Cocktail Hour

[vintagekitchen]

Too hot to cook, whatever will I do? Of course, cocktails! So chic, so daring, this will show that snooty Mrs. Jones from across the street, with her new Lady Kenmores.

Seriously though, whatever happened to this wonderful trend? At one time every little suburban home was having cocktail parties with the neighbors. All the vintage ladies magazines and cookbooks list recipes and ways to outshine the neighborhood "Mrs. Jones" at your cocktail party. Now it seems cocktail parties are a thing of the past. Sad..

 

[wayupnorth]

Cocktail Parties

We still do in our neighborhood "cul de sac" at least once a week. Keeping up the tradition with our neighborhood friends that are in their 80's now. They can still rock and roll! And we just walk to everyones houses, no driving necessary.

 

[rp2813]

We enjoy cocktails before dinner quite often.  It seems like once you hit 40, the cocktail hour before dinner becomes part of the daily routine.  As well it should be!

 

If this makes no sense, chalk it up to several shots of small batch mezcal and beers before and after a Father's Day bar-b-que.

 

[abcomatic]

This past Sat. I just made a few cucumber sandwiches and gin martinis at 5:00. Its Nice to have a cocktail and something light to eat before dinner which we eat at around 6 or so.

 

[lordkenmore]

This is only speculation, but here are some possible guesses of why cocktail parties faded, at least in some circles:
-Some might feel cocktail parties were done to death, and became a worn out idea.
-Attitudes towards alcohol have changed. Some forms of alcohol seem to be more acceptable in today's climate. Wine is Good. Anything with hard liquor is Bad.
-Price of alcohol might also be a factor. Particularly in states with sky-high prices.

 

[lordkenmore]

In social circles where cocktail parties have faded away, one could view it as an opportunity to do something that no one else is currently doing, and have a cocktail party. If no one else is doing them, a cocktail party would seem special. And one could have fun doing something "retro."

At least, I could see myself doing this...or I could if it weren't for the appalling price of liquor....

 

[jetcone]

We still do cocktail hour

being a bartender I try to come up with interesting mixed drinks- and succeed quite nicely. But we usually just do cheese and crackers not that nice spread you've got there. Must try that this summer. Cheese and crackers is overdone.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Shmart cocktail parties were put together by the wife who did not work outside the home. With both spouses working to keep the family afloat financially, who is there to arrange the parties and when do you have time with having to shop and get the kids to various activities? We biked to stuff like Little League practice and without helmets! Now the little ones have to be driven to all of those things. If we had needed to be driven, we could not go because mom did not drive. When my little sister who is 10.5 years younger started ballet and baton, I was the one who took her and brought her home, often in conjucntioin with taking mom grocery shopping, because I was driving by then. I am amazed to hear of all of the "must do" activities in children's lives now.

 

[abcomatic]

Jetcone

Hi Jon, I don't know if this would go at the bar or not, but at home it does. Mint-Cucumber sandwiches: Chopped Mint, softend cream cheese, and Pepperidge Farm rye, or dark party bread squares.
Coat one slice with the cream cheese mixture, a slice of cucumber and then salt and pepper, add the other slice and there you go. I like them with gin martinis.
Here is how I fix mine: a drip or two of dry vermouth, gin and lots of ice in a shaker. Shake 100 times and pour into a chilled martini glass with an olive or two. I love the cold and the ice skin on-top-of the gin. Two of these is all I drink in one day.
You can try this too: Use the same type of bread, one can of deviled ham and softend cream cheese. Mix this well. You could add some pepper to your taste and spread on the bread. Try this and see what you think. Cheers! Gary

 

[wayupnorth]

Speaking of Develed Ham

Develed ham, cream cheese and a block of extra sharp cheese with seasonings to your taste in a food processer. Chill in a mold of some kind and serve with crackers. Always goes over good at our neighborhood cocktail parties.

 

[frigilux]

Agreed, Kevin: Cocktail hour is a tradition that needs to be upheld. I don't drink any more, but I'll have friends in for drinks and a dinner of appetizers. Oh, how I used to love a (Bombay Sapphire gin) martini.

 

[ptcruiser51]

Gary/Tim

Do you mean the deviled ham in a can, or what you make from leftover smoked or boiled ham? Your stuff sounds tantalizing. My friends and I often meet at my house to go out for an early movie and dinner afterwards. I like to have some kind of nosh to go with a quick drink before the show.

Olives, how we love them!

 

[wayupnorth]

I use the Underwood canned deviled ham. It is quick to make and does taste great. I use some hot sauce, garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. I once used party rye and spread it on the bread and lightly toasted under the broiler. I spent the entire hour watching the broiler as I could not keep the serving plate full.

 

[vintagekitchen]

Tom

While I see your point about the cocktail party fading as more and more housewifes joined the workforce, I have a problem with the logic of it. Even couples in which both spouses work tend to have friends over for dinner or such at least once or twice a month. To me it is far easier to make a few trays of h'orderves, snacks and such, ahead of time, popping them in the fridge until needed. Then, when the guest's arrive, its a simple matter of pulling the trays out of the fridge, possibly warming one or 2 trays in the oven if a warm h'orderve is on the menu, and mixing a few drinks, or declaring open bar and allowing guests to mix their own. Far easier to me than cooking a full meal, and spending your time in the kitchen instead of out among your guests.

 

[wayupnorth]

The actual cocktails

In my "cul de sac" nobody likes the same thing to drink. One likes red wine, another white, another extra light beer, another dark beer, I prefer plain old Bud. The over 80"s set prefers the hard stuff. So we just bring our own and the host does the food. It works for us.

 

[cuffs054]

The "College Street Players" here in beautiful Montcella have gone to the h'orderves (could this word be any LESS user friendly) and drinks instead of the huge dinners. Everybody seems happier and less stressed. Plus, there is less expensive stuff to break!

 

[58limited]

When I have friends over for dinner (usually a fairly fancy entree with soup, salad, and dessert and the good or next step down china) I always make one or two appetizers to tide them over while I finish the meal: usually a dip and my famous from here to across the road bacon wrapped stuffed shrimp. The shrimp are very time consuming.  Next time I think I'll do a cocktail spread like you made, Vintagekitchen. More variety and a lot easier to put together.

 

[vintagekitchen]

I am glad to see others still keep this tradition alive as well, and I have been very nearly embarassed by all the compliments over what I considered a rather meager feast at best, lol. I love a complicated menu as much as anyone, and a chance to ask Launderess to allow me the use of her Royal Doulton with the hand painted periwinkles, but it seems to me that the proper host is a relaxed host, who is at ease, and smiling, rather than one running at breakneck speed to retrieve the shrimp puffs from the oven at the exact right moment, lol. In that line of thought I usually mix a pitcher of martinis or tom collins for these sort of affairs, (whichever one I plan to drink, lol), then set the bar up as to allow the guests to mix their own drinks. A breach of etiquette perhaps, but it allows everyone to have their drinks made exactly as they prefer, and prevents me being trapped at the bar all evening.

 

[abcomatic]

Charlie

Charlie, I use Underwood's deviled ham for the one appetizer. I have several more tea and cocktail foods to use for a party. Gary