25 things to have on hand:
- hand size snacks such as - popcorn, cheese, pickles, crackers, wasabi peas, Cheezies, or other nibbles - nuts with a vintage nutcracker are always a hit, make sure you have a bowl for the shells
- ice, ice and more ice
- cocktail napkins and regular napkins
- coasters
- vintage serving bowls
- tea lights, candles, lighter
- ice bucket or two
- soda, tonic, juice (cranberry, orange, tomato), pop, cold flat or carbonated water
- cocktail straws, cocktail picks
- garnish - lemon, lime and good cocktail cherries (check what your drink recipes call for)
- extra toilet paper
- whiskey, bourbon, rye, rum, vodka, gin, dry and sweet vermouth, cognac, two bottles of both white and red wine, beer, bubbly
- clean cloth to quickly wipe up spills
- plenty of clean hand towels in the washroom
- bottle opener and corkscrew
- a game - personally I can't stand games but some people love them at parties
- burgundy glasses, beer glasses, martini glasses, rock glasses, champagne flutes
- list of cocktail recipes - check the drink section of my blog, or Art in the Age and MasonShaker have some of my current favourites
- clean house slippers if you insist your guests take their shoes off
- organized front closet with empty hangers (no wire hangers)
- bitters, simple syrup (easy to make - boil two parts sugar, one part water or 1:1 shaken until sugar dissolves)
- an empty garbage under the sink
- cocktail shaker
- phone number for a cab or designated driver service - the host should pay or prearrange
- appropriate music