How to Set Up a Drink Table on a Kitchen Counter

Hosting a dinner or cocktail party at home can be a stressful event and knowing how to properly plan a drink table, even if you dont have a dedicated bar, will make hosting much more pleasurable. Setting up a drink table requires a little forethought about what you will be serving and how many guests you have invited. As your event progresses, you may need to reorganize the drink table halfway through to keep it tidy and functional. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Place glasses, cocktail napkins, stirrers, garnishes and straws on both ends of the kitchen counter so they will be easy to access no matter what position you are in when trying to get a drink. This will also help to keep people from forming a line to get a drink.

2

Premix drinks in pitchers if you plan on serving only one or two types of drinks. This will cut down on time spent at the bar or guests from asking where mixers and other types of spirits are located.

3

Put drinks in bottles and cans in a large bucket with ice to keep them cold and for easy access. Arrange the drinks by type in the bucket so guests wont have to root around in the ice looking for what they want or to see what is being offered.

4

Consider putting a cocktail guide on the drink table to help guests mix their drinks. Doing this can also help encourage conversation among guests that dont know each other at the bar and keep it from feeling less awkward as they make their respective drinks.

5

Make sure you have enough glasses for all of your guests. As a rule of thumb, plan for three glasses per guest. While some people may reuse their glasses, others will not or will prefer to make a different drink with a different type of glass. If you are making premixed cocktails, only use the type of glass that corresponds with the drink, such as cocktail glasses for martinis or Manhattans and highball glasses for Collins.

6

Keep ice for drinks fresh in one or two ice buckets with a strainer at the bottom to keep the ice from pooling. If you are serving a high volume of drinks, you will need to replenish ice about every 20 to 30 minutes. Chilled ice buckets work well if you have enough or are only hosting a small event.