Ideas for Events September 2024 – June 2025
Halloween Candy and Wine Pairing
A Masked Ball
Fun event with endless opportunities. Guests have a wall of masks, capes, wigs to choose from for their Halloween “costume”. Masked staff in all black, with wine or spirits paired to each candy served on silver trays.
Thanksgiving | Christmas | New Year’s Eve
A Moveable Feast – Fall / Winter Edition
Perfect holiday menus in small bites with cocktails/mocktails, wines, complete with hangover cures (maybe a gift bag idea?) themed to a specific holiday, or with a mix of several holidays.
For example, changing the “main course” bite from “turkey in a stuffing cup” to “mini beef wellington” takes the event theme from Thanksgiving to Christmas/New Year’s.
Dry January
Dry January with hands-on mocktail mini-class, no-alcohol wine, and no-alcohol beer with New Year’s goal-friendly snacks and a “secret bar” option “for our friends who don’t observe Dry January, we have you covered.”
”Galentine’s Day”
A February Celebration with the Girls
Celebrate Galantine’s February with Sparkling wines from top-tier woman produced Prosecco, Cava, Crémant, and Champagne - all in large format bottles - with small bites from the simplest to the most lavish.
March – How to Host a Kentucky Derby Party
From The New Yorker
All the information needed is packed into a fun-filled evening and on a checklist in the gift bag. Why March? This way, the person who wants to do host their own Derby party has the time to invite guests and organize it.
Topics include:
Kentucky Derby? Horse Racing? Why Kentucky?
How to handle betting?
The proper way to make a mint julep?
What is sweet tea? And why do I serve it?
Ham biscuits? And what is country ham?
What is a Benedictine sandwich?
Pimento cheese?
Who has the best country ham? Can I substitute other kinds of ham? (Spoiler alert: the answer is no.)
Biscuit options?
How many roses is too many roses?
What is the proper ice?
April – Stock up for Summer
Fruity beers, crisp white wine, and chillable reds paired with the best of seaside snacks: sips of chowder, mini lobster rolls, mini sliders, tiny hot dogs, and sides at each station.
May – Pre-Derby Derby Party
“Let’s hope the Russians don’t hack this race.”
Same as March above held near Derby (First Saturday in May)
Ask guests to “dress to impress” and have a selection of Fascinators and Boutonnieres for the guests.
Invite a local milliner to showcase fabulous Derby-worthy hats.
In lieu of a betting pool, create a trivia game where winners collect horses. The winner gets a bottle of bourbon. Runners up get the rose centerpieces.
Television screens play scenes from past Derby finishes?
From The New Yorker
June – Herald to Summer
Like April, but the new vintage rosé wines will be available.
Riffs on Take Out Tasting
Take out Tasting: Select from as many of your favorites as you have stations - Sushi, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Korean BBQ, BBQ, Pizza with wine/cocktail pairings at each.