How to Select Drinks for an Engagement Party

By eHow Parties & Entertaining Editor

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As the host of an engagement party, you will be expected to provide your guests with plenty of drinks. At first, this may seem like just one more thing to add to the list of things to do, but as you give serious thought to what kind of drinks you want to provide, you may begin to see the potential for fun and creativity.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Select Drinks for an Engagement Party

Step1

Select drinks that fit with the theme of your engagement party. For example, you can choose tropical drinks with coconut flavoring for a beach theme, specialty wine for a European theme or even rum-based drinks for a pirate theme.

Step2

Have a self-service bar with wine, champagne and beer. You could also provide a good selection of mixing drinks, such as rum and gin, for guests to mix themselves and enjoy. You may also want to provide a modifying agent, like spirits or fruit juice, as well as some type of specialty syrup.

Step3

Hire a professional to supply and serve drinks. Going this route means you'll have two choices: an open bar, where guests can have as many free drinks as they want, or a closed bar, where your guests will need to pay for any alcoholic drinks they consume. Some bartenders even offer a mix between the two, with the first drink free, but charges for subsequent drinks.

Step4

Supply non-alcoholic drinks for children, those who don't drink and designated drivers. Bottled water, soda, punch and sparkling cider are all good choices for guests who can't or won't consume alcohol.

Step5

Consider having a wine-tasting event when your engagement party is an intimate affair. You can buy a few bottles of each type of wine you're considering for your wedding, and ask guests for their opinion. This will not only provide drinks for your party, but it will also help you select a wine for your wedding reception.

Tips & Warnings

If you decide to have a self-service bar, you may want to designate a family member to keep an eye on how much alcohol each guest consumes. This may help keep order at the party and may reduce the likelihood of someone over the legal limit being allowed to drive home.
If you decide to hire a bartender, ask about drink restrictions. Not only will this save you money at an open bar, but it may also prevent your guests from consuming too much alcohol.