Hosting House Parties Without Alcohol – A Journey!
Hosting house parties is one of my favorite things to do. Planning different aspects of parties, deciding themes and what food or drinks to put on the menu is such an enjoyable responsibility, that I will do it happily for others hosting the parties too.
My favorite cocktails are what you will always find on the menu, even if I am planning around other people, I will include at least one. I love introducing people to the things I enjoy. I become a hardcore fan of things and try to get everyone to like them.
If you know me in real life, I will also provide you with homemade cocktails, if we are having a pajama party or night-in. Nobody said that home parties can’t be fancy. As we stepped into responsible adult lives, our night-outs promptly started converting into night-ins. I make it a point that we don’t miss anything.
When you have regular get-togethers and house parties, you will realize that alcohol every time is not possible. People have work the next day, and going about your day with hangovers isn’t ideal either. So, if we have more than four gatherings in a month, especially on a weeknight, then I switch the menu to mocktails.
Knowing when to stop drinking is really important when you have a job that requires you to stay vigilant, and honestly, if you care about your health even a bit then that is a good enough reason to stop too. The safe drinking volume is different for men and women, and they can hold different amounts of liquor. Knowing the safe amount is important to not compromise with your health to have fun.
If you have started cutting back on alcohol, then that doesn’t mean that you are missing out on much. Mocktails can be made to taste as good as cocktails, you can also have the occasional cocktail without feeling guilty about it.
For this, we have started helping each other keep track of how much we drink when we are going out or if there is alcohol involved in night-ins. This gives us a sense of accountability and also provides support.
All these realizations made us go from thinking that our house parties were a way to relax, to actually relaxing with each other around. From thinking to actually doing it is a big journey that most people don’t realize that they need to take, but once you get the hang of it, there’s no going back – in a good way, of course!
Final Thoughts
Honestly, I used to think that alcohol was what made the gatherings – fun, it helped us loosen up a bit and be more in the moment. Then I came to the realization that it wasn’t the booze that got us loose, it was the company. When we started realizing that we didn’t need alcohol to relax, to spend time with each other, to meet – it became easier to meet just because!
