In your company, are you responsible for booking venues, facilities, restaurants and organizing transportation for meetings and events?
| Catering Developments in Houston |
Beyond food and drink, sometimes caterers do offer more services, but each catering service is different, and what you get depends on your budget. Whatever that budget might be, just consider all the options and what must stay and what can go once you have to start making decisions.
liquor catering
Although not appropriate at every single event, many corporate and social gatherings will offer alcoholic beverages. When including liquor in the catering budget, the price can skyrocket, but it doesn’t have to. Decisions for liquor catering are many, and this article addresses whether to have alcohol at all, what kinds you want and why and how to select a signature cocktail. Plus, get inspired with a rundown of some of the most famous alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails that will add a splash to your event and review how to choose a professional bartender.
Once you know you want alcohol at your event, decide whether you want to foot the hefty bill that comes with a fully stocked bar that can serve anything imaginable. If not, there are much more affordable options that still satisfy guests. Consider a “soft” bar that only serves beer, wine and champagne or even a “semisoft” bar that also includes one or two versatile spirits like vodka and whiskey that can be enjoyed alone or in a cocktail with a variety of mixers.
Also consider adding a signature cocktail or two to a soft bar menu. Signature drinks are any unique or original beverages that express something about an aspect of the event. Offering signature cocktails instead of having a full bar can add the impact you desire without going overboard on budget and guest inebriation. These drinks often incorporate local ingredients and culture and can be designed to focus on a theme, a particular alcohol, a season or a color. Selected properly, a signature cocktail will enhance the guests’ overall experience with something fun or whimsical keeping with the spirit of the event.
— Famous Cocktails for Any Occasion
At a loss for what kind of cocktail on a list of thousands would be right for your event? Take a look at some of the most famous alcoholic cocktails that almost any bartender in the world will be able to execute.
A “neat” drink served in a delicately elevated martini glass, the martini is the classic of all cocktails. “Martinis” include some of the most popular upscale drinks, such as the classic version with dry vermouth, gin and an olive; the sweet-and-sour Cosmopolitan; and the bourbon-infused Manhattan. In the last few decades, scores of modern creations have been born out of this style, with flavors that range from chocolate to sour apple and anything imaginable; although not true martinis in the strictest sense, they are incredibly popular.
For a tall glass with liquor and a lot of flavor, highballs are most common. Most of them are very easy to remember and bartenders know how to make them. Made with more liquid and ice than alcohol in tall glasses, they are meant to be sipped slowly and enjoyed over a long period of time. Examples include the Screwdriver, Bloody Mary, Cuba Libre, Mint Julep, Tom Collins and Singapore Sling.
Lowballs are drinks served over ice without much in terms of mixers. Instead, they mostly contain distilled spirits either shaken and strained over ice or stirred in the glass. Although more potent than highballs, as the ice melts, the flavor mellows out. Popular examples include the potent Old Fashioned, the creamy White Russian and the tart Whiskey Sour.
First becoming popular in the 1920s and ’30s, tropical cocktails continue to enjoy fame to this day because of their festive drinkability and sweet-and-sour flavors from every kind of fruit available. From Rum Punch, Mai Tais and Mojitos to Daiquiris and Piña Coladas, rum is the dominant spirit of most tropical cocktails; however, tequila is the grounding force of the ever popular Margarita and some others, and vodka is also found in some of favorites like a Sea Breeze.
For a winter or late evening event, chilled cocktails may not fit the bill. Instead, you may want to offer a hot drink that can warm guests up from the inside out. Coffee is a popular base into which almost any liquor, from Irish cream whiskey to Kahlúa, flavored vodkas and liqueurs of all kinds, can be added so the list is endless. If coffee is not desired, other classic hot cocktails include Hot Buttered Rum, Hot Toddy and new favorites like a Pumpkin Spice Margarita which are warming drinks that provide a decaffeinated alternative.
There is a cocktail for almost every season and every reason. If you’re looking for a cocktail with a specific flavor in it, from fruits of all kinds to chocolate or coffee, it is easy to find options. Just consult a bartender or search online for creative solutions to your signature cocktail needs.
— Nonalcoholic Cocktails
Sometimes called “mocktails,” one of your event’s signature drinks can stay with the festive atmosphere yet contain no alcohol for those who aren’t interested or want a responsible alternative. Easiest to make and have available are “virgin” versions of popular sweet favorites, such as Mojitos, Margaritas, Daiquiris, Bloody Marys and Piña Coladas.
liquor catering
Although not appropriate at every single event, many corporate and social gatherings will offer alcoholic beverages. When including liquor in the catering budget, the price can skyrocket, but it doesn’t have to. Decisions for liquor catering are many, and this article addresses whether to have alcohol at all, what kinds you want and why and how to select a signature cocktail. Plus, get inspired with a rundown of some of the most famous alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails that will add a splash to your event and review how to choose a professional bartender.
Once you know you want alcohol at your event, decide whether you want to foot the hefty bill that comes with a fully stocked bar that can serve anything imaginable. If not, there are much more affordable options that still satisfy guests. Consider a “soft” bar that only serves beer, wine and champagne or even a “semisoft” bar that also includes one or two versatile spirits like vodka and whiskey that can be enjoyed alone or in a cocktail with a variety of mixers.
Also consider adding a signature cocktail or two to a soft bar menu. Signature drinks are any unique or original beverages that express something about an aspect of the event. Offering signature cocktails instead of having a full bar can add the impact you desire without going overboard on budget and guest inebriation. These drinks often incorporate local ingredients and culture and can be designed to focus on a theme, a particular alcohol, a season or a color. Selected properly, a signature cocktail will enhance the guests’ overall experience with something fun or whimsical keeping with the spirit of the event.
— Famous Cocktails for Any Occasion
At a loss for what kind of cocktail on a list of thousands would be right for your event? Take a look at some of the most famous alcoholic cocktails that almost any bartender in the world will be able to execute.
A “neat” drink served in a delicately elevated martini glass, the martini is the classic of all cocktails. “Martinis” include some of the most popular upscale drinks, such as the classic version with dry vermouth, gin and an olive; the sweet-and-sour Cosmopolitan; and the bourbon-infused Manhattan. In the last few decades, scores of modern creations have been born out of this style, with flavors that range from chocolate to sour apple and anything imaginable; although not true martinis in the strictest sense, they are incredibly popular.
For a tall glass with liquor and a lot of flavor, highballs are most common. Most of them are very easy to remember and bartenders know how to make them. Made with more liquid and ice than alcohol in tall glasses, they are meant to be sipped slowly and enjoyed over a long period of time. Examples include the Screwdriver, Bloody Mary, Cuba Libre, Mint Julep, Tom Collins and Singapore Sling.
Lowballs are drinks served over ice without much in terms of mixers. Instead, they mostly contain distilled spirits either shaken and strained over ice or stirred in the glass. Although more potent than highballs, as the ice melts, the flavor mellows out. Popular examples include the potent Old Fashioned, the creamy White Russian and the tart Whiskey Sour.
First becoming popular in the 1920s and ’30s, tropical cocktails continue to enjoy fame to this day because of their festive drinkability and sweet-and-sour flavors from every kind of fruit available. From Rum Punch, Mai Tais and Mojitos to Daiquiris and Piña Coladas, rum is the dominant spirit of most tropical cocktails; however, tequila is the grounding force of the ever popular Margarita and some others, and vodka is also found in some of favorites like a Sea Breeze.
For a winter or late evening event, chilled cocktails may not fit the bill. Instead, you may want to offer a hot drink that can warm guests up from the inside out. Coffee is a popular base into which almost any liquor, from Irish cream whiskey to Kahlúa, flavored vodkas and liqueurs of all kinds, can be added so the list is endless. If coffee is not desired, other classic hot cocktails include Hot Buttered Rum, Hot Toddy and new favorites like a Pumpkin Spice Margarita which are warming drinks that provide a decaffeinated alternative.
There is a cocktail for almost every season and every reason. If you’re looking for a cocktail with a specific flavor in it, from fruits of all kinds to chocolate or coffee, it is easy to find options. Just consult a bartender or search online for creative solutions to your signature cocktail needs.
— Nonalcoholic Cocktails
Sometimes called “mocktails,” one of your event’s signature drinks can stay with the festive atmosphere yet contain no alcohol for those who aren’t interested or want a responsible alternative. Easiest to make and have available are “virgin” versions of popular sweet favorites, such as Mojitos, Margaritas, Daiquiris, Bloody Marys and Piña Coladas.
1
2
3
4
If you have expertise in a particular area relevant to planning meetings and or events, you may submit a 400 to 750 word "how-to" article for possible inclusion in any of our magazines and/or our websites.
If accepted, your submission will be edited for length and clarity. There is no monetary payment if your item is used; instead, you can publicize yourself through a five-line biography with your contact information that will appear at the end of the article.
Send submissions to
editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.
If accepted, your submission will be edited for length and clarity. There is no monetary payment if your item is used; instead, you can publicize yourself through a five-line biography with your contact information that will appear at the end of the article.
Send submissions to
editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.