If you’re hosting an Italian-themed dinner party, don’t stop at the pizza, pasta and gelato.
Make sure you have some drinks inspired by la dolce vita to help liven things up. Red wine and white wine are musts — think accessible wines such as Chiantis and Valpolicellas (for reds), and Pinot Grigios (for whites).
Consider starting the party with a signature cocktail. The lemon-flavoured Italian liqueur limoncello is lovely when mixed with sparkling water. Alternately you could mix it with vodka and shake it with ice for a Lemon Drop martini. Staying on the lemon theme — be sure to offer a non-alcoholic option for the kids, the non-drinkers, and the DDs. Lemonade and sparkling water, alone or together, are great options and definitely more interesting than plain old tap water.
Other liqueurs to try include Sambuca and Luxardo, an Italian-produced maraschino cherry liqueur. If drinking them straight seems too potent, you can water them down with sparkling water.
Bubbles also lend a party a festive atmosphere, so have a bottle or two of Prosecco chilling in the fridge. You can serve it on its own, or mix it with peach nectar for a Bellini.
But don’t feel you need to have all the appropriate barware for these fancy cocktails and spirits. Juice glasses can stand in for champagne flutes, sub in goblets or small Mason jars for wine glasses, and most drinking glasses work for cocktails.
The key here is to enjoy some good food, good drinks, and the company of your family and friends.
Event planner Shoana Jensen has more tips and advice in the video below.