It’s Party Season!

I love this time of year, especially the lead up to the Holidays. I love the food, the parties, the excitement and planning. This year for me is really special as my whole family will be together for the first time since my mom passed away. I plan to celebrate and party my way through to the New Year.

But as the host of at least a few of this season’s good times I also want to be responsible. The LCBO has recognized this dilemma exists for many people and has decided to bring it out in the open through their Deflate the Elephant campaign. The message here is that one doesn’t have to compromise fun while being responsible. The Deflate the Elephant website has creative suggestions on how to incorporate fun ways to address that darn elephant in the room without making anyone feel uncomfortable.

The site provides a full list of responsible hosting suggestions but here are some of my faves:

1. Provide low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks, such as mocktails, non-alcoholic punch, pop, bottled water, tea and
coffee.

Giving people options is a great solution! Plus, the website even provides some delicious and creative mocktail recipes that everyone can enjoy like Blue Summer, Sailor’s Spiced Nog, Caramel Coffee, Midnight Mint Mocktail, Russian Winter and many others.

2. Have food available to avoid drinking on an empty stomach. Avoid serving
salty, sweet or greasy snack foods; they’ll make your guests thirstier.
High-starch and protein foods such as meats, veggies, cheeses, dips and
breads are good choices. 

Who doesn’t love a reason to eat more cheese?!

3. Promote the use of designated drivers and keep cash and telephone
numbers on hand for taxis. Encourage guests to leave their cars at home.
If they insist on driving, be prepared to take away their car keys. 

I live in an urban area where there is usually little excuse not to walk or take transit. But in suburban or rural areas this might not be quite so easy. Plan ahead. I was invited to a party once where the host put the number of a cab company on the invitation and had arranged a “party rate” with the company. We were all encouraged to order our cabs ahead of time. This also meant we didn’t overstay our welcome! 

4. A good host isn’t obliged to top up a guest’s drink. AND Serve drinks yourself or designate a bartender instead of having an open
bar. People tend to drink more when they serve themselves.

This is SO true. I like to keep track so that a) I don’t get drunk and act, well, drunk. And b) I don’t have a hangover the next day. Because really, I just can’t “do” hangovers. But this can be really hard to do when someone is filling up your glass all of the time. Having to go to the bar for a refill helps to keep it under control.

5. Have a plan to deal with guests who drink too much. Before the party,
ask someone reliable to help you keep things under control.

This is a tough one but probably one of the most important. In my opinion, the best way to tackle this is to be upfront from the beginning. Like the example with the taxi number right on the invitation. State it upfront. Even better, link to Deflate the Elephant right on the invitation.  

Do you have suggestions on how to be a responsible host and Deflate the Elephant? If so, please share your ideas in the comments below and at Deflate the Elephant on Facebook. 

Enjoy the party season!