Party Invitations

And here we are, a month after our largest party of the year. Still cleaning up? A little. Planning our next shindig? Absolutely. I’m currently working on a) A Halloween party for my son and his friends (at which the adults will be well-served as well, of course), b) Christmas, and c) … next years huge, mid-summer tropical bash!

The bar list is mostly done, the music is underway – arranged as described in my previous blog entries, for a 7+ hour mp3 playlist, to be plugged into a big amp and stadium Peavey’s, and I’m designing the template for the party’s invitation in pencil as I work out the details.

What?!? Hand-drafting a party invitation in this age of electronic, instant invitation gratification? Have I lost my senses?

Invitations that Hum

There are any number of easy online options for issuing party invitations nowadays, such as that offered by services such as Punchbowl.com. While the functionality of such sites does occasionally leave a bit to be desired, they are generally free services, and as such more than adequate for shooting out an impromptu party invitation.  One of their greatest perks is the visibility they provide regarding who’s attending, who’s not, and who has not responded. Another useful utility in many is also letting you suggest what you’d like guests to bring to help out with the event, and then tracking what is being brought when guests respond. You can build saved lists of the people you normally invite to your place, allow or disallow guests to extend the invitation to other people, even build a prototype party soundtrack that guests can suggest songs for --  which is pretty much fluff, but fun.

While their convenience should not be underestimated, online invitations do have their limitations, and we aren’t talking only technical here. Since they are email-based, online invitations are almost as easy as any other email to get lost on someone’s desktop, or to miscarry altogether. And, while they are pretty slick, they also tend to be somewhat generic, and are even more convenient to ignore than they are to send. More on that thorny little topic later.

Benefits of Physical Invitations

The thing is, a physical invitation you can hold in your hand still has a lot of attention-getting power -- perhaps even more so in this digital age, as physical invitations become increasingly rare, save perhaps at weddings. A real invitation represents a greater investment on the host’s part to invite their guests, and as such, has an edge over its electronic counterparts in getting your invitees’ attention and making them feel special to have been invited.

The return you often receive for your investment is extra ‘buzz’. In addition to making your guests feel special, your real invitations are far likelier to build anticipation for your event and get guests talking with each other about the event, if they already know each other. As the event nears, the anticipation increases – producing (hopefully) better turnout and building the party’s energy level even before the party has begun. The greater your investment in your party, the more you benefit from the enhanced return of sending out truly memorable, personal invitations.

As a means to the end of creating buzz, the usual handwritten paper invitations are of course serviceable and appreciated, but they are really only the beginning;  if you really want to heighten your guests’ anticipation of the event, party invitations that are creative or unexpected are what you’re probably looking for.

We’ll get into some specific examples of these next time.

Yours truly, as retro host this July

Miscellaneous Party Arcana

With our biggest party of the year now over, I have a few comments and observations regarding throwing parties in general - little bits of info that, depending on what you are doing, may smooth some ruffles. Random in content, and in no particular order:

• 1 64 oz container tiki torch oil completely fills about 4-5 tiki torches.
• 1 12-pack of TP serves a party of 50-60. Don’t run out, or guests may inadvertently experience the freshness of your Vick’s-impregnated Kleenex when they get desperate.
• 1 80-90 lb pig handily serves a party of 50-60.
• People eat less bean dishes on the buffet line than other starch dishes. Usually multiplying the recipe by 3-4 times is too much, double for a large party (30-40 guests) is usually sufficient unless you plan to personally eat a lot of bean leftovers the week after the party -- and then tie a tether to your ankles and float yourself over your house until you recover.
• Keep appetizer-heavy spreads for small dinner groups of no more than 12 people -- otherwise, unless you have personal staff, assembling all that finger-food is going to drive you crazy. For big parties, go with big dishes, and if guests ask what they can bring, request them to contribute appetizers that arrive ready to serve – so no final prep in kitchen, not even any plating left to do – otherwise it will tie up valuable space in your kitchen while you’re trying to roll out the main course.
• Choose recipes that allow you to make some or all of them in advance. Know your recipes, and know how far in advance of your event you can start them. Push as much food prep as you can off of the actual day of the party, so you can relax at your own event.
• If you don’t have a kitchen staff rivaling Martha Stewart’s, for large events that are not formal, don’t even try to use your own dishes, or you are dooming yourself, your significant other, or some large hearted helper/s to spending most of the party doing dishes. Use disposable plates, utensils, and glasses whenever possible.

Party Lab - Homemade Grenadine

Well, there was a reason I was initially reluctant to dive into the subject of party music … whew.

Anyway, with our large summer party now over and its fallout under analysis, there’ll be a bit more variation in this blog’s content in the not-too-distant future.

For instance, its been ages since we’ve discussed that marvelous social lubricant at any large event, the mixed drink, so let’s take a hiatus from theory and discuss making better drinks.

As a preamble to our summer party, I experimented with recipes for grenadine. Why? Well, finding real grenadine, that isn’t just some artificially flavored and colored corn syrup concoction, can be challenging, and the most readily available grenadine – Rose’s – doesn’t deserve that label (pomegranate people, where’s the pomegranate?!?), and will ruin most any real drink its used in. I’d put it in our hummingbird feeder, but I actually kind of like the hummingbirds in our yard.

Trader Vic’s Grenadine used to be good-tasting, if artificial, but since poor Vic’s estate has decided to save a few dollars by utterly debasing a brand name that for half a century stood for fine-quality comestibles, I’m not much inclined to use it anymore.  Though, in a pinch it will do, which is more than I can say for Trader Vic brand rum these days – just don’t; Vic himself wouldn’t have touched the stuff with the proverbial 10-foot pole, and but would have certainly said something pithy and far less delicate about it than I’m going to here.

That said, there is more choice appearing on the market as late when it comes to grenadine, which is a welcome thing – I’ve tried Stirring’s offering recently, and it was a step up. Also good was the Italian Toschi brand grenadine, though its worth noting that Toschi’s has a pronounced raspberry flavor on the finish that, if you expect your grenadine to be predominantly pomegranate flavored, will come as a surprise, and will noticeably alter the flavor of your beverage – whether for better or worse is a  matter of individual taste.

At any rate, I found three recipes on the web. I also tried the simple measure (I can hardly call it a recipe) of mixing Torani Pomegranate syrup 50/50 with Chateau Pomari pomegranate liqueur, to see what that yielded.

For the web recipes, I first I tried the David Wondrich cold-processed grenadine – again, so simple it barely constitutes a recipe. Containing just sugar and real pomegranate juice, it has a clean, fresh, natural taste, and is certainly worthy of use in any cocktail you happen to be making. Since it is just colored by the juice and lacks Red Dye #40, it is notably less red than its artificial competition, but this is not necessarily a bad aesthetic, and even if you feel the appearance of the drink is wanting, the difference in flavor should more than make up for this.

Cold-Process Grenadine

Take one cup of pomegranate juice, and place it in a jar with one cup of granulated sugar. Seal tightly and shake like hell until all of the sugar is dissolved. Add another ounce or two of sugar and repeat.

Clarke suggests: Adding an ounce of high-proof vodka or grain alcohol as a preservative, and storing in a plastic container in the freezer: “the high volume of sugar keeps it from freezing, you can just tip out a little frigid syrup each time you need it.

http://lupecboston.com/category/david-wondrich/

I add: Incorporating 100-proof vodka (Smirnoff makes one; don't use high-end stuff here) in any grenadine or homemade drink syrup you make is just a good idea, for the same reasons it is here.

The second recipe tried relies on gently heating the pomegranate juice to facilitate dissolving the sugar, then adding a small amount of lemon and orange flower water towards the end to add a little floral interest and depth to the finished product – and again, this yielded worthy results.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup pomegranate juice, no sugar added
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 to 3 drops orange-flower water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat pomegranate juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until steam rises from the surface and a few bubbles have formed around the perimeter of the pan, about 5 minutes. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat.
2. Add sugar and stir until it has dissolved and the liquid is no longer cloudy, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in lemon juice and orange-flower water and let the syrup cool to room temperature, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a container with a tightfitting lid and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/28428-homemade-grenadine

The third recipe was similar to the second, in terms of its heating process and the addition of orange flower water – with the added ingredient of Middle Easter pomegranate molasses. This ingredient can be a bit challenging to find, but its addition really deepened both the flavor and color of the finished product.

Grenadine
2 cups fresh pomegranate juice (approximately two large pomegranates) or POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice
2 cups unbleached sugar
2 oz pomegranate molasses
1 tsp orange blossom water
Heat juice slightly, just enough to allow other ingredients to dissolve easily. Stir in remaining ingredients, allow to cool, and bottle.

http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2009/how-to-make-your-own-grenadine/

Of the three recipes where you start with real pomegranate juice, the third one noted above with the pomegranate molasses is the one we consistently like best, whether it was tasted by itself, in a mixed drink, or in one of our son’s Shirley Temples (and yes, the 10-year old preferred the pomegranate molasses recipe too, interestingly enough).

Regarding the very first one I noted – the 50/50 blend of pomegranate liqueur and Torani pomegranate syrup: It gives you a spendy, very good (and mildly alcoholic) grenadine – and one that’s shelf-stable into the bargain, unlike any of those made from fresh juice - so its worth it particularly if you use grenadine so slowly that the freshmade ones would turn into petri dishes before you made it through your bottle, as this one is quite durable, and without the refrigeration I'd recommend for all the others at that.

And here, for your imbibing pleasure, is a simple, old-time cocktail that makes good use of grenadine:

Jack Rose

2 oz apple brandy (I like Carriage House or Laird’s Bottled in Bond here)

½ oz fresh lime juice

½ oz real grenadine

Shake with ice, strain, into cocktail glass. Depending on your grenadine, you may have to make a tiny adjustment to it in the drink depending on your tastes, and the overall sweet-tart balance. If this experimenting taught us anything, its that grenadines can vary widely in sweetness … and most anything else.

Party Theming 101, Music Part VIII

Finally - on the subject of DJing your own party music sets, I'd be remiss if I didn't include a couple examples, so this post is just that.

As noted somewhere earlier, you really don't want to pound away on a single artist, or even genre, no matter what your party theme. The key is variety, and variety requires a bit more time and thought.

However, the payoff is worth it. Here are two excerpts from themed party music playlists. I've broken up the songs by genre, but of course, were this a real party you'd want to mix them all up -- and, of course, both these lists would be alot longer.


Cross-Genre Tiki party song sampler:

Swing

I’ve Got a Feeling – Lavay

Trapped in a Web of Love – Royal Crown Revue

Mambo Swing –BBVD

I Wanna Be Like You – BBVD

Opihi Man --  Kau’a Crater Brothers

Popular '80's Rock

Island of Lost Soul – Blondie

The Tide is High -- Blondie

Hawaiian Chance – Yello

Isla Bonita – Madonna

Let it Go – Luba

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic – The Police

Exotica:

The Natives are Restless Tonight – Don Tiki

Pinkabet – Don Tiki

Casbah Club – The AquaVelvets

Banana Rum – Cabaret Diosa

Surf Rock

Flesh and Soul – The Blue Hawaiians

Trouble Bay – The Blue Hawaiians

Pipeline/Endless Sleep -- The Blue Hawaiians

Nitro – Dick Dale

The Island of Lost Soul-- The Tikitones

Riptide – The Fathoms

Caribbean

Jump in the Line – Harry Belafonte

The Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte

Stir it Up – Bob Marley

Cross-Genre Voodoo Halloween song sampler:

Popular '90's Rock

Voodoo – Godsmack

Swing

Man with the Hex – Atomic Fireballs

Trapped in the Web of Love – Royal Crown Revue

Hell – Squirrel Nut Zippers

Blues

Blue Drag – Jazz Vipers

St. James Infirmary Blues – New Orleans Brass

Folk

Zombie Jamboree – Kingston Trio

Popular '80's Rock

Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo

Fear – Siouxsie Sue and the Banshees

World Music

Shadowman – Afrocelt Sound System

Exotica

That Hypnotizing Man – Don Tiki

Funk

The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans – Redbone

Latin Pop

Livin’ la Vida Loca – Ricky Martin

Soundtrack

Rattlebone -- Robbie Robertson