The last couple months, Mom and I have nailed down how to host the perfect socially distanced happy hour. It’s been so important to us to keep ourselves and those around us safe but we’ve of course wanted to see our friends! Once the weather became nice enough to sit outside, we started perfecting the craft of the socially distanced happy hour (we’re still not going to restaurants or patios so we have been hosting). We’ve mostly been hosting just one other family or couple at a time as that’s what our space allows. There are a few key things that make this work perfectly so I wanted to share our tips and tricks for hosting the perfect, safe, small gathering.

I’m partnering with Wines of Germany to share some tips and tricks for hosting the perfect, safe, small gathering at home.

The wine! Of course, having the perfect wine for every palate is KEY. We’ve been drinking a lot of German wine at our happy hours. The country has great, approachable wines that are perfect for year round enjoyment! Fun fact: because these grapes are grown in a cool climate, German wines usually have a higher acidity that makes them light, refreshing, and great for food pairing. Some of our favorites include the Dr L Sparkling Riesling, Dönnhoff Estate Riesling and the August Kesseler The Daily August Pinot Noir, and so far, everyone has LOVED them. The trick with the wine is to have one designated wine pourer so that only one person is touching the bottle. Keep them congregated at the table and make sure each glass is accurately placed at each seat so there’s no mix up! (As an added bonus, you can find sales and special offers on select German wines at all Binny’s locations in Illinois and at Binnys.com all month long)!

The food! We like to keep our happy hours light, healthy and refreshing! We’ve been doing a combination of fruits and veggies mixed with a few crunchy items! You can use any food you’d like but this is the key… We have created charcuterie-like boards for EACH side of the table. Since we have only been hosting one other household at a time, we create two identical platters and have one on either side of the table. This way, each family reaches for their own food and you’re not cross contaminating! We think mixing shape, colors and textures is key to creating the most beautiful Summer themed board.

A runner! Creating a centerpiece lengthwise across your table creates a beautiful piece for your happy hour, yes! But, this also breaks your table in half making sure each family stays on their own side. For this we used pampass grass & willow leaves and it turned out gorgeous!
Put on a cute outfit! It’s rare these days that I find myself getting dressed up so getting dressed for our happy hours has made me so happy!
Last but not least, find a space that’s appropriate and gives everyone more than enough room. This is important to keep your happy hour stress free and enjoy it as much as possible!

Let me know what you think of these tips and how you're hosting your own socially distanced get togethers! For more info about the German wines we've been loving, CLICK HERE! You can also find sales and special
offers on select German wines at all Binnys locations and at Binnys.com all month long!

Be safe and happy happy hour, ya’ll!

xx Ali

(A big thank you to German Wines USA for sponsoring this blog post.
As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own).

How to Host The Perfect Socially Distanced Happy Hour