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Broiled Oysters
guacamole with tortilla chips
Guacamole Without Tomatoes
10 mins
Strawberry Daiquiri
Strawberry Daiquiri
10 mins
Sausage-Cheddar Balls
Sausage-Cheddar Balls
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Spiced Nuts
cider punch
Warm Cider and Rum Punch
bourbon hot toddies with cinnamon and lemon
Bourbon Hot Toddy
10 mins
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Bourbon and Ginger
sauteed shrimp
Sautéed Shrimp
35 mins
hot spinach dip
Hot Spinach Dip
1 hr
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Candy Cane Cocktail
sinister snacks
Plan an Adults-Only Halloween Party Complete with These Sinister Snacks and Boozy Punch
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Baked Brie with Pecans
45 mins
Peel-and-Eat Shrimp
Peel-and-Eat Shrimp
red sangria glass drink fruit
Boozy Red Sangria
4 hrs 15 mins
summer sangria in pitcher and glasses
Summer Sangria
Caitlin and Fletcher wedding lawn games guests
Experts Share Their Favorite Cocktail Hour Games and Activities for Your Wedding Day
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Fried Macaroni-and-Cheese Bites
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Silver Dollar Pancakes
bourbon cider cocktail
Cider-Bourbon Cocktail
5 mins
pomegranate cosmo cocktail drink
Pomegranate Cosmopolitan
5 mins
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Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes
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Spooky Halloween Cocktails and Drink Recipes for a Petrifying Party
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Lemon Drops on the Rocks
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Spiced Walnuts
10 mins
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Spice-Infused Simple Syrup
beet chips
Beet Chips
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White Cosmopolitan
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How to Host a Casino Night at Home
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Cauliflower Puree
20 mins
salmon-and-mashed-potato croquettes
Salmon-and-Mashed-Potato Croquettes
2 hrs 40 mins
christmas mule cocktail
Cranberry Mule
1 hr 45 mins
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Guava Margaritas
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Rum Balls
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Duxelles - A Simple Spread
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Blue-Cheese-Stuffed Olives
southern comfort punch
Southern Comfort Punch
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Cucumber-Mint Gin and Tonic
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Hurricane
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Mulled White Wine
45 mins
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Mint, Cucumber, and Vodka Cocktails
10 mins
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Pimm's Cup Pitcher
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Orange Squeeze
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Marinated Mozzarella
25 mins
stuffed mushrooms
Goat-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms