Urbane Living

This article was written by Aryani V.

After a long, hard day of work, there’s nothing more tempting than the idea of heading to a nearby bar for happy hour. What better way to reward yourself than by sipping on your favorite cocktail and chatting with your friends? But maybe you’re starting to realize that your routine post-work booze fest has been slowly putting a major dent your budget. Well, instead of dropping cash on high-priced drinks, tips and cab rides, party for less by bringing happy hour home to you. UPML has laid out everything you need to pull off a fun, cheap and stress-free happy hour party.

The essentials:

Alcohol: Ask each of your guests to bring a bottle (and the ingredients) of their favorite booze. Also, find out what their drink preferences are and buy accordingly. Here are some delicious and easy-to-concoct drinks.

• Tried and True: Classic Dry Martini or Old-Fashioned
• Funky and Fruity: Blood Orange Margarita or Watermelon Mojito
• For Non-drinkers: Lime Sherbert Punch or Virgin Strawberry Coolada

You can also take the make-it-yourself approach and set up a bar for your guests. Make sure to stock your bar with:

• Shakers
• Mixers: Soda, Juices, Carbonated Water
• Garnishes: Maraschino Cherries, Olives, Mint, Fresh Fruit Slices

Finger Foods: Of course, you always can buy pre-made or frozen foods to serve at your party. But if you want to add a little something special to your party, prepare these simple yet delectable finger foods that your hungry guests will happily devour and savor in between drinks.

• Tiny and tasty hors d’oeuvres – Prosciutto Wrapped Basil Shrimp or Bacon Deviled Eggs
• Rich and flavorful Dips/Spreads – Five Layer Mexican Dip or Roasted Red Pepper Spread
• Serve with vegetables, toasted pita bread, crackers or tortilla chips

And don’t forget…

• Food and drink tables
• Snack trays
• Plenty of Ice
• Paper plates and napkins
• Cups – Glass (for drinks) and Plastic (for games)
• Plastic Utenstils

If you have a backyard, a outdoor patio or a safe rooftop, take advantage of the warm summer weather and host happy hour outside. Remember to put on some upbeat music to set the mood and play a few fun drinking games to rev up your party. At the end, suggest taking turns hosting happy hour to your circle of friends and co-workers so that everyone can gather together once a month or even once a week to forget about work and have some fun.

Also check out:
Hosting Series Part 1: The Art of Brunch
Hosting Series Part 3: The Ultimate Beach Party