58 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • DECEMBER 2018
PRESS HOME
EMBRACE THE HOLIDAYS WITH A MEMORABLE PARTY
The party can open with a stationary
display offering local farm veggies,
homemade hummus and tzatziki
dips, assorted local/imported cheeses,
sliced baguette, honey, and nuts. Follow
that with passed hors d'oeuvres.
Tip: About halfway through the
party, move on to something a bit
more hearty. Once guests have had
their fill of apps, serve small plates
laden with delicacies, or add extras
such as a raw bar, taco bar, or carving
station. For dessert, keep it light and
fun with passed milk-and-cookie
shots or a pie bar that serves local
farm pies.
The party should be as unique
as the host or hostess. According to
style icon Iris Apfel, it’s important to
embrace your special style and make
it your own. So, zhoosh up your tree,
fire up that menorah, and throw on
your fancy caftan (It’s all the rage
with celeb hostesses).
Consider enhancing your décor
with a few DIY accents, like
home-crafted wreaths and garlands.
Hang dreidels from your chandelier.
Plate food in creative, appealing
ways, and place food platters strategically
throughout the house for
easier access. A rolling bar can add
a stylish touch and make serving
drinks a breeze.
Those who prefer a theme party
can incorporate hip, au courant
styles into the existing décor. Think
boho chic or retro/vintage. Then just
add accessories that reflect that vibe.
For boho: large floor cushions, exotic
embroidered couch pillows, and
tablecloths/runners. Add a Moroccan
flavor with hookahs for guests’ smoking
pleasure. For a retro feel: Choose
an era and add customized special
touches such as vintage tree ornaments.
Use lacy linens, pretty china,
ornate serving dishes, fifties-style
cocktail glasses and barware.
And don’t forget about those holiday
spirits!
“The experience of having a skilled
bartender at a holiday party is going
to be icing on the cake,” says Grace &
Grit’s lead mixologist, Joe Coleman.
“Think of all the wonderful things
we eat around the holidays and how
much better it would be to pair with
a fun craft cocktail.”
A few DIY tips: When setting up a
home bar, Coleman suggests a large
variety of spirits. And don’t forget
about mixers. He says knowing your
guests is important. If someone is a
wine drinker, make sure to have a few
good bottles and ask the local store
what pairs with the party menu. Also,
have a nice ginger beer, good sodas, a
bottle of bitters, nice olives, etc.
“If your guests know you can make
a drink, you’ll be a slave to the bar all
night,” says Coleman, who is a fan of
the classics and keeping it simple.
“Batch a cocktail for people to pour
themselves.
“For the fall/winter season, I like a
Kentucky buck (mix bourbon, ginger
beer, angostura bitters and lemon),”
he continues. “It’s a diverse drink because
for the non-bourbon drinkers,
you can sub the bourbon for vodka,
and lemon for lime, to make a Moscow
mule. If you’d like a craft version
you can blend sugar, water and fresh
ginger to make a ginger syrup. Add
spices like cinnamon and use fresh
soda water.”
Other trends: For spiked ciders,
pour fresh hot cider in a coffee urn
and add rum with cinnamon sticks.
Or, for a nice hot toddy, use good coffee,
nice Irish whiskey and top with
cold, fresh-whipped heavy cream.
Now’s the time to make some magic
this holiday season.
continued from page 57
For Grace and Grit Events, holiday season means cocktail parties! A cocktail-style party really allows for
guests to interact with each other and enjoy each others’ company. (Photo by Vik Photography)
HORS D'OEUVRES IDEAS
• Mushroom, goat cheese and arugula
pesto flatbreads
• Potato latkes with apple cinnamon
chutney
• Slow-smoked pulled pork with house slaw
on potato bun
• Grilled lamb chops with mint pistachio
pesto
• Local butternut squash soup shooters
• Smoked Peconic Bay scallops with
pickled jalapeño A hot toddy is a perfect holiday party beverage. (Courtesy Joe Coleman, Lead
Mixologist Grace and Grit)