LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2015

PARTY CHECKLIST Get organized ahead to keep guests comfortable and alleviate stress. These suggestions will have you ready for anything. Be prepared with cash and phone numbers for local taxi companies to send guests home safely, and know where overnight parking is available nearby. Have a cranberry- and red wine- worthy spill kit prepared and set aside in a convenient place. Stock up your powder room with plenty of toilet paper (in an easy- to-find spot) and extra towels. Set up a space to neatly store guests’ coats, boots and bags.

how much to have on hand WHETHER YOU’RE short on Cham- pagne glasses for your cocktail party or looking for dinner-party dishware to suit a décor theme, renting might be the best solution, recommends Nancy Zaretsky of GTA-based My Perfect Party (myperfectpartyinc.ca). “Go all out and get those fancy gold- tipped wine glasses and beaded char- gers,” she says, adding that services typically pick up dirty dishes—so you don’t have to do a full clean-up. Beyond china and glasses, compa- half split evenly between wine and spirits. A 750-mL bottle of wine holds roughly five servings, while a 750-mL bottle of spirits yields about 17.    For most occasions, choose versatile crowd-pleasers that can be enjoyed on their own or with food, such as both the red ( LCBO 192674, $14.95) and white ( LCBO 192666, $14.95) Guilty Men blends fromMalivoire in the Niagara region and the Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut ( LCBO 217505, $29.95). Multipacks of beer are a good

PARTY ACCESSORIES Stock up for your soirées at these online shops.

Get pretty, functional barware—think glass decant- ers, Japanese mixing glasses and fun cocktail napkins— at The Crafty Bartender (thecraftybartender.com).

Search party decorations, tableware and baking supplies by colour or theme at Party Stock (partystock.ca).

nies such as Chairman Mills will rent tables and chairs, servingware, cutlery, even coat racks, hangers and patio heaters.    As for alcohol, Christopher Freeland of the LCBO’s Knowledge Resource Group suggests getting out the calculator. Start with an estimate of one drink per person per hour—so, 25 guests for four hours would require 100 standard servings (a 12-oz beer, 5-oz glass of wine or 1.5-oz serving of spirits). Generally, he adds, about half will drink beer or cider, with the other BAKING SUPPLIES AND PARTY SUPPLIES BY VINCE NOGUCHI

way to provide variety—look for seasonal o erings from Ontario craft brewers Mill St., Double Trouble and Railway City—while for cider, Batch: 1904 ( LCBO 394015, 473 mL, $3.10) from Toronto’s Brickworks Ciderhouse is a good bet. Spirits-wise, vodka, dark rum and whisky are a useful trio to have on hand for drinking neat or in cocktails. Pick your favourites or try Luksusowa Vodka ( LCBO 253302, $26.35), El Dorado 5 Year Old Rum ( LCBO 894014, $26.95) and Forty Creek Barrel Select Whisky ( LCBO 550715, $27.35).

Greenmunch (greenmunch.ca) car-

ries party supplies with sustainability in mind, like compostable party cups

and colourful paper straws.

Toronto shop Rolo

(rolostore.com) specializes in the fun and quirky, such as novelty shot glasses and Alessi barware.