Once upon a time, you might have been laughed out of the room. After all, one of the principal points of a cocktail making party was the social aspect and bringing people together on an evening.

Suffice to say, the events of 2020 (and this year, for that matter) have turned things on their head. We’re now at a stage where the virtual cocktail making party is entirely normal and probably will be for the foreseeable future.

But, how do you plan something that had never really been done before? Through today’s piece, we’ll mull over some of your key considerations.

Choose your platform wisely

For some people, this will be a breeze. For others, perhaps those who aren’t used to the practice of video conferencing, it’s a little bit more complicated.

Suffice to say, the world has developed a lot since there was Skype and only Skype as a means to conduct video conferencing. Now, Zoom often grabs the headlines, but there are others worth trying.

The trick is finding something that makes life easier for everyone. If you can find a platform that doesn’t need downloading, you’ll immediately appeal to your masses with your virtual event.

Choose your guest list even more wisely

We’re by no means suggesting that you should discriminate with your guest list, but making sure several faces will become the stereotypical life and soul of the party is essential. Video conferencing is something completely new for a lot of people, and it can take a while for a group conversation to ‘get going’. Try and invite plenty of people who will throw themselves into the conversation from the get-go, and it will make those early moments feel a lot easier.

Send out the ‘menu’ weeks in-advance

Something else that is clearly different from meeting in-person is the list of ingredients. In usual circumstances, this is down to the host. When it comes to the virtual event, everybody is responsible.

This is where the host needs to get as creative as can be without crossing boundaries. Sure, you want to have new and unique drinks for ‘guests’ to try, but at the same time, you don’t want them spending a small fortune on exotic ingredients in their weekly shopping trip.

The Mojito tends to be an easy one to start with, but there’s a complete list of so-called easy options on this page as well.

Bonus tip: It takes one drink until it feels normal

Finally, let’s leave you with something of a bonus tip. At first, your virtual cocktail making party might feel a little awkward. Fortunately, usually after a drink, things start to get easier.

In other words, before you write off the experience entirely, give it a few minutes to get going. If you have a few extroverts on the guestlist, things will tend to kick off a bit quicker, but by the end of proceedings and once your cocktails of choice have had the desired effect, you’ll probably feel as though you are part of a live, in-person event anyway!