6 TIPS FOR Responsible Hosting

Hosting friends and family is a generous and practical way to bring all of your favorite people together in one place. Carrying out a memorable event takes creativity and good planning, but keeping the wellbeing of your guests in mind isn’t complicated. We have some tips that will allow all the special details of your celebration to shine through spotlessly.

Read on for a few key ways to give your guests the best party favor of all: a safe and stress-free few hours of good, clean fun.

BY MEGAN WALSH PHOTOGRAPHY BY OHIO LIQUOR

HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE

Label Your Glasses

In the midst of mingling, it’s easy to lose track of whose glass is whose. That’s why organization is key, right from the start. Be sure your guests have a way to identify their beverages. A permanent marker works well for disposable cups, and for glassware, charms (multi-colored tags that clip to a glass) are a fun way to guarantee that your guests and their drinks can always find each other.

Create A Signature Mocktail

Serving a delicious, non-alcoholic drink is an easy way to impress your guests and make your gathering unique. On OHLQ.com, you’ll find a wealth of mocktail recipes, or you can experiment on your own with mixers, club sodas, and garnishes to create a libation that complements the food you’re serving or the occasion you’re celebrating. Offering an appealing alternative to hard beverages will help moderate guests’ intake, and those who cannot or choose not to drink will thank you for giving them an elevated option that makes them feel included.

The human body is 60 percent water, and that’s also a great ratio to strive for in your beverage selection. Staying hydrated is always essential, but even more so after lots of chatting, laughing, or dancing. You can’t go wrong with trusty tap water, but there are plenty of ways to dress it up. Make it sparkle with carbonation, or zing it up with muddled fruit or citrus wedges. Present it in a cheerful glass, and don’t forget the ice. 2 3 4 5 6

Serve Tasty Snacks

Whether or not your gathering centers around a meal, having some yummy noshes on hand will help keep your guests’ bellies full and their blood sugar stable, so they’ll avoid filling up on drinks. It’s great to offer wholesome options like crudité and spiced nuts, but it’s more important to make sure they’re delicious and easy to reach. A spread of cheese, crackers, and grapes is a classic choice; popcorn with different seasonings is appetizing, affordable, and easy to make.

Cast Liquor In A Minor Role

Though a great cocktail can be a wonderful accessory to a successful gathering, it doesn’t need to be the star of the show. Keep the focus on the other delightful elements of your celebration: food, games, entertainment, music, and good old-fashioned togetherness.

Make It Easy To Get Home Safely

Even with the best of intentions, sometimes a guest may overindulge. Responsible hosts should have a plan B for guests’ transportation needs if it seems even remotely unsafe for them to get behind the wheel. Make sure there is a designated driver in attendance at your event, and be ready to call a cab or use a ride-sharing app for your guests if they could use a little help getting home. Ohio’s legal BAC (blood alcohol concentration) is 0.08, and it’s important to remember that buzzed driving is still drunk driving. (Learn more about how to estimate whether someone may be near that limit on OHLQ.com.)

Keeping this small checklist in mind is a simple way to ensure that your guests feel cared for and that your event goes off without a hitch. For a deeper dive on the principles of celebrating safely, visit OHLQ.com’s Support and Resources page.