5 Ways To Set Up A DIY Beverage Station At A Thanksgiving Party
While hosting a thanksgiving gathering, one of the more interesting ways to make guests feel involved is to set up a DIY station where they can mix their own drinks. Thanksgiving is an evening where friends, family and relatives come together to socialise and mingle.
Hosting a DIY activity for thanksgiving can be a good prospect as everyone on the guest list becomes thoroughly involved in the activities of the holiday.
Such a beverage station with lots of ingredients and mixers like spices, fruits, fruit juices, purees, syrups and alcohol arranged for thanksgiving means everyone can prepare their own unique blend of alcoholic and non-alcoholic mixes. And these DIY stations can be crafted by using different tips and tricks which smoothen the flow of a party comprising an element of active participation.
Read on below to know more about some of the ways in which a DIY beverage station can be organised for a Thanksgiving party:
Select A Theme
While DIY beverage stations can be set up for any party, what would make a Thanksgiving station more uniquely is a theme befitting the festive spirit.
From fall weather to Halloween to a rustic barn or 90s movies, choose an interesting theme for making drinks which will get everyone involved in preparing cocktails and mocktails for themselves.
With a theme in place, the process of shopping for groceries, fresh produce, aromatics, mixers and garnishes also becomes organised.
A theme would further enable guests to experiment with different flavour combinations, introducing more variety into drinks.
Prepare Recipe Cards
Another way to go about crafting a DIY drinks station is to make detailed recipe cards. When the event revolves around a theme, one can design recipes for at least two to three cocktails and a similar number of mocktails which resonate with the overall motif.
The cards would contain detailed steps to blend mixers, fruit juices and sweeteners for crafting drinks and would also suggest suitable garnishes for these flavour combinations.
Recipe cards also make it easier for guests to choose from different drink alternatives and select the beverage they would be sipping on that evening.
Source Fresh Ingredients
Yet another step involved in organising a DIY drinks station for guests is to obtain good-quality ingredients. Choose seasonal fruits like pears, apples and figs for drinks prepared during fall climes along with citruses like limes, oranges and grapefruits. These handy fruits can serve multiple purposes. Leftover fruits can be used at dessert toppings and snacks for later.
If one nurtures a small kitchen herb garden, harvest lots of mint, rosemary, basil and thyme that can be incorporated into different recipes.
Many can be used to make flavourful syrups that can be later re-purposed for glazes and toppings for thanksgiving dinner. Fruit juices and infusions can be used bringing more depth and flavour into homemade cocktail and mocktail recipes.
Offer Homemade Infusions
Ahead of the thanksgiving, prepare homemade simple syrups and flavourful infusions like cinnamon syrup, sage syrup, vanilla and lavender infused sweeteners that can be added to different drinks.
Based on the theme of the gathering, also introduce different fruity or spicy flavours into spirits to create citrus infused rum or raspberry infused vodka.
Such infusions can be made at home by incorporating these flavours into 500 ml batches of spirits like vodka, rum and bourbon.
Separate Mocktail Station
For guests who would like to sip on fruity or tangy non-alcoholic spritzers or juices before or after thanksgiving dinner, craft a separate mocktail station complete with recipe cards and all the ingredients required blending these drinks.
The mocktail station ought to contain options for preparing flavoured seltzers, kombuchas and juice mixes along with interesting garnishes, all of which resonate with the theme of the party. Craft the fruit juices required for blending these drinks at home for a personalised touch.
Pro Tip: Remember to stock up on all the ingredients in sizable quantities. For alcoholic mixes, place 750 ml bottles of rum, vodka and tequila on the DIY table depending on the recipes and the number of guests coming to celebrate thanksgiving.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
