Since moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan, we have hosted a Beer of the World party every summer.
Full disclosure: I don’t even like beer, not even one little bit. I’m more of a sparkling rosé or hard cider kinda gal. But my hubby loves beer, we live in “Beer City USA” and I’m always game for any reason to get all of our friends together in one place.
Our 3rd annual beer party was this past Saturday night and we had so much fun! The concept for the party is pretty simple. The host provides beer and food from one country and then the rest of the guests bring a 6-pack of a beer with them, all from different countries. We, as the hosts, always claim the good, ol’ USA, so we provide domestic beer and Americana food.
For food this year we opted to go with a “build your own hot dog” main course. We had tons of toppings, so everyone could choose to doctor up their hot dogs however it fit their fancy. The hot dog bar toppings included: chili, cheese sauce, dill pickle slices, diced onion, diced tomato, sweet relish, jalapeño, shredded cheese and, of course, ketchup and mustard. For the sides, we kept it super simple with all the usual suspects you typically see accompanying a hot dog meal: potato salad, veggies, chips and dips.
A few days before the party, my sweet momma (who is the Baking Queen) helped me make TONS of cookie bars. And I mean tons. Again, we kept to the “low key” Americana vibe with the desserts. We made rice krispie treats, caramel chocolate bars, peanut butter fingers (a family favorite recipe), and scotcharoos.
By midnight everyone had driven (or walked) home and Nick and I were cleaning up a bit in our kitchen. We both talked about how much we enjoyed the night and how fun it was to have so many friends together in one place. It was fun for us to see our close friends from different circles mingling together on our deck, while playing yard games and sitting around the camp fire.
Do you have an annual party you throw (or attend)? As you might have noticed, I love party planning and can’t wait to hear your fun ideas!
Peg Theobald 