Planning that New Year’s Eve party?  Then, you want to be sure it includes lots of fun games.  The options are only limited by your imagination. Pictionary and charades are always party favorites.  An Internet search will provide lots of ideas.

Here are a few suggestions of our own.

Ask Guests to bring an Unusual Noisemaker

Have a “craziest noisemaker” contest and be sure to shoot video!  Replay each person with his or her noisemaker for the crowd and vote on who wins.  Provide a prize to the winner, such as earmuffs.  Then, get everyone together for the big midnight countdown and create your own symphony of racket, clatter, and boom.

“Hire” a photographer

Ask one guest to serve as the “official” photographer to take before and after photos, or do it yourself.  As guests arrive, invite them to pose with one person seated and the other standing next to a chair (like an old-time photo-no smiling allowed). You could provide old-fashioned hats, and maybe a shawl or scarf for props.

Also, take pictures of your guests showing off their noisemakers.  All these can be posted on your Facebook later to share.

Ask Guests to write predictions for the New Year

Have guests sign their predictions and place them into bowl or a box.  Then, during supper, take turns reading the predictions while everyone guesses who wrote them.  It can be a challenge guessing who made the predictions.

Have snacks and appetizers. Of course, drinks are a must.  Be sure you have a good selection of sodas and water and choices of alcoholic drinks.  While beer is always a popular alcoholic drink, consider adding some cocktail selections.  Many people would prefer a good Bloody Mary. Wilks & Wilson’s Shake2Make Bloody Mary mix with the Vodka is a popular choice.  It’s a complete drink, made with our renowned “the Mix that Kicks “Bloody Mary mix and vodka already added.

Speaking of cocktails, Mojito’s are another popular, but simple, cocktail choice.  Here’s a Mojito recipe, using Wilks & Wilson’s own Millicent Lime Mint simple elixir.

Mojito

Ingredients

2 oz White Rum

1 oz Millicent’s Lime Mint Simple

1 oz fresh Lime Juice

Directions

Shake with ice, and then strain into a highball glass. Top with splash of soda.

From The Wilks & Wilson Blog Team

Okay, you know you are a PAR-TAY animal at heart. And, you have always wanted to host your own smashing New Year’s Eve party. You can visualize it clearly, sparkling decorations and candles all about. Your guests take hilarious photos, dance with loud, crazy noisemakers, and enjoy a selection of appetizers.

If you are itching to host your own New Year’s Eve bash, food is going to play an important role. Fun times center around great food and drinks. So, give some thought about how to feed your guests. While that could pose a problem if you’re on a budget, have no fear. A great party doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here are some great money-saving party food ideas sure to please every guest:

Make it a BYOA Affair– Bring your own Appetizer 

Phone your invitees and inform them that it’s a BYOA event. There are many cheap and easy appetizers a guest can select from. http://www.moneycrashers.com/favorite-quick-easy-appetizer-recipes-parties/ If someone needs help with an idea on what to bring, suggest something simple like raw veggies and hummus, a fruit and nut platter, or a cheese and crackers plate.

For a perfect alcoholic drink that’s simple and requires no mixing, Wilks & Wilson Shake2Make Bloody Mary Mix with Vodka is an ideal choice. Packaged in disposable plastic bottles, it’s the perfect grab and go drink for any party. http://wilksandwilson.com/products/bloody-mary-mix-with-vodka/

And, since it’s New Year’s Eve, you’ve got to have a champagne drink. Cut down on champagne costs by making your own champagne sangria. Here’s the easy recipe:

Ingredients:

• One 32-ounce bottle of apple juice
• One 12-ounce can of frozen cranberry juice concentrate
• One cup of  W&W Ginger Simple
• One cup of orange juice
• One-and-a-half liters of champagne (or soda water for a non-alcoholic version)

Directions:

1   Keep items chilled (or frozen) until use.

2   Combine the W&W Ginger Simple, apple juice, cranberry juice concentrate, and  orange juice in a large bowl. Stir well.

3   Add sliced oranges, kiwi slices, and any other fruit you like.

4   Slowly add the champagne or soda water at the last minute to keep it bubbly.

This recipe serves 12, but you might want to double up for thirsty guests!

Have a Midnight Supper

Follow the midnight toast by closing the bar and inviting everyone to take part in a midnight supper. A baked potato bar is easy, fun, and inexpensive. Bake the biggest potatoes you can find. Provide a setting of all the toppings for the potatoes and allow everyone to add the toppings they desire.

Follow with a simple dessert of chocolate cake with sprinkles.

Throwing a New Year’s party doesn’t have to involve spending a lot of money on the food. A little planning will enable you to host a memorable party at a reasonable cost.

CHEERS!

Previous posts on this site have discussed the difference between simple syrups and gum syrup (or gomme, as it’s called by its French name).  As mentioned, there are differences between the two.  Gum syrup provides a texture and feeling of silkiness in the mouth not attained by regular syrups.

Gertrude’s Gomme

Gum syrups were a staple to any bartender prior to 1920 and prohibition.   And the gum syrup texture really shines in drinks that fit the classic 19^th century definition of a ‘cocktail’.

One great drink in which to use gomme is a Sazerac.  It may be one of the best cocktails in which to experience the textured silky taste of gum syrup.  You may find, after trying a Sazerac made using gomme, that you like it so much you no longer want Sazerac made any other way.

Since Sazerac contains no ice, the gum syrup texture remains undiluted right through to the final sip. There’s just something about the way the gum syrup works with the robust old-world flavors in a Sazerac, especially the anise and lemon twist flavor.

Wilks & Wilson’s very own Gertrude’s Gomme is perfect for your next Sazerac. http://wilksandwilson.com/products/gertrudes-gomme/  Like all our elixirs, it’s made with organic ingredients. And, with gum Arabic or gum acacia, it acts as an emulsifier and is perfect for any spirits-forward cocktail.

Now, here’s a super recipe for Sazerac:

Sazerac

Ingredients

         3 oz. Rye Whiskey

         3/4 oz. Gertrude’s Gomme

         Peychaud Bitters to taste

         Absinthe or Absinthe Substitute

         Lemon Twist for garnish

Directions

Mix Getrude’s Gomme Syrup and bitters; add ice and rye whiskey, and stir. Rinse glass with absinthe and discard.  Strain whiskey mixture into an old-fashioned  glass, and then serve.