Impress Your Guests With Snack and Cocktail Pairings That Take 15 Minutes to Make

As a serial dinner party thrower who has hosted everything from a friend's twinkly backyard wedding to a eating-pizza-on-packed-boxes moving day party, I can say with confidence there is one thing that separates a successful party from a bummer: snacks and drinks upon arrival. 

Perhaps your guests have endured two hours of sitting in traffic after a doctor's appointment or a long, boring meeting; maybe they just woke up from a lengthy nap. Whatever the circumstance, most people will welcome having something to munch on while you put the finishing touches on dinner. 

Depending on the setup of your dinner party, you can have either one main snack and beverage area to allure the crowd, or you can set up mini snack stations around the room to encourage people to sit down and get comfortable. 

There is a formula to making excellent snack mixes that has never steered me wrong. Simply mix and match three to four ingredients that speak to your taste buds — crunchy, salty, spicy, umami, and sweet — and you’ll be good to go!

Peanuts, Mini Pretzels and Spicy Corn Nuts and a Paloma

The Paloma, a zesty grapefruit-forward classic, is a perfect companion to salty and spicy snacks. Sipping on this tangy cocktail between bites of peanuts, pretzels and zesty corn nuts will make the drink even refreshing! Looking for an even more enjoyable drinking experience for you and your guests? Throw that glass in the freezer before serving and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a grapefruit wedge.

Goldfish, Honey Roasted Peanuts and Pretzel Sticks and a glass of Txakoli wine

This Spanish white wine is my absolute favorite for warm weather. It’s a little acidic, has a nice minerality to it, and is clean on the palate, making it ideal for salty snacks like goldfish and pretzel sticks. It’s also perfect with seafood, like a flaky white fish, oysters, or shrimp, if you’re planning on serving that after! 

Pitted Castelvetrano Olives, Salted Roasted Almonds and Cubed Manchego and red vermouth

This is one of the three main types of vermouth (a fortified wine) and it’s one of the easiest things to serve that’s guaranteed to make your guests feel like they’re on a mini European vacation. Though red, dry, and Bianco vermouth are all made from white grapes, the red gets its enticing color from caramelized sugar, making it the tastiest for drinking on its own.  You can do 2 to 3 ounces chilled, neat, and garnished with an olive and orange slice! It’s satisfyingly sweet with a delicate bitter finish and it’s a snack’s BFF.

Cajun Spiced Nuts, Kettle Corn and BBQ Chips and a Paper Plane

In addition to being super easy to make with its 1:1 proportions of bourbon, Aperol, amaro, and lemon juice, the Paper Plane is also perfect for snacking hour. Though the ingredients are bold (and boozy) on their own, together, they’re surprisingly  balanced, which means they can handle strong flavors in the munching department. The drink’s sharp citrus cuts through distinctive flavors (think smokey, spicy, bbq), so each time you go back is as refreshing as the first time.

Dried Apricots, Finocchiona Salami, Aged Gouda, Roasted Walnuts and a Gin & Tonic

The Gin & Tonic is an underrated happy hour cocktail, especially when it’s super cold with lots of bubbly tonic and studded with juniper berries! All the botanicals in gin (juniper, anise, lavender, lemon, etc) make it perfect for pairing with all kinds of snacks — and cuts rich and fatty flavors especially well. The duality of sugary ripe, dried, and stewed fruits, with bitter tonic balances really nicely. The aromatics go well with salty, savory charcuterie, and the gin’s licorice flavors enhances the earthiness in roasted nuts and aged cheeses.