Hosting the holidays means that you have to make many food and drink preparations. By now, you should at least have a planned menu in place. If you intend to serve beer or alcohol at your party, be sure to keep these fun drink ideas in mind.
Stick with a theme
Change up your holiday celebrations by serving themed drinks. Many beer brands have special holiday flavors that are perfect for parties. Your guests will also enjoy the themed event and the break from their traditional beer choices. There are four distinct craft beer industry market segments including brewpubs, microbreweries, regional craft breweries, and contract brewing companies. With each of these options, you are sure to find beer choices that fit perfectly with your themed party.
Serve the drinks in festive cups
For a truly festive event, consider serving your beer and other drinks in holiday cups. Although most craft beers come in bottles, you can purchase them in a growler. Once you open the growler, pass around the drinks in festive mugs. If you are still looking for last minute gift ideas, these holiday mugs are a great gift for the beer enthusiast in your life. Personalized and festive mugs are also the perfect holiday photo opportunity.
Pair wines with dinner
Wine is a great dinner drink. Pairing certain food items with carefully selected wines can take your party to the next level. Additionally, more and more people are enjoying wine today. According to the Wine Institute, Americans only drank 1.74 gallons of wine per capita in 1993. In 2013, that number had increased to 2.82 gallons. This makes the U.S. the largest wine consuming nation in the world, with over 329 million cases of wine sold in 2013, according to data from Impact Databank. Chances are, your guests will enjoy their wine paired drinks.
Plan wine or craft beer tastings
Most beer or wine enthusiast has their preferred type of wine or beer. Wine and beer tastings are a great way to encourage them to try new flavors. This is a great idea around the holidays because of the many seasonal drinks available. You can even mix your own drinks, adding in pumpkin, cinnamon, or peppermint flavors. Your guests are sure to find a new holiday drink that they enjoy.
Don?t forget the beer games
What will you and your guests do after the dinner plates have been cleared and the gifts have been exchanged? Beer games are a great way to increase the entertainment of the party. Beer games also give guests another chance to try new flavors of beer. Add a holiday twist to your traditional beer games. Do a minute to win it holiday style. Plan a holiday decorating contest. Gift a basket of holiday wines to the person with the ugliest sweater. Games are what make a party entertaining and the more thought that you put into them, the more likely your guests are to have fun.
Total alcohol beverage sales in the U.S. are at an astonishing $219.52 billion. Just because the holidays are approaching does not mean that you have to take a break from consuming your favorite craft beers and liquors. Instead, incorporate them into your holiday plans. Pair nicer wines with dinner, set up a craft beer tasting center, and plan holiday themed beer games. With these tips, you are sure to have a holiday party that guests are talking about for years.