As summer reaches its peak (for us in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway), the likelihood increases for us being invited to parties, or for hosting our own gatherings. With this in mind, I wanted to share a few thoughts on the things that we can do differently to transform our parties from generic to generous.
Luis Ayala
Hospitality is defined by the dictionary as “the act of being friendly and welcoming to guests and visitors.” The social expectations from guests attending an event have changed throughout the decades, as the conveniences of modern life (such as the increased availability of prepared foods and drinks) all but guarantee the presence of menu items that would have been considered luxuries in the past (imagine cocktail time before ice machines were commonplace).
But as the temptation of having food catered and of purchasing RTDs and pre-mixed cocktails beckons to us, it is worth noting that being hospitable has more to do with making guests feel welcomed than with making the host’s job easy.
This does not mean that everything must be sourced and prepared from scratch, but simple touches like drink garnishes, pre-chilled glasses, personalized coasters, etc., go a long way in setting the mood for a cozy, welcoming gathering.
Writer and speaker Parker J. Palmer wrote that “The concept of hospitality arose in ancient times when the reciprocity was easier to see: in nomadic cultures, the food and shelter one gave to a stranger yesterday is the food and shelter one hopes to receive from a stranger tomorrow. By offering hospitality, one participates in the endless reweaving of a social fabric on which all can depend--thus the gift of sustenance for the guest becomes a gift of hope for the host.”
The perfect gathering is not necessarily the largest one possible: guests, like cocktail ingredients, must be carefully selected and artfully blended, to guarantee harmonious results.
Cheers!
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher