The holiday season can be a wonderful and magical time of year. But we aren’t in the business of sugarcoating things – it can be equally as chaotic and stressful. Battling crowds while gift shopping, having to be social around the influx of family, and who could forget resisting the temptation to eat a gazillion gingerbread men cookies. We’ve all been there. Fortunately, there’s holiday parties to the rescue.
And while the idea of throwing a holiday party may seem like you’d just be adding to the list of stressful things you need to take care of, carving out time to have some FUN with friends and family may be just the thing you need to help stave off the holiday doldrums.
In no particular order, we’ve put together a list of several types of parties – family friendly or 21+ only – you can consider throwing for a little extra “cheers” this holiday season.
-
How Ugly Can a Sweater Get?
Ugly Sweater parties have become all the rage these days — and help keep thrift stores in business. But if you need a good laugh, they are the way to go. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, somebody ups the ugly. The homemade ugly sweaters are the best because you get to see how creative (or tacky) your loved ones and friends can be.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but even that might be tested when it comes to an ugly sweater party. Add a few adult beverages to the festivities and the laughs and good times will roll on.
For added fun, have everyone vote on their favorite and present the winner with a custom engraved Craft Cup dubbing them “UGLIEST – 2022 Ugly Sweater Winner.”
-
Watch Hilarity Ensue With a White Elephant
There’s nothing wrong with a good ol’ gift exchange. Unless someone gets you a gift that completely misses the mark. Speaking of which, that is often the point of White Elephant exchanges. You especially never know what you are going to get. And lest you get attached to whatever gift you unwrap because it could get stolen. Who wouldn’t want a DrinkTanks® Growler.
You ever get something you liked snatched away by your 90-something year old grandpa? It stings. But rules are rules. And you know you can’t be a jerk and steal something from your adorable niece or your spouse. Or can you? Watch alliances be formed and then betrayed — all in the name of the White Elephant.
-
Get Toasty Around a Bonfire
If you’re looking to kick back and just enjoy the company of friends, a bonfire might be more your speed. An added bonus, you get to be outside! To ensure everyone stays warm out there, set up a hot chocolate bar. You can add fixins’ that both kids and adults will like from whipped cream to peppermint schnapps.
And if you are outside, you’ll definitely want to keep your beverages piping hot with the help of DrinkTanks® Craft Pint Cups — without risking burning your hands either!
-
The Gift of Sharing… Bottles
Let’s be honest. Sometimes the best way to relieve a little stress is to indulge in adult beverages. That’s what makes a bottle share so fantastic. You simply invite a group of friends, ask each of them to bring a beer, and then everyone shares their beer with each other. In their own cups of course. Pro tip: This is where those aforementioned Craft Pint Cups can really come in hand.
With so many delicious seasonal beers coming out this time of year, a bottle share provides an easy and fun way to discover the season’s hottest beers. For tips on how to host a rockin’ bottle share party, check out this blog post!
-
A Nice Dinner Party Will Do Just Fine
Sometimes simple is best. Good company, good food, and good beverages never fails. So, you can’t go wrong with a dinner party. Whether you go out to a restaurant or to a friend’s house, it’s a chance to get dressed up (or down if that’s more your style) and have fun. If you’re stumped for menu options, you can check out this blog post where we pair popular seasonal ales with delicious dinner ideas.
At the end of the day, it’s important to do things that help you break out of the chaos of the holiday and decompress and relax — and a nice dinner with friends can do wonders.
Give yourself something else to look forward to over the holidays: a fun party or three. From all of us here at DrinkTanks, have a wonderful and safe holiday season with your loved ones and friends.