There is nothing quite like throwing people together, having good conversation, and sipping cocktails so naturally, there is a lot to look forward to anytime people host an event. If however, you would want something that takes your party to a whole new level, opt for cocktail games which are stylish and exciting at the same time. Such games invite people to join in which adds fun and whimsical tone to the night. Regardless of the nature of your event, whether casual or formal, having cocktail games will leave guests talking about your event for a long time.

Fun, challenge, and perhaps a little rivalry is what all cocktail games offer. They can be added to your event in a natural way, bringing thrills without detracting from the atmosphere you have already built. However, the main aspect of picking the right cocktail game is contemplating about the kind of event you are willing to have, the type of atmosphere you wish to foster and what guests would like. If you have made your mind to add some cocktail games in your next gathering, here are some tips on how to include them without ruining the ambience of the occasion.

1. A cocktail ingredient guessing game

An increasingly entertaining game that one can use at any cocktail party is a guessing game. For this game you will need a range of cocktails, a couple of blindfolds and of course, your imagination. There are two approaches. You either have some prepared cocktails or mix some drinks on the spot. The goal is for the guests to figure out what the ingredients of the cocktail are, concealing them.

The guests will be supplied with a blindfold and a small dose of the drink. They will then attempt to verbalise what the mix is in the cocktail. To make the game more amusing, use some common as well as strange constituent items. Having an assortment of spirits, fruits and garnishes will push people’s imaginations, and most likely the answers will be even more interesting. This game encourages the interaction within the guests as they cooperate and advance their ideas and speculations on the state as well as the taste of each cocktail.

As for the winner, they are likely to be the one who guesses the most constituents correctly. This easy game is applicable in any cocktail party and will of course spice things up a notch since there is a competitive edge to the night.

2. Cocktail Charades

The game of charades can make any cocktail party exciting in a way that has never been seen before. In this case, instead of guessing the book or the movie or the personality or a character, the players have to guess different tasks related to cocktails or the names of various drinks. Such as, the guests can perform gestures depicting the actions – “shaking a cocktail,” “sipping a martini,” or “making a mojito,” and so on. If this is difficult for the players, they could use names of individual cocktails, such as “Mai Tai” or “Cosmopolitan,” and then have the players act out the drink and the other players guess.

This game adds not only fun to the party, but it also allows the guests to interact with each other in a different manner that will entertain them and even give rise to a bit of banter. And it’s uncomplicated since all participants can take part, regardless of how adept they are at preparing cocktails. For a twist, make the game even more interesting by incorporating weird or obscure cocktails to act out which will require thinking out of the box.

3. Mixing Cocktails- the Cheer Game

If your guests love a bit of competition and fresh cocktails, throw a cocktail mixing challenge during the event. The game allows the participants to use their improvisation skills to mix cocktails on the spot. You can split teams or let everyone work on their own, as per your choice. The idea is to make a cocktail utilizing some ingredients that you provide while trying to make it tasty and different from the rest.

However, you can keep the goals rather strict and limit the types of spirits or mixers one can use, or you can let all expectations go. Put interesting ingredients such as flavored syrups, herbs, or exotic fruits to make the game more exciting and make the players think of different combinations.

As soon as the cocktails are prepared, the group is then tasked to choose the cocktails they prefer in three categories: taste, look, and creativity. Or if you feel like adding some more zing to the event, assign judges (maybe other guests) to score different aspects like “Most Creative” or “Best Garnish” and so on. A cocktail shaker, a quirky liquor bottle, a funny drink stirrer, and other cocktail accessories can all be rewarding prizes for the winning team.

4. Cocktail Name That Tune

Another way to keep the party going during your gathering is to play a cocktail version of ‘Name That Tune’ game in which all the clips and songs are about cocktails. The way this game works is that short clips of songs are played – songs that are either about cocktails or have anything to do with the word cocktail in their names. Songs like “Tequila” by The Champs, “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett and “Gin and Juice” by Snoop Dogg can be awesome contestants for this activity. Participants can hear only a short audio recording of the song and are required to name the song or its singer based on that clip.

To give it a little spin, you could tell guests to identify the song that contains the names of drinks such as “Tom Collins” or “Whiskey Sour,” which they should include in their answers to score the points. This game adds a bit of music trivia which is fitting considering this is a cocktail party since everyone gets to have fun trying to recall and associate songs they are familiar with with the cocktails they order or drink.

5. Cocktail Bingo

Bingo is perhaps the easiest of the games to come up with a variation to suit a cocktail party. There are cocktail prizes that will get you several drinks in the bar and even win the cocktail. Instead of numbers being called, speaking words catches for bartenders such as skills like combining drinks to get bingo. This technique gives you a lot of fun, including the bonus of drinking some whiskey first and shouting out the answer and whipping your cocktail cup around. For instance, each square may feature “whiskey,” “shaken but not stirred,” or “lime wedge.” As the host, when you will shout the words, people will tick them off from their bingo cards. The person who completes a row, or the whole card first wins.

This is a simple game that involves a lot of those who, paradoxically, get to sip their booze while slamming their card on the table if they know the answer to the next question. It’s all about watching others have fun with phrases in cocktail and bartending and roping drinks without wondering how to mix to create the ideal blend of succulent flavors for a drink!