Cocktail parties are a wonderful way to bring different groups of friends together. Most people, particularly if they live with a roommate or a significant other, have groups of friends who have never met each other. Maybe you have good friends from yoga class and you’d like them to meet your friends from work. Or, perhaps your roommate keeps talking about her crazy college pals and you think they would get along swimmingly with your best friends from your hometown. Whatever the case, a cocktail party is the perfect setting for these kinds of pairings. The setting is often relaxed, encouraging people to get to know one another.

Ideas for Memorable Parties

One idea for easily making your cocktail party truly memorable is by having foods and drinks that are out of the ordinary. Choose gourmet dishes or liquors that your guests may not see every day. Forgo the basket of pretzels and replace it with crackers and pate. Choose a special liquor--crème de cassis or chocolate liquor, for instance--and create drinks that are out of the ordinary. These will delight the palates of each and every guest.

Other ways to make your party exciting is to choose an understated theme. Perhaps your party could center around flavored vodkas. Line up different flavored vodkas and allow each guest to create a new drink concoction. Guests can create their drink and encourage others to try it throughout the evening. At the end of the night, by secret ballot, the person who creates the most popular drink gets to take home a prize.

Another idea is to make everything at your party miniature or bite sized, from the drinks to the appetizers to the desserts. This is a great and easy way to turn an ordinary cocktail party into a night to remember. However you choose to theme your party, be sure that it suits your taste and personality, and your guests will have a great time.