Better Beer Bar Bash

Guest post
By Christopher Lowell

I’ve been to a lot of parties where the intention was great but the application found bewildered guests waiting for booze, starved and uncomfortable because the party was not thought out well enough by the host. Often it’s not about what you serve; it’s how you serve it. This is especially critical when planning a party in your home. In my book, The Hassle-Free Host, I stress the importance of traffic control. Knowing how to get guests mingling and partaking in your offerings without creating bottlenecks (or having guests stacked ten deep at the bar with a stressed out bartender trying to handle the chaos) is key. Rather than thinking of one bar and one buffet in a dining room or on a kitchen island, the best hosts create what caterers call a “grazing station.” These mini self-serve stations should be strategically placed through out the home where they encourage guests to flow from room to room knowing that they are always close to food and beverages.

One device I use is a round two-foot disc of plywood that can be bought at most home improvement centers. These are placed on a base made from normal sized out door plastic trashcans. They are then draped with uniformly colored tablecloths. These instant-grazing stations can be placed both indoors and out and in back rooms to encourage people to congregate where you want them too. Atop each of these stations, there should be a centerpiece. I like using tall glass cylinders filled with an ingredient that denotes either the theme of the party or the food served at that station. It’s a visual way to pair the kind of beer with the food you’re serving.

If you’re serving a Bloody-Bull made with beer and tomato juice and beef broth, try setting a large galvanized tub (also from your home improvement center) in the center of the station. Then place one of the tall cylinders (18 to 10-inches high by 6 to 8-inches round) in the center of the tub, fill the tub with ices and nestle the beer in the ice. Then fill the cylinder to the top with several sizes of fresh tomatoes and limes. Add another platter filled with accompanying food that you think goes will with that beverage. Finger foods like chicken wings, shrimp, or raw vegetables and dip could work nicely here. Use this one, simple concept and create a memorable event that is both self-serve and great looking in almost any room in your home.

When the party is over, the trashcans can be nested and the plywood discs can be easily stored for the next event.

You can read more about Christopher Lowell here. Lowell’s new television show, “Work that Room” debuts on the Fine Living Channel on Saturday, July 26 at 6:00 p.m. EST.