Cocktail Parties and Private Buyouts: A Host's Guide

Small hotel bars are often available for private events. Bar Pleiades, for instance, used to offer buyouts for up to about ninety guests, with drinks and food from the café kitchen. We cannot book events or speak for any venue, but Martin Hale spent years planning private parties in hotel bars, and here is what he has learned, both for booking a venue and for hosting at home.

Part one: booking a private bar

Start with the numbers

Know your guest count and whether people will be seated or standing. A cocktail reception needs roughly one square meter per standing guest, more if there will be seating, a band or a dance floor. Ask the venue for its maximum standing and seated capacity, and do not push it to the limit. A comfortably full room feels better than a crowded one.

Understand the pricing

Most venues price private events in one of three ways:

• Food and beverage minimum: you must spend at least a set amount; anything below it is charged anyway.
• Per person package: a fixed price per guest for a set time, drinks and food.
• Room fee plus consumption: a hire charge, then you pay for what is consumed.

Ask whether tax, service charge and gratuity are included. They can add a significant amount.

Questions to ask the venue

1. Is it a full buyout, or a private area within an open bar?
2. What are the start and end times, and is there a charge for extra hours?
3. Can we see sample menus for drinks and food?
4. How many bartenders and servers will there be?
5. Can we bring our own music, a band or decorations?
6. What are the deposit, payment and cancellation terms?
7. What happens if we exceed or fall short of the guest count?

The drinks menu

For a large group, a short menu of three or four signature cocktails plus wine, beer and a non-alcoholic option works far better than a full bar. It keeps service fast and allows the bartenders to prepare. Choose one sparkling or citrus drink, one spirit-forward classic and one long, refreshing drink.

Part two: hosting at home

Plan the drinks

Choose two cocktails at most, plus wine and something non-alcoholic. Batch drinks wherever possible. Punch is the host's best friend: our clarified milk punch can be made days ahead. Stirred drinks such as the Manhattan or Negroni can be batched with the right amount of water and kept in the fridge or freezer.

How much to buy

A useful rule is two drinks per guest in the first hour and one per guest per hour after that. For a three-hour party of twenty, that means around eighty drinks. Buy plenty of ice: at least one kilogram per guest, more in summer.

Food

Plan five or six types of bite-size food, and around eight to twelve pieces per guest for a two to three hour party without dinner. Our bar food guide has ideas that are easy to make ahead.

Set the room

• Lower the lights and use candles or lamps.
• Put the bar away from the door so guests do not crowd the entrance.
• Clear surfaces where people can put down glasses.
• Choose music that can be heard but does not need to be shouted over.

Look after your guests

Offer good non-alcoholic drinks, not just water. Put out food early. Have plenty of water available. And plan how people will get home, especially later in the evening.

For the basics of a home bar setup, read our home bar essentials guide.