Holiday Happy Hour Tips
This holiday season there are plenty of hosting opportunities, from family parties to work gatherings. The best, and easiest, holiday event to host is a holiday happy hour. Consider it the more mature version of a college “pregame.” All you have to do is host some friends or family after work but before the night’s main festivities. Happy hour is great at home, but if you do not want to host this holiday season, check out the happy hour at O’Brien’s Bistro. At O’Brien’s Bistro, we love creating a fun, relaxing, and enjoyable happy hour in Pensacola. If you are trying your hand at hosting your own holiday happy hour, here are some of our holiday happy hour tips to make your happy hour amazing!
Incorporate Seasonal Ingredients
A perfect way to make a holiday happy hour more festive is with seasonal ingredients that invoke holiday feelings. Try serving a delicious spiked eggnog or hot cocoa, or take advantage of seasonal flavors in simple syrups like cranberry, pumpkin spice, apple pie, ginger, and citrus.
Make Sure To Stock The Classics
Your holiday happy hour should be full of options, so remember to stock ingredients for classic cocktails, in addition to any seasonal drinks you might want to serve. By having the classics at your happy hour, like beer, wine, hard seltzers, and classic liquors like vodka, whiskey, and tequila, you can ensure that every guest has something delicious to drink.
Don’t Run Out Of Ice
While the weather outside may be cold, no one wants a warm drink. We recommend buying at least 1 pound of ice per guest. If you plan on making the event into a whole evening, as opposed to just a short holiday happy hour, it’s best to opt for 2-3 pounds per guest. If it is cold enough you can always store the extra ice outside.
Snacks Are Just As Important As Drinks
Snacks are a great way to add some more holiday cheer to your happy hour this season. When it comes to happy hour snacks you want to offer something light, that’s not messy, and has just the right amount of holiday flair. You could try something like mini-baked brie bites, a holiday snack mix with red and green ingredients like dried cherries and pistachios, or a very trendy charcuterie board.
Give The Gift Of A Happy Hour Season
One of the highlights of the holiday season is giving thoughtful gifts to your closest friends and family. At your holiday happy hour, why not give the gift of more cocktails by providing recipe cards for each signature drink you serve? This way, your guests can take the recipe cards and make your specialty cocktails at home, which creates a new holiday tradition.
Make A Big Batch
Hosting a holiday happy hour is a great way to celebrate the season with your friends and family. But it is difficult to celebrate and connect with your loved ones if you are stuck behind the bar making drinks the whole time. Our tip for your holiday happy hour is to make a big batch of a signature cocktail and store it in either a punch bowl, a large pitcher, or a glass drink dispenser. Be sure to label the cocktail with its ingredients and a fun festive name.
Include Non-Alcoholic Options
For your holiday happy hour, be sure to include your friends who do not drink alcohol, but still want to connect and enjoy the season. While simply having non-alcoholic options like seltzer water, sparkling juice, and soda is a great way to show you care, our tip is to go above and beyond by creating a specialty non-alcoholic punch or mocktail. Having this specialty mocktail option is a great way to show you care and spread love this holiday season.
While hosting a holiday happy hour at home is great, you need to check out the happy hour at O’Brien’s Bistro in Pensacola. Here at O’Brien’s, we are happy to offer Pensacola an excellent happy hour deal. We offer 50% off our house wines and well drinks, 25% off select call drinks, and $2.00 off each beer on our menu. We offer this great happy hour deal from 4-6 PM Monday-Friday. Want more information? Contact us and let us make your happy hour worth every minute!
