For many people New Year’s Eve and alcohol are synonymous. Many people simply cannot image a New Year’s Eve party without alcohol but each year many people opt to host a non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve party. There are number of reasons why an individual or group might decide to host a non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve party. These reasons might include a large number of minors at the party, religious preferences, previous tragedies involving alcohol or simply lifestyle preferences. Whatever the reason for hosting a non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve party, it is important to plan your party carefully to ensure it is a great deal of fun for everyone who attends.

If you plan on hosting a non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve party you should make it clear from the early stages that the event will not include alcohol. One way to do this is to include a statement on the invitation specifying that alcohol will not be made available during the party and that you would appreciate it if guests do not bring their own alcohol. Additionally, you may include a statement specifying the reason why the even is non-alcoholic but you are not obligated to do so. In the case of parties involving minors it may seem redundant to specifically state there will be no alcohol at the party but it is not exactly an unnecessary step. Although minors are not permitted to drink, unfortunately many of them find ways to sneak alcohol into parties. Furthermore some parents even permit this outrageous behavior. Including a statement specifying the New Year’s Eve party will help to reassure the other guests and their parents that alcohol consumption will not be allowed or tolerated.

When planning a non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve party, you still have to worry about the type of beverages you will serve to your guests. It is not reasonable to expect your guests to not drink any beverages during the evening so you should provide a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages for their consumption during the party. Some beverage ideas include sodas, water and juices. Additionally, you might want to consider serving drinks known as mocktails. These drinks can be made in a variety of styles, colors and flavors and are essentially non-alcoholic versions of popular cocktails such as martinis, pina coladas and margaritas.

The beverages choices as a non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve party may be one of the most important planning issues the host has to take care of, it is certainly not the only party planning issue the host faces. It is important to note other items such as food and entertainment will also have to be addressed.  Regardless of the type of beverages you are offering to your guests, you will also have to plan on serving them some type of food as well during your New Year’s Eve party.  This is true of any party, it is especially important to consider for a New Year’s Eve party because these parties typically last significantly longer than other types of parties. Popular food options for a New Year’s Eve party include serving a sit down dinner, offer a dinner buffet which is open throughout the night or simply offering appetizers and sandwiches throughout the evening. Still another option is to offer a breakfast buffet in the early morning for the guests.

Entertainment is another factor to consider when planning a non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve party. Music is one of the traditional entertainment elements often used for this type of party. Whether you hire a band, hire a DJ or play your own music, including music and a place for guests to dance is an excellent entertainment idea. You might also consider hiring a comedian to do a short performance or a group of actors to put on a show to entertain your guests.

In planning a New Year’s Eve party, one of the most exciting items is the selection of cocktails for the party. New Year’s Eve is a holiday which is largely associated with alcohol consumption. Those who attend these parties are likely to expect an array of interesting cocktails to celebrate the coming of the New Year and many hosts are more than willing to oblige their guests with an assortment of delicious and interesting cocktails.

When planning a New Year’s Eve party which will include children, it is important to plan on serving a wide variety of non alcoholic beverages in addition to the alcoholic cocktails for the adults. This is important because it will prevent the children from being envious of the interesting beverages the adults are drinking. It will also prevent the children from being curious about the drinks the adults are enjoying and attempting to sneak a taste of these beverages. Non alcoholic cocktails are also considered mocktails and can often be created to look just like the real beverages in a wide variety of colors, flavors and textures. Beverages such as the pina coloda, margarita and a variety of martinis can all be made in non alcoholic versions.

In planning cocktails for a New Year’s Eve party, you should consider offering a wide variety of beverages throughout the night. This could include both hot, cold drinks and even frozen drinks. One of the most popular cocktail options for a New Year’s Eve party is punch which is served from a punch bowl. This festive cocktail is typically sweet and contains ingredients such as fruit juices, lemon lime soda and an array of alcoholic ingredients such as vodka and rum. Some hosts may even include champagne in the punch mixture. Adding a scoop or two of sherbet to the punch bowl also helps to cool the beverage and adds an additional layer of taste and texture to the mixture.

Another popular option of a New Year’s Eve party is to offer one signature cocktail throughout the evening. This can be an item such as a Martini created specifically for the occasion with a seasonal feeling. An eggnog martini is an example of a beverage which is a great deal of fun as well as appropriate for the season. Champagne cocktails are also appropriate for a New Year’s Eve party. You can create a simply champagne cocktail by combining champagne with sweet vermouth and grenadine.

Hot cocktails are also popular options for a New Year’s Eve party. Spiked coffees and hot chocolates are always popular but for a more festive cocktail consider creating drinks with a hot cider base. You can create a luxurious hot chocolate cocktail by combining a butterscotch flavored liqueur with rich hot chocolate. An example of a hot beverage which is also quite festive is a hot cider spiced with cranberry juice and rum. Although hot cocktails are extremely popular, most guests will likely only drink one or two hot cocktails during the evening. Conversely they are likely to consumer significantly more cold cocktails during the course of the evening. For this reason, it is recommended to provide both hot and cold cocktails during your New Year’s Eve party.

Regardless of the type of cocktails you decide to serve throughout the evening, it is customary to offer a champagne cocktail at midnight. You should begin distributing the champagne a few minutes before midnight to ensure everyone has their glass in hand to make a toast and take a sip of the bubbly champagne at midnight. Offering the champagne in an elegant glass and including a strawberry in the glass can create a more elegant presentation. You should also use a fine champagne. During the evening, you may have served alcohols which fit your budget, but it is worthwhile to splurge on a more expensive champagne for the toast at midnight.