The right party appetizers and drinks can turn any holiday get-together into a festive, memorable event. And that might be even more important this year, especially if your holiday gatherings still aren’t back to prepandemic proportions. Whether you’re having a small, vaxxed get-together with friends or staying in with your partner or roommates, putting some thought into your menu can make it feel a little fancier and fun.
What isn’t so fun? Spending precious time at the start of your fête (or maybe throughout the whole damn thing) prepping individual shrimp toasts or shaking up what feels like a hundred of your signature drinks instead of hanging out with your people.
So do yourself a favor and try a few of these easy yet festive appetizer recipes, holiday cocktails, and no-alcohol sips, all of which can be prepped ahead of time. Make ’em the morning of (or in some cases, even earlier) and plan to spend your party or hangout, y’know, partying or hanging out.