When it comes to party planning, “hostess with the mostess” is your jam. You’re the type who loves to put time and thought into creating an atmosphere that gets people mingling and having a good time. Whether it’s a birthday bash out or a simple get together, you see social gatherings as the catalyst for building friendships and creating meaningful memories.

So if you’re itching to host a gathering at your home, why not a cocktail party? Also known as martini parties, cocktail parties can be as intimate or lively as you like. A typical cocktail party runs between two to three hours long and includes appetizers or hors d’oeuvres. However, the star of every cocktail party is, well, the cocktail, also known as the martini. Remember, you’re not just serving any ol’ martini. Your signature drink tells a lot about you and the theme of your party.

What’s the Story Behind the Martini?

The martini drink was well known way before James Bond uttered the words, “shaken but not stirred.” The martini has roots in the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly in the city of Martinez. But with anything that has earned legend status, it’s hard to pin down the origins of the martini drink; however, a widely accepted version goes something like this:

Sometime in the 1860s, a bartender in the city of Martinez served a worn-out miner a concoction of vermouth, gin, and other ingredients. After drinking the improvised brew, the miner couldn’t pronounce the z in the word Martinez. Thus, the martini was born.

Why Host a Martini Party?

The martini continued to gain popularity throughout the prohibition era, mainly due to the fact that gin was easy to make, and continues to gain steam. Cocktail parties— soirées that centers around martinis—continue to serve up the perfect a blend of cozy and sophisticated, creating an atmosphere perfect for socializing and entertaining. Here are some tips for hosting the best martini party at your home:

Setting the Stage With Drinks and Food Placement

Cocktail parties are meant to be simple, but decorations are an important part to creating an atmosphere that makes your guests relax and interact. The center of your cocktail party is, of course, the mixed drinks.

When setting up your bar, make sure you set it up in an area that allows for enough space for your guests to get drinks. However, this makes the area prone to congestion due to people standing around and mingling. That’s why it’s a good idea to separate the seating and food serving areas; it helps to alleviate potential congestion around the bar.

Drink embellishments, like garnishes or swizzle sticks, are examples of how small decorative details can make a big impact. Don’t underestimate the power of a colorful garnish. A lemon slice, for example, can enhance the flavor of a drink, and the lemon’s pop of color eloquently ties your party’s color palette together with your food dishes, evoking a more cohesive look.

A swizzle stick with a pom-pom topper can bring out the festive atmosphere of a New Year’s Eve bash. Fruit stir sticks, which are skewers with frozen fresh fruits like blackberries, raspberries or grapes, are a subtle way to chill your drinks.

Your Signature Drink: the Lemon Drop Martini

When there’s a party train, you’re the conductor. While you’re more than happy to get people together, remember that hosting a party is also another way for people to get to know you. So at a cocktail party, your guests are getting to know who you are through the signature drinks. For the party planner, what’s a better signature drink than a lemon drop cocktail? Just like the classic lemonade, the lemon drop martini is refreshingly tart and has universal appeal—much like you.

Just like the roots of the original martini, the original lemon drop martini was also concocted in the San Francisco Bay Area. You’ll find many variations of this tart yet thirst-quenching beverage, but here’s a great tasting Lemon Drop Martini Recipe to start off with:

• 2 parts vodka
• 2 parts citron vodka
• 3 parts lemon juice
• 1 part simple syrup
• 1 part triple sec liqueur
• 1 peel lemon

If you want to offer a non-alcoholic counterpart to this signature drink, consider serving a Virgin Mary.

Whether it’s a backyard shindig or a swanky soirée, your cocktail party featuring a lemon drop martini is sure to keep the gathering going with memories that last well beyond the cocktail hour. Cheers!