Post #573920 by Chip and Andy on Sun, Jan 30, 2011 7:58 PM

On 2011-01-30 19:22, Mrs_Somnambulist wrote:
I'd still love to know how many servings are the norm for a event like Ohana, so if anyone has any advice on that, I'd really appreciate it.

Specific to Ohana...

Your serving as many drinks as you are willing to serve during your time-slot, roughly 60 to 90 minutes. There is no requirement on what you serve or how much you serve. If/When you run out you send up the white flag, close the door to your suite, and re-join the crowd. If you have left over, well there is always an after party going somewhere.

Ohana has around 300 guests (plus a dozen or so because off-duty hotel staff join in the fun). If you wanted a maximum number of drinks that would be your top target to pour. Last year the Gumbo Limbo room poured about 150 drinks at 6 ounces each and we batched the drinks in 2 gallon pitchers so it was one part from the pitcher and then the float of the last ingredient.

Then, to your question generally....

Don't rely on the hotel ice machines. Every guest is tapping the machines and every room host will empty them. Hit the local market and get ice. Its cheap and easy and your guaranteed to have enough.

Keep the glassware simple. Plastic cups, while generally unattractive, are the best bet for both cost and safety concerns. Hotels don't like glassware near their pools, and people hanging over balconies with glassware make them nervous too.

Punches work best. I mean recipes that are already a punch. Converting a cocktail to a punch takes a bit of math and a lot of tasting because not all recipes can simply be multiplied by 100 to get to your final drink.

As to how much to pour, smaller is OK. You are generally not the only room open at whatever time your open so everyone will have had a couple before they get to you. 6 ounce cups make for a good pour generally. Big enough to enjoy, small enough you don't 'hurt' anyone after they try all twelve rooms worth of cocktails. Any smaller and your presentation will seem week, too much larger and you'll risk any number of other things with the greatest fear being spillage. Large drinks make for large messes.

Make whatever garnish your going use as far in advance as possible. Or make it so simple that you can just drop it in as you go. If you have to 'build' or skewer or otherwise futz with each drink your going to drive both you and your guests insane and that is not a good time.

And lastly, although it should be firstly, your there to have fun. Being a Room Crawl host puts you in a position to meet more of the event attendees. Its like hosting a part at home and having everyone over. You want to be a good host and server everyone, but not be a slave to the cocktail shaker and spend all your energies mixing and have no time left to spend with your guests.