Wow! If you love the indomitable Mary Berry as much as we do, then you’ve heard her talk about a “Drinks Party!” In America we usually call it a cocktail party where we have lots of yummy appetizers and a full bar. The British version can be similar or very different.
On The Great British Baking Show the contestants are often charged with making Drinks Party appetizers that are one bite of deliciousness that allows for a drink in one hand and a bite in the other. What fun!
So, in keeping with our friends in the U.K. we are starting off our fall posts with some delicious one bite appetizers. Some are on cute little skewers and some are easy to pick up with a drink in your hand.
As far as the bar portion of your Drinks Party goes, it can be whatever you want:
Themes like sparkling wines only or summer holiday drinks with fruit skewers. Warm winter drinks served in mugs.
Beer and wine only with a variety of craft beers and local vintners.
Vodkas from around the world. Iceland has some delicious vodkas!
Oh, and bourbon! How about a bourbon tasting night to support our friends in the Bluegrass State?
You’ll also want lots of mixers: fruit juices, olives, pearl onions, sodas, lemons and limes.
How about glassware? Isn’t it just so pretty to set up an assortment of glasses in all shapes and sizes? Even if you don’t have specific glasses for specific drinks, like champagne flutes, it is completely okay. Of course, if you have the goods, bring them all out for the night. How often do you get to enjoy all of your lovely glasses at one time?
Finally, lots and lots of crushed ice!
Drinks party foods should be easy to pick up and eat. Pictured here: carnalized shallot + goat cheese + fig flatbread; cheese + pepper jelly toasties; devils on horseback; and delicious skewers.
Let's start with something simple: These skewers were made with pepper jack cheese, olives, and salami, as well as mozzarella, tomato, and basil (caprese style).
Cheese toasties: Simply make a grilled cheese sandwich, but for a fun twist, spread a thin layer of pepper jelly in the sandwich. Cut into batons for easy pick up.
Devils on Horseback: AKA cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon (YUM)! Pit the dates and fill with gorgonzola cheese crumbles (bleu works as well), wrap the stuffed dates in raw bacon. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes or until the bacon is cripsy.
Flatbread: This is a modified recipe from one of our favorite bloggers, Tieghan Gerard (Half Baked Harvest). View her original recipe here. This pizza is SO tasty and unique, blending salty and sweet together in a delicious and unexpected way.
A few tips on this one: take your time grating the tomato- it is a worthwhile step; pizza dough works great but puff pastry would also be delicious; the pre-cooked bacon crisps up very nicely- dice it into chunks and spread on top of the pizza for a very savory bite; if you want to skip the goat cheese, this will still be delicious!
Another treat we enjoyed making were these cute Bloody Mary shots! Make a big batch of Bloody Mary cocktails, then simply portion them out into cute glasses. We recommend embellishing the sides for extra fun! Shown here with pepperoncini and celery.
We had two "fails" that didn't quite work out: tomato tarts and blueberry tarts. As you can see, everyone has their missteps in the kitchen! Next time, we'll score the puff pastry better and think through what could make these treats a bit juicier...for the tomato, perhaps some cheese, and for the blueberry, maybe an apricot glaze...(Obviously this didn't stop us from eating these treats and being all smiles!)
The "fails" still look like a delicious success to me haha!! Those flatbreads look soooo good, this is such a beautiful spread! What a delightful party!