Cupcakes and Cocktails Party

For a fun, unique twist on the usual cocktail and appetizer party, throw a cupcakes and cocktails bash. It's a hip, youthful twist on a cocktail party that will have guests buzzing with excitement - and a sugar high.

Pair your favorite cupcake recipe with a complementing cocktail (or mocktail for expecting mothers!) Be sure to mark your various treats and drinks so guests know which cocktail to pair with the cupcake. You may even want to consider having some fun with the decorating - use repeating themes and embellishments to help describe the "base" ingredient. For example, hug a pineapple charm or stick a pineapple paper embellishment in the pina colada drinks and cupcake.

If you're hosting a more intimate affair, you may have enough glasses to serve each cupcake in its own cocktail glass to really fit the theme. Of course, you must still provide small utensils for the guests - we doubt you want a room full of sophisticated ladies stuffing their face into a cocktail glass while trying to eat the cupcake without using their hands (unless you're looking for a photo op, of course). If your party has a larger guestlist, however, you may not have enough spare cocktail glasses for every cupcake. In this case, simply pick the prettiest cupcake of each batch for display in the cocktail glass and arrange the other cupcakes around it like a centerpiece.

Keep in mind the season when creating the menu for your cupcakes and cocktails party. If your soiree is during the spring, serve light and fresh drinks like this cucumber ginger spritzer. If your event is during the fall, incporate the flavors of the season into your menu with options like this perfect slice of pumpkin pie cocktail. The possibilities of the menu are endless. The hardest part? The endless hours of taste testing. We said hard, not painful!