Party Planner 101

If you have ever had the opportunity of hosting any type of social gathering whether it be a wedding, graduation, birthday or a party just for the sake of it, some of these questions may have gone through your mind.  What am I missing?  Do I have enough?  Here in the Morelli’s Party Planner 101 we provide you with some basic tools and rules of the trade to make your party a spectacular one!


Rule # 1 Let's start with the basics.

These are pretty much your Bar Standards

  • Bourbon
  • Brandy
  • Canadian Whiskey
  • Gin
  • Rum
  • Scotch
  • Tequila
  • Vodka

  • Coffee Liqueur
  • Irish Cream
  • Triple Sec
  • Vermouth

  • Beer
  • Red Wine
  • White Wine

 

Rule # 2  The Setups

Don’t forget to have all your essential mixers on hand!

  • Soft Drinks (Cola, Diet Cola, Ginger Ale, Lemon-Lime, etc.)
  • Sour Mix
  • Club Soda
  • Tonic Water
  • Bitters
  • Juices
  • Grenadine
  • Bloody Mary Mix
  • Rose's Lime Juice
  • Water (It's not only important to have water and soda to mix with the drinks. It's also important to have them for the people who have chosen to be the Designated Drivers.)

 

Rule # 3 Basic Bar Tools

There is no such thing as too much ice, or too many bar towels, napkins, straws or stir rods. Your guests will use more of these items than you think, so please plan accordingly.  Also, make sure you have a corkscrew for the wine bottles and a bottle opener for the beer bottles.  I know this may seem obvious, but many of these items can be overlooked.

 

Rule # 4  How Many Drinks Are In A Bottle?  

It’s an honest question that deserves an honest answer.  It really depends on how conservative or generous your sever wants to be, but here are some basic bartending rules of pouring.

LIQUOR (based on 1.5 ounces per drink)

750 ml (25.4 ounces) 17 drinks
1 liter (33.8 ounces) 22 drinks
1.75 liter (59.2 ounces) 39 drinks

 

WINE & CHAMPAGNE (based on 4 ounces per drink, standard bottle is 750 ml)

1 bottle (750 ml)
  6 glasses
12 bottles 750 ml (1 case)   72 glasses
1 magnum (1.5 liter)
  12 glasses


How many 750ml bottles are in a 5-liter box of wine?  It's 6 2/3 bottles.
How many 750ml bottles are in a 3-liter box of wine?  It's 4 bottles.
 

BEER
And even though We No Longer Carry Kegs at Morelli’s,
here are some “Keg Conversions” for your own reference.

1 Keg (16 Gallons) equals 1,984 Ounces
12 oz. Case Equivalent = 6.8 Cases
12 oz./can or Bottle Servings = 165
16 oz./pint Servings = 124

Another popular question is, “How do I figure how many drinks per person?”  As a rule of thumb, figure 2 1/2 drinks a person for the first 2 hours, then 1 drink per hour thereafter.  

Rule # 5  Last but not least, make sure Everyone has a good time and Gets Home Safely.

Every host wants their guests to enjoy themselves and have a good time. And like any good host, it is important to ensure the safety of everyone.  Make sure that if any guest(s) have had too much to drink that they do not endanger their life or anyone else's by driving.  Find your guests alternative transportation if a designated driver isn't available, or ask them to please stay the night.   

 

CHEERS!!!