Happy hosting: Paul's poker and scotch night

So I thought it would be fun to start a new segment about hosting. Hosting really is an art form and although I don't have all the answers, I've really made it a point over the past couple years to improve my hosting skills. Being my extrovert self, we have quite a few small gatherings each month and I try and host a larger party each season. For my first "happy hosting" post I'm going to highlight Paul's last night poker & scotch party. Paul did a majority of the planning for this one but I helped here and there with minor details.

The theme as mentioned was poker & scotch, Paul wanted it to be after dinner and rush hour so the invite time was 8:00pm. *Hosting tip* Be courteous and plan the time of your gathering/party based on what you plan to serve your guests. For example, if you don't plan to serve a full dinner, invite your friends over after common dinner times. Don't invite people over at 6pm only to have chips & dip to feed them, your guests may get a little hangry on you.

Paul has a scotch collection so he displayed that for guests to serve themselves and a separate area for his two signature cocktails of the night, Manhattans and Sazeracs! He planned this to be self serve as well so he didn't have to play host and bartender all night. A perfect way to do this was to have a chalkboard with both recipes and all ingredients & glasses readily available. *Hosting tip* guests don't ever want to be a burden to you; they will rarely ask for you for another drink or accept when you ask. For this reason, self serve is always a great idea.

Although everyone gathered after dinner, with the anticipation of drinks flowing, Paul also made sure to have a variety of snacks. *Hosting tip* In a setting like this where games are the main focus of the night, it's always important to provide and display snacks that will last overtime. We thought of foods that would still look inviting & appetizing two hours into the evening. He went with traditional pub mix (a total hit), mixed nuts, peanut butter filled pretzels, and potato chips w/ ranch dip (another hit). Hopefully no one was dieting that night…haha. Super simple and no worrying about something getting cold, dried out, or turning a funky color in room temperature! Overall, the party was a big success the boy played until 2am and Paul got many texts the next morning thanking him for being such a great host. Always the best compliment! Happy Hosting.