You'll never finish them all
More than 17 million cocktail variations can be made from the contents of a top-notch bar.
Chill out
Chill a cocktail glass with ice before mixing the ingredients. Fill the glass with ice and water. Mix ingredients in a separate container. After mixing, ditch the ice and water, and pour the mixture into the glass. Serve immediately.
Control the pour
Barkeeps shouldn't discard empties or give out liquor by the bottle, and any restocking should go through you before it occurs. Also, tell bartenders not to free pour. They should use jiggers (1 ounce).
Take inventory
To save money, count the number of bottles of each type of liquor about 40 minutes before the event. Do the same afterward, checking to see how many full bottles were used and how many will be returned to the hotel. Ask the bartender to initial your inventory sheet.
A penny saved …
By simply “taking control” of a hosted cocktail reception, a planner can save from 30 percent to 40 percent on the function.
Where everybody knows your name
“Cheers!”
In Japan: “Kanpai!”
In France: “A votre sante!”
In Italy: “Alla Salute!”
In Ireland: “Slaintel!”
In Hawaii: “Kamau!”
In India: “Aap ki Shubh kai liyai!”
In Scotland: “Hoot mon!”
Bar hopping
Conferon suggests one hosted bar for every 75 guests.
Word problems
How can you figure out which plan — per person, drink, or bottle — is best? Get out the calculator. Per person: Multiply the per-person cost by the number of people. Per drink: Multiply the per-drink cost by the number of people. Then multiply by the average number of drinks consumed per person, usually 2.5 drinks. Per bottle: Price per bottle multiplied by the number of bottles needed. To determine this, multiply the number of attendees by the average number of drinks (2.5), and then divide by the average number of drinks per bottle (around 27).
A toast!
Know the right time to give a toast and the right thing to say. Guests should feel welcome.
SOURCES: Conferon/Jim Harmon, www.conferon.com; www.kingcocktail.com; www.designstein.com/cocktail/; www.cocktailtimes.com
Do you want to get the last word in? Send your ideas to ttennant@primediabusiness.com
