Hosting a Christmas party can be stressful, even if the celebrations are pared down this year. But hey, we’ve got some tricks up our sleeves to make you seem like the hostess with the mostess. From fun things you can do with gin to an easy cheese platter you can assemble in ten minutes (and under $50!), you’ll be having the best time with your loved ones this Christmas.
Read on for 5 boozy hacks and other party hosting tricks we swear by for a stress-free holiday!
#1 Make boozy gummy bears by soaking them in your favourite alcohol
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
It’s really simple - just place your gummy bears in a glass jar or container, fill it up with enough alcohol to cover the bears, and leave it to soak overnight, or at least 4 hours. You can leave it out at room temperature, but we prefer letting the bears chill overnight in the fridge so they don’t get too bloated and lose their shape.
For this, we used Boatrocker Raspberry Gin ($95) as the notes of raspberry and strawberry gum complemented the sweet candy taste of the gummies. We also added a squeeze of lime and some lime zest. Each bite was deliciously fruity, and it definitely makes for a fun party treat!
#2 Pre-make single-serve sangria in mason jars
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
Who doesn’t love a good sangria? Here’s a simple, single-serve recipe that takes 5 minutes to assemble. Pre-make these in mason jars so that your guests can help themselves with no messy pouring involved!
Easy single-serve sangria:
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
- Fill ¼ of mason jar with orange and apple slices
- Add a tablespoon of brown sugar, honey, or simple syrup. You can add more according to your preference
- Pour in enough orange juice to cover the fruits
- Top up with Barokes Wine Cabernet Shiraz Merlot ($9.30) till the jar is full
- Stir with a cinnamon stick and leave it in the jar
- Let the sangria sit for at least two hours, but best to leave it overnight in the fridge
#3 Freeze flowers in gin for a pretty drink
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
One easy way to make the gin & tonic you’re serving more Instagrammable is to garnish it with flowers. For an added touch of whimsy, freeze some flower petals or buds in ice the night before - the flowers will start “blooming” as the ice melts!
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
We paired the gin & tonic made with Boatrocker’s Original Gin ($95) with pomegranate and rose petals, garnished with a wedge of lime and a sprig of mint. This juniper-forward spirit has floral and citrusy top notes, which go well with those garnishes.
On the other hand, the South East Asia-inspired Boatrocker’s Jungle Gin ($95) pairs wonderfully with the earthy butterfly pea flower, thanks to the lime leaves, ginger and lemongrass used in its distillation process. Butterfly pea flowers will dye your gin & tonic a striking shade of blue, and if you squeeze in some lime or lemon juice, the colour of the drink will change from indigo to pastel purple. How’s that for a party trick?
#4 Make a stunning cheese platter under $50
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
Pre-ordered and arranged cheese platters can be costly, so if you have a budget to stick to, it’s more cost-effective to make your own cheese plate. It’s not as difficult as you think - have a mix of savoury and sweet items, some dried fruits, assorted nuts and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
For this cheese platter, we simply assembled the following ingredients:
- Ashgrove Tasmanian Cheese (each pack contains 50g blocks of 5 cheeses: Rubicon Red, Bush Pepper, Cheddar, Lancashire and Double Gloucester), $16.90
- Cobs Natural Popcorn, Best Ever Butter flavour, $3.95
- Lesser Evil Snacks, Himalayan Pink Salt Power Curls, $8.95
- Charlie’s Fine Food Melting Moments, Raspberry Bliss and Festive Spice flavours, $5.50 (50g), $9.95 (100g)
- J.C’s Deluxe Salted Mixed Nuts, $7.95
- Dried figs, apple and cranberries
#5 Buy ready-to-use components for a stress-free cookie decorating station
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
We bet a cookie decorating station would be a highlight for the young kids, or the young-at-heart! You’ll be busy with other things, so save yourself the trouble of baking and use store-bought cookies instead. We like these shortbread cookies in festive shapes ($7.95) from Mac’s Shortbread Company - just break out some icing in a tube, some sprinkles and decorate away!
Products featured here can be found in selected FairPrice, FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra outlets and Warehouse Club.
Share this with a friend you're meeting this Christmas!
Text: GirlStyle SG
This post is brought to you by Bemco Australia Pty Ltd for FairPrice.
