How to

Make a Holiday Drink Station

Charm your guests this holiday season with an easy-to-assemble drink station that keeps the holiday fun flowing. From choosing the best location to selecting charming serving pieces, we at Pottery Barn have collected some of the best drink station ideas to help you entertain this holiday season.

Choose the Right Setting

Choose a location for your drink station that’s convenient for guests to gather around as they assemble their beverages. A large buffet or console table is ideal. It can provide easy access from multiple sides and sits at a height that’s perfect for mixing drinks. If you’d like to encourage your guests to gather in a specific room or location for cocktails, have the drink station set up nearby to inspire mingling. Set the mood with holiday music playing lightly in the background and soft lighting.

Build a Holiday Tablescape

Set an elegant table to showcase your drinks by incorporating table linens, tiered serving ware and holiday decor. For narrow buffet or console tables, a colorful table runner draped across the top and sides of your drink station adds color and style. Table linens come in a wide variety of patterns and prints to coordinate with your decor. Accessorize your tablescape with holiday florals or coordinating cocktail glasses.

Create multiple levels on your table by using tiered serving stands to hold garnishes, small drinks or serveware. Add some holiday greenery with fresh evergreen sprigs or a bundle of bright red amaryllis. A pair of tall buffet lamps, lanterns or candles completes this warm, inviting look.

Charm with Serving Pieces

Embrace the traditions of the holiday season by bringing out heirloom serving pieces to dish out your drink concoctions. An antique punch bowl is a beautiful vessel for a frothy carbonated drink, while an heirloom silver coffee urn can hold warm cider or hot chocolate. Think outside the box for creative glassware. Consider matching colorful mason jars to an iced mixed drink or placing a set of eclectic holiday mugs next to warmer offerings. Carefully stack individual serving pieces on or beside your drink station, so that they’re easily accessible. Layer your serving pieces to create interesting tablescapes that invite your guests to help themselves.

Serve Colorful Drink Recipes

Create a menu of drinks your guests can indulge in while considering each potential need. A mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, hot and cold drinks, and pre-made and build-your-own recipes will quench every guest’s thirst. Consider offering holiday classics, like an urn of hot cocoa, a carafe of hot buttered rum, a punchbowl of non-alcoholic punch, a drink dispenser filled with a minty mojito, or a build-your-own cocktail bar. Display the colorful drinks in gorgeous translucent containers, with plenty of room on the side for garnishes galore. Check on your offerings occasionally to top off drink urns and garnish bowls.

Carefully Label your Concoctions

With so many drink offerings to choose from, label your concoctions so that your guests know what’s in each drink, particularly if children are attending. Chalkboard hang tags, gold-bordered paper labels or small framed descriptions allow guests to serve themselves with ease. If any guests with allergies are attending, label the drinks that contain potential allergens. You might also include small ingredient lists next to each drink so that guests can recreate their favorites at home.

Garnish with Flourish

Fill your drink station with a variety of garnishes for each drink. For hot chocolate, an overflowing bowl of homemade marshmallows or a chilled bowl of freshly made whipped cream lets guests add a sweet touch. For mixed drinks, ice cubes frozen with fresh mint or decorative picks filled with fruit sit beautifully inside glassware on the table. For build-your-own drinks, set up an area with cocktail shakers, measuring cups and stirring rods to let guests mix their own creations. You might also wish to include a small recipe book or a series of framed signature recipes for adventurous guests to try on their own.