Let’s face it. Nothing says Sunday Funday like a brunch. And for many brunch is the highlight of the week. And while it’s nice to venture out of the house, these days it can be more satisfying to invite a few close friends over for a more intimate affair. But for some, hosting a party at home no matter the size can be rather stressful. However, it doesn’t have to be. With a little planning and preparation, you can be hosting an awesome brunch and toasting with your friends rather than acting as the hired help.
You’ce already know how to host a dinner pary at a restaurant. Now let’s take on mastering hosting an aewome brunch at home. The key thing you want to focus on is planning the day so that you can enjoy your guests. You are bringing your friends into your home for a good time. What good is it if you are working so hard to entertain and you can’t be a part of the festivities? Follow these four simple tips and you have the ingredients for hosting an awesome brunch.
Keep your menu simple
The easiest thing to do is to have your meal catered. While it’s convenient, sometimes it is nicer to be able to prepare things yourself to add your own personality to the day. Even if you are a master chef and you want to impress your guests with your cooking prowess, plan your menu so that you can spend time with your guests rather than slaving away in the kitchen. Fresh fruit, pastries and muffins along with some heartier entrée items can suffice. You want the meal to be delicious but it really is about the company.
My menu for my recent brunch included
- Easy Baked Bacon & Egg Bites
- Kale Salad with sundried tomatoes and feta cheese
- Fresh Fruit
- Assortment of croissants and muffins
The kale salad, croissants, muffins and fruit were store prepared but I wanted to make something to add my own personality. The Bacon and Egg bites were inspired from a recipe I got from my friend Ramona Cruz-Peters. You can find her recipe on her Instagram here. I changed the recipe slightly by scrambling the eggs and adding cheese on top. Next time, I might also add some fresh veggies such as broccoli, mushrooms or spinach to the mix.
Opt to serve the meal buffet style
Serving the meal buffet style is an ideal way to host your brunch. Since a brunch is a much more informal meal, guests tend to arrive at various times. With the food prepared and out, people are free to mingle and eat at their leisure. There is no obligation to wait for late arriving guests. It’s less work for you as a host since you don’t have to serve a sit down meal. Plus your guest will marvel at your fantastic presentation! Just remember, if you are planning to serve hot foods, make sure they are served hot. If you have the space for storage, invest in chaffing dishes. They come in a variety of sizes and can enhance the tablescape. A 2 quart size like this one is perfect for a small gathering.
Choose your place settings
This might not be a popular opinion but except for napkins, I tend to shy away from disposable places settings and utensils. Why? In hosting an awesome brunch, I believe it makes the event a little more upscale. Sure for a larger gathering disposable items are a convenient way to go but if you have a small gathering, your event becomes more elegant. And at a cost of one dollar or less, you can find plates, utensils and glasses that can be reused repeatedly. You could spend that much every time you host an event. My suggestion is to stock up on a set of white or glass plates and as well as sets of flatware and glasses. Personally, I have a place settings for thirty. Maybe I should start up a catering business. I do use paper napkins because, I find it’s impossible to keep white napkins clean.
Serve a stellar signature cocktail
When we think about brunch, we think of serving mimosas or bloody mary’s. These are typically the go tos for Sunday Funday. But while these are perfectly fine drinks of choice for your everyday run of the mill brunch, why not up your game with something a little different when you host your own brunch? Why not try a bourbon cocktail?
Bourbon may not come to mind when crafting the perfect brunch cocktail but hang in there with me for a moment. A bourbon such as one by Basil Hayden which is known for being a refined and memorable bourbon offers an approachable and versatile sipping experience for whiskey drinkers of all taste levels to share. It’s subtle taste profile really shines in aperitif-style cocktails and is an excellent choice to serve when hosting friends and family.
And Basil Hayden has recently launched Basil Hayden Toast, the newest spirit to the family. It’s a super-premium bourbon consisting of an entirely new brown rice forward mash bill and toasted barrel finish for a softer, smoother bourbon with an increased depth of flavor. For your brunch cocktail try it in a Fool’s Gold. It’s a deceptively light bourbon cocktail, featuring a refreshing combination of bourbon, lemon juice, and limoncello liqueur. Afterall, Sunday Funday is really about the cocktail and a good one is the key to hosting an awesome brunch!
Pro Tip: Pre-make the cocktail ahead of time so it’s ready to go when your guests arrive. However shake up a batch in from of them to show off your mixology skills!
Fool’s Gold
Ingredients:
- 2 parts Basil Hayden’s® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 3/4 part fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 part limoncello
- 1/2 part simple syrup
- Lemon wheel
- Fresh sage
Prepare:
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake vigorously.
- Strain into a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and fresh sage.
Please remember to drink responsibly. This blog post was sponsored by Basil Hayden but the views are all my own. This awesome brunch was filmed at The Clifton DC, gorgeous luxury apartments located in the heart of the U Strteet corridor in downtown Washington, DC.
