photos by Jared Smith, bottom three by Smilebooth

In case you couldn’t make it to our holiday cocktail and entertaining workshop a few weeks ago here in Houston, fret no more. I’ve got all of the entertaining details, christmas cocktails, and recap photos right here for you, plus, you can even download the printable cocktail menu I used for styling the bar cart!

Alba created the cocktails for the class using some of her favorite holiday go-to’s and a dash of the White Whale cocktail mixes. To bring it all together I styled a bar cart with some of my favorite vintage drink-ware and a few simple touches like the mini cocktail menu and easel so guests knew what they’d be sipping. For a less hands on approach, I recommended that hosts make batches of cocktails in advance with a cute pitcher, or even use mini bottles for guests to grab and go. 

Since the workshop was held at Julep, I wanted to make sure we had styling elements that complimented the moody look, so we used these metallic and white lanterns from Ikea Houston to add a romantic touch to the space.

For bites, we had mini pumpkin cakes by August & Elouise and macarons from Buttercup. This was definitely one of those setups where I had to remind myself to actually let people grab desserts instead of protecting the display at all times…

To make sure we we’re equipping them with good holiday ammo, everyone left with a White Whale mixer and cocktail shaker.

And of course, no event is complete without Smilebooth! I have to say, we’ve never had a crowd that loves the booth as much as this one after a few cocktail tastings, haha. Thanks so much for all of you who came out, and to the sponsors for the amazing products!