We all like to celebrate. Actually, celebrating is in our blood, the only difference is how we do it. Some would rather have a quiet get-together, while others would go all out in terms of drinks, company, and the hype. All in all, a celebration is not a celebration without either food or drinks or both.
Drinks whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic liven up the mood and allow for mingling and catching up. But, different events call for different drinks. You cannot possibly serve vodka at a kid’s birthday. I mean you can if you wanted to, but does the occasion call for it?
You might be wondering, “how do you plan drinks for a party?” Let’s look at the different events you can serve drinks, alcoholic or otherwise.
Events
Birthday
Celebrating life should be a part of each one of our lives, most of us do this through birthdays. Birthdays are celebrated by many across all walks of life and different people celebrate them differently. Some would rather have a quiet dinner with family and friends and enjoy a glass of red or white wine after dinner. Others would rather celebrate by going out somewhere with their peers where they serve drinks, nyama choma, and some music. While some opt for lots of booze and loud music playing, the likes of “Happy Birthday” by Harmonize (we have to admit this song hits differently on birthdays💃).
How about when we are celebrating our children’s birthday? Do we serve hard liquor or do we rather go for low alcohol content wine or non-alcoholic wines? The most recommended and safe way to enjoy a children’s birthday party is by enjoying a wine that is non-alcoholic or if need be, go with a wine that has an alcohol content between 5-8 % like Moscato, Robertson, Gran Verano Merlot.
Bridal shower
A bridal shower is a pre-wedding get-together of the bride-to-be and her closest female family and friends. It is customary for the maid of honor, the mother, or a close female relative to make the necessary arrangements for this party in honor of the bride-to-be. Traditionally, guests bring gifts to help the bride finance her wedding or set up her new home.
A bridal shower could include activities and games. For example, you might have a wine and spa day at the comfort of your home, popularly referred to as “pampering.”
For games, you can ask the bride questions you’ve already asked the groom. For every one of her answers that doesn’t match her fiance’s, she has to drink, either wine or a spirit. This could lead to a fun time full of memories and fun photos.
Barbecue
Barbecue is one of the activities we can do on the weekends when we want to break from the monotony of the weekday’s activities and meals. Something greasy and crispy goes a long way especially if it is well prepared.
What drink can you pair with your barbecue?
Beer is a great pairing with BBQ. If you are working with a more robust, beefier, and richer rib recipe, go for the stout/lager/dark one instead.
Sparkling wines beat the heat and work well with almost any grilled food. Stick to wines like Prosecco or a light-bodied California bubbly.
White wines are mostly suited for white meat like grilled fish and chicken, and some pork recipes. The high acidity in Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with grilled white meat. Choose a white Burgundy or Chardonnay for the fattier fish, like tuna, trout, or rockfish.
Red wine is suited for red meats. When you are serving grilled pork, Pinot Noir is best. Smoked meats are also best served with Pinot Noir, playing off the smoky, tea-leaf flavors of the wine.
If you’re serving steak, barbecued ribs, or beef tenderloin, go with full-bodied wines. Bordeaux, California Cabernet Sauvignon are perfect matches. If your meat is spicy, go for Zinfandel, Australian Shiraz, or Argentine Malbec.
Work parties
Work parties are a way to relax, shed off the work environment for a few hours, mingle, and get to know your co-workers a little bit more. These parties could range from end-of-year parties, team-building evenings, co-workers’ birthdays, promotions to retirement parties.
For as much as it is off working hours/days, we need to have that professionalism when mingling and having one or two drinks. We would not want to dread going back to work because we made a fool of ourselves; abused a co-worker, danced on top of the table, or hitting on that work crush.
It is important to drink responsibly by opting for soda or non-alcoholic wine if you would rather not indulge in any alcoholic drinks.
Wine is the safest choice if you want to indulge in a little alcoholic drink without really overdoing it. It is best served when it is a sit-down occasion.
Beer comes in handy especially if you are enjoying that bonfire after a day of team building. It relieves tension around the group, making for a good storytelling and sharing session.
Champagne or sparkling wine are for celebrations, especially when a co-worker has been promoted, moving on to greener pastures or retiring. Celebrating such moments calls for some bubbly. However, do not indulge too much because champagne/ sparkling wine can quickly get you drunk. A glass or two should suffice.
Cocktails are a great way to enjoy low-content alcohol for especially high-alcohol content drinks like spirits.
Anniversaries
Anniversaries are a romantic and intentional way to celebrate a partnership or marriage. This could range from a two-person affair to a small crowd of close family and friends.
It is advisable to serve wine, cocktails or mixers for this event. It would be remarkable if you had signature cocktails for this event, especially if you served the same on your wedding day ( check out our suggestions for serving drinks at your wedding by clicking on “wedding day”).
Event Managers
Mobile Bar
A mobile bar is a stocked bar (bartender usually included) that brings the party wherever you are. The mobile bar stocks what the client wants for that specific event. The guests pay for their drinks at the bar, or the host pays the accumulative sum of the drinks consumed at the end of the event. They mostly stock canned beers and spirits with tumblers for easy consumption.
Catering
Catering is often responsible for all aspects of event planning. This most often includes (but is not limited to): menu design and preparation, meals creation and presentation, plate and dinnerware rentals, and arranging appropriate pre-event, event, and clean-up crew staffing.
The drinks to be served at different events majorly depend on the event and the guest type. These events could range from weddings, corporate or social events, and each of these events calls for a different set of drinks.
Party vendors
Party vendors provide their services to people who would rather not plan their own events. This could be birthday parties, bachelor parties, bachelorette parties. These parties mostly serve spirits in comparison to weddings and anniversaries.
We know event planning is hectic. Jays Wines is here to meet your wants and needs. We provide consultation for what drinks to purchase for a specific event and estimations of how much is enough for the group. We have an in-house capacity to fulfill your orders, both large and small.
If you are planning an event and drinks are in the books, you can buy drinks from us on consignment. The terms and conditions will be agreed upon once you get in touch with us.
We have vans and delivery bikes that deliver products to various locations in Nairobi. The vehicles help us deliver to our customers on time. If you are outside of Nairobi, we do parcel delivery through either G4S or Wells Fargo.
We are open daily from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm Monday to Thursday; 10.00 am to 8.00 pm on Friday and 10.00 am to 7.00 pm on Saturday. Would you like to pay us a visit for a chat? Find us at Watersys Plaza, Biashara Street, Nairobi Kenya. Our head office is located on the second floor. Or, give us a call at 0705570066.
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By Roseline Maina: Digital Marketer
