MAKE IT SPARKLE: How to Throw an Awards Party Brought to You by GREY GOOSE®

#1 ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET
Yes, you want to capture the pre-awards excitement outside of the Kodak Theatre or Staples Center, but, no, you don’t want to cut out stars and write your own names on them. Skip cheesy DIY decorations and instead hang your walls with some prints of vintage movie posters or celebrity photos. Black and silver are good tones to stick with for napkins and plates.

#2 MAKE IT A PREMIER PARTY
For this special night, you are both MC and maître de chai, or cellar master, so you want to make sure you’re pairing the highest-quality food with GREY GOOSE premium vodka. Find a gourmet grocer in your neighborhood that specializes in artisanal crackers, cheeses, and olives. A day before the party, handpick vegetables from a local market because you don’t want to serve produce that has been sitting in your fridge for a week absorbing other flavors.

#3 SPIKE YOUR FINGER FOODS
Thumbs up to light bites! Keep the evening perfectly orchestrated by serving a mix of hot and cold appetizers. Get creative with a few vodka-infused nibbles and use artistic plating like martini and shot glasses to create a sophisticated look. Try deconstructed Bloody Mary skewers—simply alternate grape tomatoes and one-inch celery bites on bamboo toothpicks and then drizzle lightly with GREY GOOSE vodka, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco®, and lemon juice. Finish with a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper to taste.

#4 PUT ON THE BLACK TIE
Around the world, you’ll find the biggest names in cinema sipping special GREY GOOSE cocktails when they come out to mingle at the hottest after-parties and film festivals, from Cannes to Toronto. Serve up your own five-star martinis using GREY GOOSE’s buttery vodka crafted from the finest French wheat, an exclusive five-step distillation process, and pure spring water filtered through Champagne limestone.

GREY GOOSE Le Citron Black Tie
Light, yet flavorful, this martini highlights the subtle tartness of GREY GOOSE Le Citron with the refreshing, vibrant tastes of mint and cucumber.
2 parts GREY GOOSE Le Citron Flavored Vodka
1 part lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
2 fresh mint sprigs
3 slices fresh cucumber, peeled
Place two cucumber slices, mint, and sugar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Muddle thoroughly. Add GREY GOOSE Le Citron and lemon juice and muddle. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and float a cucumber slice on top.

#5 GIVE OUT PRIZES
A few days before the event, create a list of nominees for the different categories. Include the biggies, like Best Director and Best Picture, but also throw in a few oddball ones, like Costume Design and Makeup, to keep it interesting. Distribute the poll sheets when guests arrive to add a competitive spark to the evening. Envelope, please!

#6 KEEP SPIRITS UP
Everyone has been having a great time, until the show hits that lull of obscure categories. Now what? When you sense attention spans are starting to wane—signaled by louder chatter or glazed-over looks—it’s time to reengage people with some entertainment trivia. Have guests break into teams of two and write down their answers to 10 pre-determined questions on the back of their poll sheets. Then read the answers and announce your winning team. (If there’s a tie, have a few extra questions for a lightning-round faceoff: whoever says the answer first wins.)

#7 STEP UP TO THE PODIUM
Part of what sets GREY GOOSE apart is its long-lasting, satisfying finish. When the show is over, make a few lighthearted comments about the highlights, then thank your guests for their company and friendship and suggest making a new annual tradition.

#8 HAVE A WALK OF FAME
While you want your guests to enjoy your fine selection of cocktails, should anyone accidentally over-indulge, make sure to have the number for a local car service.

CELEBRATE RED-CARPET SEASONWITH GREY GOOSE!

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY
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©2011 GREY GOOSE, THE GREY GOOSE BOTTLE DESIGNS AND THE GEESE DEVICES ARE TRADEMARKS AND/OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS. IMPORTED BY GREY GOOSE IMPORTING COMPANY, CORAL GABLES, FL. VODKA 40 % ALC. BY VOL.; FLAVORED VODKAS EACH 40% ALC. BY VOL. - DISTILLED FROM GRAIN.

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MAKE IT SPARKLE: How to Throw an Awards Party Bro […]