Planning a house party - the hell you need? (NRR)
mannybolone
Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
Ok, I figure most of you have a lot more experience with house parties than me. I'm planning a potluck for about 70 people and I have NO FUCKING IDEA on what I should ask people to bring or in what quantities.Drinkwise, I was thinking:2 cases of beer (24 bottles/cans)2 cases of soda (ditto)2 cases of water (ditto).5 - 1 case of wine (6-12 bottles)(keep in mind, we're not going to have hardcore drinkers here)too much, too little?Also, how do people figure out how much food to ask for, in terms of how many appetizers, main courses, etc? thanks!
Comments
plastic sheets and a variety of scented oils...
id say double up on the beverages, the longer you plan on having it(duration of time folks are there) the more need for a drink/something in the their hands.
as for food/appetizers, the more the merrier.
-rich
Is this an afternoon BBQ type affair or a late night College style deal? Either way, I feel like you might want to up the number of cases of beer. A keg? At night, I don't think anyone expects you to be serving them dinner unless explicitly stated, so any food would most likely be appreciated.
are you buying any booze at all? even if you are, just say BYOB, it will take a lot of the pressure off you.
i'm taking this is not formal. if it is, forget everything i just said.
K.
Unless you have Jesus Christ himself coming that's not enough. 70 people should equal 5 kegs. Don't bother with food, everyone is going to be so coked out of their minds it's just going to sit there.
BYOB is a good idea, if necessary have a large cooler stocked with ice outside in case your refrigerator gets too packed.
Just buy a couple boxes of Franzia and call it a day. None of that hoity-toity shit unless you have a bunch of folks who've seen Sideways recently (although I'm assuming there are no shortage of people like that in the Bay Area).
Seriously, I will hit you up with the sacred mathematics (calculations) in a few minutes--I have a document from my event planning days.
WOW! Unless that's each couple brings that it's way too little. You need to plan on a min of 2 beers per person, cuz the people that drink will make up for the people that don't. If your not going to have hard liquor I would still plan on at least 1 soda per person. Once again the people that do drink it will make up for the people that don't.
I guess I don't know if your having hippie I don't drink soda types or more regular "whatever" types. If it's whatever types then 2-5 beers per person and 2-4 sodas (you know your friends so you'll have to pick the number).
I think your wine count is good cuz rarely does everyone want a glass of wine. Usually just a few girls.
Water??????? You'd spend less on a Britta and a bag of plastic cups.
Remeber you can never have too much drinks and you can always use the left overs your self.
As far as food the best thing is to ask everyone to bring enough for them selves and 4 others people. With that many people you may have to dole out who does chips, who does appitizers etc.....
Right now you numbers look really low, so don't spend half your party running out for more supplies. That always sucks!!!!
Good luck!
A few years back, I went to Reno with a dozen friends for a bachelor party. We killed 90 cans of Budweiser in an hour and a half.
I'm assuming your party will be infinitely more highbrow than that, but you'll still need more than two cases of beer. Hell, I went to a "departmental function" at the home of one of Neta's professors last night and I think we put away more alcohol than that (and these were just history grad students).
Determining how many hors d'oeuvres you'll need depends on what kind of hors d'oeuvres you want to serve and the anticipated duration of the party. Serving a good variety of choices is always more appealing for guests. If you are planning a two-hour cocktail party, consider about eight different choices. Then allocate three pieces of each type for each guest. If your hors d'oeuvres are pretty substantial, you can consider reducing the portion per guest to two pieces of each kind.
WINE[/b]
The average bottle (750 ml) of wine yields 5 servings. Calculating 1/3 of a bottle for each guest for a three-hour party should suffice. For a four-hour party, increase it to 1/2 a bottle.
In general, for a party of eight guests or more, start with a selection of five wines: two reds, two whites and one dessert wine
BEER[/b]
With a domestic-brand beer, a half-barrel keg contains 15.5 gallons, while the quarter-barrel contains 7.75 gallons. If you are using a 10-ounce cup, this totals to about 200 cups of beer for a half-barrel, while the quarter-barrel contains about 100 cups. (Imported beer kegs are sized differently, with a half-barrel containing 10.7 gallons. You'll also find that domestic taps may not fit an imported keg.)
SPIRITS[/b] (ie, HARD LIQUOR)
A 26 oz. bottle of spirits yields 17 servings of 1 1/2 oz. each
A 40 oz. bottle of spirits yields 25 servings
O-Party Host:
This all you need to make the party C*R*A*C*K
1 bottle Hennessy V.S.O.P. (4 bottles if Supreme, Jake Weezey and Big Chan are invited)
1 bottle Glenlivet Scotch
1 bottle Herradura Anejo Tequila
1 bottle Bacardi Black Label Rum
1 bottle Tanqueray "No. 10" Gin
1 bottle Knob Creek Bourbon
2 cases Steinlager Beer
2 cases Anchor Steam Beer (rep for the yay)
Beer run to the store if the beer starts to run out.
Don't even bother with wine. Good wine is too expensive for 70 people.
Plenty of sodas and fresh organic fruit juices and ice tea.
LOTS of ice, lemons, limes, etc.
Request that an equal number of people bring salads, snacks and dessert items.
If you don't have a gas grill, borrow one and set it up in the yard. Have people bring steaks, fish, shrimp, chicken, pork chops, etc. to grill.
The weather should be nice this time of year in your area. KEEP as much of the party as you can IN THE YARD! You don't want 70 people all through your house, even if most of them are family. Your house will be a MESS.
Then I would invite the lady who spoke on The Way To Become The Sensuous Woman[/b] album on Atlantic. She's much older now, but still speaks in the same manner. She could say something like DJ's...lick the crack.
1) You don't personally drink at all (that'd be me)
2) You've never had to plan an afternoon, outdoor picnic-type potluck for 70 folks.
Did I mention I'm also getting married at said event?
BYOB is sounding better all the time.
damn that is one good idea!!! soulstrut is the isht!
for wine... go with trader joes Two Buck Chuck. im at that stage where i cant pay more than 2 dollars for a bottle of wine.
if its outdoors, you gotta have a bbq. throw on some carne asada, hit up that carneceria! burgers, hot dogs, bratwurst etc. burgers/hot dogs are inexpensive but if this is like a wedding i suppose it is sorta tacky but itll go well with the kids that may be in attendance.
if its in the park, do they even allow alcohol?
-rich
Damn O, Getting married? Congratulations. If this is a wedding, you NEED to step it up hommie! You can't have a potluck and BYOB for a wedding. I suggest you contact a caterer and a florist ASAP! You and your girl need to work out a menu and flower arrangements for the yard. Good luck and have a great time.
Naw man, we're not trying to go there. We're trying to keep it very, very, very simple. that means no pomp and circumstance, no streamers, no balloons, not wack ass caterer. We're not asking for gifts - we just want folks to come and kick it with us for the afternoon. Peep game:
i'm chiming in on the step up the drink game.
ask friends to bring wine.
you get: cases of beer (get some diffreetn cases of good bottles and a bunch cases of rotgut domestic cans) 2 bottles of baccardi (the big half gallon ones, not that skinny shit) a big thing of vodka. fuck all the soda cans, get a bunch of 2 liter bottles to mix with the bacardi and some orange juice and cranberry juice. voila. everyones happy. get some water gallons.
buy a slew of chips and some fruit and tell people specifically what to bring:
wine, dishes (those who can cook), appetizers, dips, cheeses, olives, desserts, more wine. if you petition heads to bring wine, theyll bring one bottle of nice.
have fun
Now THIS is real talk. Thanks for the suggestions,
Oliver