This is a sponsored post. As always, the content & opinion is mine. 

With the holiday season ahead of us, here’s how to host a fabulous Cheese and Cocktail Party for your friends and family in an easy and effortless manner that is sure to wow your guests.

Read on to see how I set a cheese & cocktail party table in under 10 minutes. I’m also sharing an exciting sweepstake at the end of the post!

I love having friends over where we just hang out, have a few cocktails or some good old wine coupled with some appetizers and a cheese platter. Lately, my husband has started making excellent Moscow Mule and every time our friends come over, that is always something that they ask him to make.

Hosting a Cheese & Cocktail party is always so much fun since they are so effortless and so much fun! Right from setting the table to arranging the cheese board, the entire thing takes less than 15 minutes.

A classic cheese platter has the following ingredients – cheeses, grapes, crackers, nuts and cured meat. But you don’t have to stop there. You can switch up things by adding more fruits like apples, pears, blackberries or dried fruits as well baguettes or olives for some more texture and flavor.

Whenever I host any parties at home, I mostly like to go for a simple yet elegant look. This time I kept a simple white and gold theme and added chalkboard labels on my table. But you can, of course, switch it up as per the holidays.

When it comes to serving drinks, my all time favorite is Mojito or Moscow Mule. I also love semi-sweet wines but really, it all depends on your personal preference.

For my cheese platter, I normally try to have 3 to 4 varieties of cheeses ranging from soft to hard as it gives a nice texture and taste.

When it comes to hard cheese, I like to keep a fresh wedge of Parmesan since fresh always tastes way better. I used Parmigiano Reggiano which has a rich flavor.

By the way, did you know the word Parmesan means ‘from Parma’, so don’t you think your wedge of Parmesan should actually come from that area? Parmigiano Reggiano is made in the areas in and around the province of Parma, Italy and they have been in business for over 900 years!

Just three ingredients—milk, salt and rennet—and eight centuries of cheese making experience go into every wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Because of the long aging process, Parmigiano Reggiano is naturally lactose-free. It also is easily digestible and the perfect source of both protein and calcium.

Now that you know this little bit of info, here are a few tips to keep in mind when hosting a Cheese and Cocktail or a Cheese and Wine party –

Include a variety of flavors & textures

Don’t be afraid to add different flavors and textures. It not only helps to create a balance but also creates a great flavor profile.

Don’t overcrowd the cheese platter 

You don’t want to overwhelm your guests by putting a lot of things on the cheese platter. Stick to a few of your favorite cheeses, one or two types of nuts, crackers, grapes and other fruits of your choice. Additionally adding cured meat is also a great option if your guests like it.

Make sure your cheese isn’t too cold

Make sure your cheese is at room temperature as cheese which is too cold won’t taste as flavorful. I like to remove the cheese from the fridge at least half an hour prior to serving.

Keep separate knives for cheese

If you are using soft and hard cheese, make sure to keep different knives for each of them as you don’t want to mix those knives around.

Stock Up!

Make sure you have plenty of bottles – be it wine, vodka or gin so that you don’t run out of it if the guests need more. If you are going to be serving wine, make sure to chill it beforehand.

One more thing to keep in mind is to have plenty of ice your freezer.

Once we completely forgot about ice and my husband had to run to the store to buy ice after our guests started coming in. Yikes!

Also, if you are someone who loves mixing and matching different drinks to make fabulous cocktails, it’s a good idea to have lemon wedges or mint leaves to add in your drink – they make the drinks look pretty and can add an oomph factor to them.

Keep small plates handy

I kept a couple of small plates handy so the guests can take what they please in it and eat it as they please.

Set the Scene

Now is the time to make everything look pretty for a more pulled together look. You don’t have to go overboard with the decor if you don’t want to. Stick to a simple theme if you wish to as it can help everything look more pulled together.

I just put a plain white tablecloth, some gold scented candles, white bowls, and gold & white plates. I then added a few chalkboard labels to give more of a fun & laidback look.

I also like to keep the appetizers simple because you don’t want your guests to become so full that they have no room left for dinner.

See how easy it is to throw a Cheese & Cocktail Party?

And now onto the Sweepstakes. Thanks to Parmigiano Reggiano, one lucky winner will win five 1 pound wedges of Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy to share with their family and friends. You can use them to incorporate into so many different recipes or display on your cheese boards during the holidays!

Just click here to enter the sweepstakes and you could be the lucky winner!

Do you like hosting parties at your home? What are some of the tips that you’d like to share? And what are you looking forward to the most during the holidays?

If you liked this post, I would love it if you shared it.

 

 

XOXO