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Spiced Cranberry Cocktail

October 9, 2019

spiced-cranberry-cocktail

Fall has come to the Pacific Northwest! Rain and all, we love the beautiful fall colors, crisp air, and slower pace that comes with the season. On top of that, fall cocktails are simply delicious and we can’t wait to dive into more of them this holiday season! 

A few weeks ago we got to test out one of our new favorites at the Sky Valley Celebrates Tour. The tour featured six venues of the newly formed Skykomish River Valley consortium. It was an amazing inaugural event focused on collaboration and sharing to promote venues, vendors, tourism, and lodging in the Skykomish River Valley.  

Sky-valley-celebrates-tour

Party on the Rocks was thrilled to be featured at the Gray Bridge Event Venue, which hosted eighteen vendors and over 150 guests. It was a great way for wedding couples and their families to experience a venue and meet with local vendors and community members. As we heard from Gray Bridge Owner Stacy MacGregor, an unexpected “win” of the day was the rainy weather, which allowed everyone to see the rain plan tents in action! It was also the perfect opportunity to feature beautiful fall decor, florals, and of course the Gray Bridge S’MORE station.

fall-pnw
fall-wedding-decor
fall-wedding-seattle

graybridge-event-wedding
seattle-wedding-bartender

We kept the guests warm with our spiced cranberry “mocktail”, adapted from Caroline’s Cooking. This delicious warm drink of cranberry juice, spices, agave, and rum is the perfect fall pairing. We can bet that you’ll be whipping up a batch for each holiday this year! 

We suggest making this in a slow cooker ahead of time to have on hand for your next gathering. The slow cook time will infuse the cinnamon, clove, and ginger into something magical.

spiced-cranberry-winter-cocktail

This is the perfect drink to serve as a mocktail or cocktail, depending on your preference and the occasion. We’re turning up the spice in our recipe below by adding rum or spiced rum for an additional kick!

Make sure to use a high-quality cranberry juice for this recipe, avoiding cranberry cocktails and juice from concentrate. The agave, orange, and cinnamon will give this drink all of the natural sweetness that you need! 

Let us know if you make this fall cranberry cocktail! Tag us @partyontherocksseattle on Instagram, and stay tuned for more great recipes! 

Spiced Cranberry Cocktail

Ingredients

Makes 5 cocktails

  • 30 oz cranberry juice
  • 15 oz orange juice 
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 cloves
  • 3 inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 4 T agave
  • 8 oz rum (or spiced rum)
  • Orange slice for garnish

Instructions

  1. Place the cranberry juice, orange juice, cinnamon, clove, and ginger in a slow cooker on low. Heat for 1-2 hours. If short on time, instead bring to a boil on the stovetop and then simmer for 5 minutes. 
  2. Before serving, remove from the heat and stir in the agave and rum.
  3. Strain off the spices to serve. Add an orange slice for a garnish. Enjoy!

Beverages: Party on the Rocks 

Venue: Gray Bridge Venue

Photos: Emily Keeney Photography

Floral: Pollen In Love

Rentals: Cort Party Rental;  REMEMBER ME Pretty

Remember Me Pretty

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What Every Bartender Should Have In Their Bar Kit

August 8, 2019

bartender-bar-kit

From measuring ingredients to muddling herbs to straining cocktails and opening beers, bartenders need a variety of supplies to get their job done. Having a good bar kit stocked with the right tools can make the difference between a quick bar line, happy guests, and a happy bartender! 

We’re taking you behind the scenes to show you the top ten items every bartender should keep in their bar kit. Whether you’re a professional bartender or just looking to up your at-home mixology game, this post is for you!

1. Cocktail Shaker

A bartender’s best friend, a cocktail shaker is a necessity for your bar kit. We use Boston Shakers, which are two-part shakers consisting of a glass and a metal tin. Another option is a cobbler shaker (which includes a strainer), but we find the Boston Shaker to be the most user-friendly!

boston-cocktail-shaker
Two-part Boston Shaker
hawthorne-strainer
Hawthorne Strainer

2. Cocktail Strainer

The sidekick to the shaker, a cocktail strainer keeps the ice and other non-liquid ingredients out of your final cocktail. Shown above is the Hawthorne Strainer, which works perfectly with a Boston Shaker. 

3. Muddler 

Mash fruit, herbs, or spices into the bottom of a glass (think a mojito!) 

cocktail-muddler

4. Jigger 

A jigger is an hourglass-shaped measuring device for accurately pouring alcohol. They come in multiple sizes, with the standard being 1.5 oz on one side and 1 oz on the other. 

jigger

5. Flat top Bottle Opener

Speed open beer bottles in quick succession with this handy tool.

6. Wine Key 

The preferred wine opener, a wine key has a knife to cut the seal on top of the wine bottle, and corkscrew to remove the cork.

flat-top-bottle-opener
wine-key

7. Pairing Knife & Cutting Board 

Cocktails aren’t just about the liquor. For garnishing and flavoring drinks, you’ll need a versatile pairing knife and cutting board to peel and chop fresh fruit and herbs.

pairing-knife

8. Pour spouts for the five most common types of liquor

A pour spout fits snugly into the top of a liquor bottle and is essential for smooth, consistent pouring and measuring. We keep pour spouts for the five most common types of liquor in our bar kit: Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Rum, and Whiskey 

9. Cocktail Stir Spoon

Not just any old spoon! Also known as a Bar Spoon, this spoon has an elongated handle and is specially designed for mixing around the inside edge of a glass. 

cocktail-stir-spoon

10. Two Bar Towels 

Thick absorbent bar towels always come in handy. From wiping up spills to drying off your hands and polishing glasses – we always carry at least two with us in our bar kit! 


With these ten essential items you are ready to tackle anything the bar throws at you. Feeling inspired to make some cocktails? Check out our recipes for classic and beginner cocktail recipes!

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Why you should hire a licensed and insured bartender for your party

October 29, 2018

licensed-insured-bartending-company

Whether you’re hosting a private party for twenty, or planning a wedding for 200, hiring a bartender for your event has a ton of perks. Not only do they ensure your guests are taken care of, they keep things running smoothly and free the host up to enjoy the event too! However, not all bartenders are the same. Here is why you should hire a licensed and insured bartender for your party (and not a friend or family member).

Protect yourself from liability

Serving alcohol inherently comes with liability, plus regulations that vary based on venue and location. In the State of Washington, a bartender can be held liable for damages if they serve alcohol to someone who causes an accident or inflicts harm to a third party. Known as dram shop laws, this means that anyone injured by an intoxicated person has the right to sue the individual who provided the alcohol. Without an insured bartender, event hosts could be held liable, especially if minors are involved.

bartending-company-wine

 

Know your state liquor laws

Your best friend’s cousin might make a mean cocktail, but you still shouldn’t hire her for your wedding. A licensed bartender is more than a mixologist, they are also well versed in the laws and regulations of your state. They are trained to spot fake IDs and know when a guest may have had too much to drink.  Many venues even require the use of a licensed bartender.

It’s important to know that liquor liability varies widely from state to state. Be aware of what your local regulations are so that you can protect yourself, and your guests. 

seattle-bartending-company

Licensed and insured bartenders really make all of the difference when it comes to the safety of your event. If you are planning an event in Seattle or the Greater Puget Sound area, consider Party on the Rocks! We take partying (and safety!) seriously. All of our bartenders are licensed, professionally trained, and are covered by our $1 million liability insurance. We offer full-service bartending, event staffing, and we can even supply the alcohol for your party.

Learn more about our services and how they can help you take back your right to party.

 

 

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It was a pleasure to work with Josh. He was knowledgeable, professional yet social, and provided high quality service. He also was willing to go above and beyond to assist in the set up and clean-up of our event. I look forward to future events with Party on the Rocks and hope that we can request for Josh specifically for future events!

- Stephanie A., Corporate Client

I had the honor of working with Party on the Rocks at a wedding recently and they are great! There were 300+ guests, and they were able to serve everyone quickly and efficiently. They arrived on time, handled all of the set up the bar areas, and were ready to go when the guests starting arriving. They were really accommodating during planning, quick to respond and really knew all of the details for the day. I'm excited to see such a great new bartending service in the area, and look forward to working with them again!

- Candi B.

Party on the Rocks truly rocks. They were referred by our Day of coordinator and I'm so happy that she did. I can't express how hard this team works and also their level of customer service. Truly professional and I love the family feel. We had a great bartender and two servers. So accommodating and considerate. I would definitely recommended them to anyone.

- Desiree

We hired Party on the Rocks to provide setup, tear down, and server service for my daughter's wedding. Claire and her team were awesome. They were super friendly, observant, and provided spot-on service for our guests. Plates, glassware, etc. were picked up in a timely fashion, and they even went above and beyond and provided beverage service for my 87-year-old mother who couldn't stand in line at the bar! I would highly recommend Party on the Rocks and would hire them again! Thank you Claire and team!

- Jeannie C.

I cannot more highly recommend this event company! They were easy to work with scheduling and everything went smoothly. Claire was amazing and no less than a dozen guests commented to me how awesome she was and very, very helpful. Thanks Party on the Rocks!!!

- Russell J.

These guys are the real deal. We worked together for a wedding and we were thrown tons of curve balls! But these guys rolled with all of the challenges with a smile on their face. Definitely recommend!!!

- Priscilla P.

I worked with Party On the Rocks recently and their bartender KaDeana did such an amazing job. Guests were commenting on how amazing the drinks were, and the clients were so impressed with how clean everything was throughout the night!!

- Torry W.

Claire and her team were so awesome. We hired Party on the Rocks to provide set up, tear down, and serving for my daughter's wedding. Their staff were super responsive, friendly and totally observant. In fact, they noticed that my 87-year-old mother's soda glass was empty, went to the bar and got her a fresh one, and brought it to her. She was thrilled and pleased! Above and beyond!

- Jessica C.

Try as I might I couldn't find a 6th star to click. Claire was wonderful to work with! I reached out to her about two months ahead of my wife's 50th birthday with a pleading, "Help I have to plan something epic and I'm unsure where to start!" From brilliant ideas, to managing absolutely everything, to the execution of an absolutely flawless event, Claire handled absolutely everything flawlessly. Ours was comparatively smaller than some of the other examples here with only about 40 guests. People were praising me throughout the incredible event and I routed all praise right to Claire. THANK YOU!

- Mark M.

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