Holiday Cocktail Party

Cocktail parties are an easy way to entertain during the busy holiday season. Just invite friends over from 5:00 to 7:00 pm for drinks and appetizers. Everyone has the rest of the evening free for shopping, wrapping gifts or the holiday sprint to another party. And you get to play host without having to cook an elaborate sit-down meal.

Cocktail parties are all about festive drinks, great nibbles and holiday atmosphere, and the versatile cranberry takes a starring role in all three. Bright red cranberries create instant holiday spirit and are a delicious way to celebrate, all season long.

Festive Cocktails

For instant drama, plan a variety of colorful cocktails, some non-alcoholic options and serve in beautiful glasses with creative garnishes.

• Holiday Cruise
• Lava Lamp
• White Cosmopolitan
• Sparkling Cranberry Spirit
• Rubytini
• White Cranberry Quencher
• Frozen Cranberry Margarita
• White Cranberry Vodka Cocktail
• White Cranberry Wine Spritzer

Non-alcoholic Drinks

Choose a warm wassail or tea to serve in a crock pot and a cold punch to serve in a punch bowl with a festive ice ring:

• White Cranberry Lime Punch
• Holiday Celebration Punch
• Festive Cranberry Punch
• Warm Cranberry Apple Wassail
• Warm Winter White Wassail

Great Nibbles

Who needs the same old boring cheese tray? You might be surprised to know that cranberries taste terrific with all kinds of cheeses. Versatile cranberries even kick up the flavor of some traditional party favorites. Choose from these crowd-pleasing ideas:

• Cranberry Gorgonzola Appetizer Tart
• Cranberry Brie Appetizer Bites
• Fruited Brie Bake
• Cranberry Shrimp Cocktail
• Ultimate Party Meatballs
• Cranberry Bruschetta
• Cranberry Crab Meat and Cream Cheese Appetizers
• Cranberry Caramelized Onion Cheese Spread
• Put out a few bowls of Craisins® Trail Mix for instant party snacks.

Holiday Atmosphere

Add a warm glow to your display with a dramatic Cranberry Candle Float or twist Cranberry Candle Wraps around pillar candles grouped on the table. A Cranberry Flower Arrangement makes a beautiful, easy centerpiece and Cranberry Garlands create colorful flair on a mantelpiece or banister or wound around a chandelier.

For an impressive display for your buffet table, create different levels on which to display appetizer dishes. Start by placing a few shallow boxes (1 to 3 inches high) on a bare table, tall boxes toward the back of the table, shallow ones toward the front. Toss a few coordinating tablecloths over the table at different angles. Place a Cranberry Topiary on one of the tall surfaces at the back of the table. Gather the cloths slightly around the boxes to create interesting nooks and crannies in which you can place Cranberry Candle Cups. Place trays of appetizers on the boxes at different heights. Add pedestal cake plates and baskets for contrast, too. Stand utensils in colorful glasses and stack individual serving plates and cocktail napkins at one side of the table so guests can serve themselves.

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