Entertaining with Flair - A Tasting Competition for your next Gathering
Make it interesting!
Everyone loves a little guessing game
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I think any great and memorable dinner party involves a few key elements. First, you should have good people (arguably this is the only important one). I think dinner parties work best with at least three couples, up to 14-16 people. This quantity allows for mixing and mingling, introduction of new people to one another, and boisterous volume indicative of a great party.
Next, you need good food. I think offering something to snack on is important - even if it’s just nuts and olives or a small cheese plate and crackers. Not overproduced, but something to peck on and a diversion should conversation wane momentarily. For dinner, I like to serve food that is not overly demanding from a time perspective - ideally it’s 75% or more complete before guests arrive. Lasagna, enchiladas, anything that requires a lot of toppings like a taco bar would also be great for hosts and guests alike. Don’t forget something sweet!
Depending on the group, sometimes a game or some entertainment is worthwhile and adds to everyone’s enjoyment of the evening.
I recently held a Ladie’s Night/Galentine’s party for some friends and given the mix of friends, how much I knew them and how much they knew each other, I offered a game involving chocolate tasting. This game is very easy to offer for the host, is fun for guests, offers something to talk about with people that may not know each other well, and is delicious. It can be adapted easily for other foods too (Cheese anyone? Olives?)
How I prepped for this chocolate tasting:
I ordered these mini clipboards and pens
I adapted this canva template to include space for samples and notes, as well as the guest’s name
I purchased six different types of chocolate - I think it’s fun to mix grocery store and premium brands
How I assembled the tasting on the day of the event:
I printed the sheets, 2 per page at my local copy shop and cut them to size at home
I cut the chocolate into similarly sized pieces and set them up uniformly on the sheets/clipboards
As I assembled the samples, I noted on an extra sheet the answers to the questions. I made this challenge a bit easier by having multiple correct answers. Stow the answers in a safe place!
The chocolate tasting game was really fun! I think everyone enjoyed it and it offered a way to move folks through the evening.
I did have one mistake though - while I had procured a prize for the winner (whoever got the most answers correct), I failed to anticipate a tie! There was indeed a tie, even though my guests did say the game was quite tough. We ended up just doing rock/paper/scissors for the winner, which added some fanfare, but I would have loved to have an additional chocolate or two to conduct one last tie-breaker game.
Given that my event was a Ladie’s Night/Galentine’s day celebration, the prize for our winner was a gift certificate to Lovestruck in Seattle - Seattle’s only romance bookstore! I think having a coordinated prize is fun and a little silly too.
What do you think - does this sound fun?