Craft and Cocktails

Over the last few years, hen party organisers have been on the look-out for more unique and original activities for their party. Bar crawls, male strippers and pamper parties are all well and good, but for many people they become a little cliché and not to everyone`s taste.

One area that has seen significant growth in the Hen Party arena is cocktail events. You can now hire a mobile cocktail bar, bartender and cocktail glassware, providing the hen party a premium cocktail bar experience at their own location be it a home, apartment or hotel. Several companies such  now offer such a service, plus a Cocktail Master Class, in which the bartender will give a full demonstration to the hen party group on how to make the perfect cocktail.

Another service on the rise is craft sessions, bespoke for hen parties, in which the party can be  taught how to make a whole array of fantastic items, such as saucy garters, customised knickers and jewellery accessories, all overseen by a professional craft expert. Companies’ such as The Crafty Hen now offer such services, tailored to your needs, across the UK.

Some more adventurous hen parties are now taking things to the next level by combining both cocktails and craft sessions. Although maybe not an obvious fit at first glance, there are several ways in which both these activities can be combined to bring a new level of fun and excitement to any hen party event.

In recent years, there has been a trend in designing and creating quirky receptacles in which to serve your cocktails. Jam jars, second-hand tea cups and mini milk bottles have all been popping up in trendy cocktail bars as innovative ways to serve cocktails and the hen group can be set a task of finding new and exciting receptacles, which can then be used by their cocktail bartender to serve their chosen cocktails. You can tie bits of ribbon around a jam jar to make it look pretty or another suggestion would be to scout through some charity shops for tea cups, or even just paint ones you already own.

If you fancy going the extra mile, why not get out into the country side for a spot of foraging. For example, if it’s a great time for picking blackberries, you can bring these back to the cocktail bartender who can then create an amazing cocktail, such as the Bramble , using your freshly picked ingredients.

Another way to combine craft with cocktails is to divide the hen party up into small teams and give them the task of thinking up and creating different cocktail garnishes, which can be created from a wide variety of fruit, confectionary items and accessories. The best ideas can then be used by the cocktail bartender to decorate your cocktails.

In the run up to Christmas, why not put your craft skills to the test and create some Christmas cocktail presents. Buying kilner jars / bit bottles and putting vodka in with some basil and strawberries, and topping it up over the next few months, will make for a great flavoured vodka to give someone. Chuck in a bit of old-school twine and a home-made label and it suddenly becomes very crafty!