Mocktail/Cocktail Party

One of my favorite parties to host is a Huge Mocktail/Cocktail party. My mom's group usually throws this the week after school starts. (It's like a back to school party for us moms)

First off, our moms groups is made up of women who are very, very different! The requirement for joining our group is 1)someone from our group recommends you, and 2) you must have kids in our school district. (it is the commonality that links us) However after that we are very different: Methodist, Baptist, unchurched, teetotalers, have no problem with a drink in moderation etc... Our group thrives on accepting everyone where they are at. So to make this party successful. The hostesses (which we usually double hostess- provides 4 mocktails/cocktails, and 5 appetizers)

All other members of our moms group are encouraged to bring a drink (they really have to bring 2: one in mocktail form and one in cocktail form) (we have 13 moms in our group) But before you get worried that we all get tipsy at this party. This is the party of the year that we open up to anyone we would like to invite not just members. We ended up with 24/25 women there that night.

All pitchers are clearly labeled!!! But no one knows who is drinking the mocktail and no one knows who is drinking the cocktail - no one feels odd. That is what we wanted to provide an inclusive feeling!!

I would love to show a pic of the invitation - but when looking back at my pictures the invitations have my address & phone # on it so I will just have to describe the invitations we handed out. We took cheap plastic wine/champagne glasses from the $ store. I believe 6/8 came in a package. I took white & black paint pens and made polka dots on them. Printed out a message on plain white paper and tied them to the glass with gingham ribbon. I had the paper, the glasses cost me $4, the ribbon $2.00 at Walmart. I had 24 invitations for $6.00. They were really fun to hand out to! We did personally hand them out, or leave them in the different moms mailboxes. (we all live pretty close together)

One of my favorite drink was the Key lime Pie Martini

First thing first, you need to take Carmel syrup (like for ice cream) and twirl the top of the drinking glasses in it, then twirl the glass into crushed graham cracker crumbs. - This glass will be used for both the mocktail & cocktail Key lime pie Martini.

Key lime pie Martini Recipe:

(we made all drinks in pitchers so everyone could help themselves through out the evening)

9 ounces of vanilla vodka

6 ounces of Roses lime juice

4 ounces of pineapple juice

2 large squirts of Coco Lopez squeeze bottle

*stir and fill to the top of pitcher line with Club soda

(don't you just love the bubbles!)

The mocktail Key lime pie Martini

is made very similar:

5 ounces of flavored water from Walmart in the Key lime flavor

6 ounces of Roses lime juice

4 ounces of pineapple juice

2 large squirts of Coco Lopez squeeze bottle

****2 cupfuls of Vanilla Extract

**stir and fill to the top of pitcher line with Club soda

The above pictures are some of the lovely ladies who make up my mom's group. The get together was pretty informal - The drinks & appetizers were set up in 3 stations around the house to encourage mixing and socializing. The only structured activity for the evening was a game we played called "are you a hot tamale." I will post that game later it was a lot of fun, and caused lots of laughing, we gave 2 jewelry set away for prizes: one for the winner, and one for the loser of the game.
The take away gift for the evening were little notebooks that were decorated in toile, and leopard print, tied with ribbon and little fake diamond stickers. Each guest was able to select a notebook that matched her personality as she left the party.