- Last Updated:
- 12/19/2024
- Lindsey Fliger
The mistletoe is hung, the lights are strung, and there’s a nip in the air. That’s right, it’s holiday party season! But, hosting a fabulous get-together is more than food, drinks, and conversation.
The well-being of your guests should be at the top of your party prep to-do list. A proactive approach to safe alcohol service is the best way to ensure your gathering goes off without a hitch.
And when your best-laid plans don’t work out, make sure you have host liquor liability coverage to protect yourself and your guests.
Holiday Party Safety Tips
1. Offer Alcohol Alternatives
Holiday-themed cocktails and spiked eggnog may be party essentials for some, but alcohol shouldn’t be the only option on your menu.
If you only offer booze, a lot of guests will drink it. Alternatives like water, soda, and coffee can reduce the odds of them overdoing it on the champagne when what they really need is some hydration. Plus, it’s great for those acting as designated drivers and people who don’t drink.
Want to make sure your sober friends don’t miss out on the fun? Add a few mocktails to your menu so everyone can enjoy a festive drink.
Hosting Tip: Put away the alcohol about an hour before the party ends and only offer non-alcoholic drink options. This gives your guests time to metabolize and sober up before they head home.
2. Serve Up Festive Foods
Is it even a holiday party without a loaded cookie tray and five kinds of cheese? Any shindig worth attending has delicious food!
But, having an impressive spread of treats and eats offers an added benefit when you’re serving cocktails. Drinking on an empty stomach means the body absorbs alcohol more quickly, resulting in higher levels of intoxication at a faster rate.
In other words, eating prevents your guests from getting too drunk too fast.
Even if you’re not planning a buffet feast, you should still provide snacks or hors d’oeuvres for guests to graze on throughout the evening. Something as simple as cheese and crackers can help keep guests happy and their bellies full.
Hosting Tip: Create a holiday-themed charcuterie board to level up your food table. Try designing a Christmas tree-shaped layout of cold cuts and brie, or a cheese ball shaped like a wreath and sprinkled with fresh parsley and red peppers.
3. Plan for Safe Rides Home (or Overnight Accommodations)
Even with plenty of non-alcoholic beverages and food, some people will still have a few too many glasses of mulled wine. For the well-being of your guests and your own peace of mind, you should have a plan to ensure they can get home safely.
Thinking ahead and making arrangements for your guests to get home reduces your risk and helps prevent dangerous drunk driving.
Before the party, download a rideshare app like Lyft or Uber and make a list of addresses in case you need to look them up and schedule a ride for them. Alternatively, you can reserve a few rooms at a nearby hotel so guests can stay over and sleep off the festivities.
Hosting Tip: Save a portion of your party budget to cover rideshares for your guests. If a party attendee is too tipsy to take care of it themselves, you can schedule a pickup for them to ensure they get home safely.
4. Hire a Skilled Bartender
Sometimes the best way to make your party a success is to bring in the pros. Hiring a mobile bartender for your holiday party comes with plenty of benefits:
- Frees up time: You get to focus more on your guests and less on managing the bar.
- Professional quality: If you want the best drinks and a safe holiday party, leave the mixology to a skilled bartender who has experience, safe service training, and liquor liability insurance.
- Elevated service: A dedicated bartender gives your party an air of elegance and provides your guests with a luxury experience.
- Liability protection: With a bartender on duty, guests can’t just help themselves to unlimited drinks. Pros know when and how to judge when they’ve had enough.
Always review the bartender contract closely so you have clear expectations. For example, many states require the host to provide the alcohol.
Hosting Tip: Your guests come to a party for a good time and should never feel obligated to tip the bartender. As the host, make sure to tip them at least $10 for every hour of work.
5. Designate Helpers
Even the best host is only one person. You just can’t keep your eyes on everybody all the time. Moreover, you’ve worked hard to make your holiday party happen and you deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
For all these reasons, it’s a good idea to identify a few trusted (and sober) partygoers to help you keep an eye on the other guests. If they notice somebody overindulging in the rum punch or getting a little too raucous, they can let you know so you can de-escalate the situation.
Hosting Tip: If someone volunteers to stick with mocktails and club soda so they can help you keep an eye on things, thank them with a small gift or a dinner out. It is the holidays, after all!
Host Liquor Liability Coverage: An Essential for Holiday Parties
Many states have social host liability laws that hold you responsible if an intoxicated guest hurts themselves, injures somebody else, or causes property damage.
If a partygoer drinks too much or you serve an underage guest, you could face serious financial consequences. The last thing you want is to have your holiday ruined by unexpected medical bills, repair costs, or legal fees.
Host liquor liability insurance is short-term coverage that protects you as the event host if an intoxicated guest causes an accident. It’s similar to liquor liability, except it applies to individuals or organizations hosting private events rather than businesses specializing in serving or selling alcohol.
Hosting Tip: You can schedule your host liquor liability policy in advance so that you don’t have to worry about it on the week of your party. If you forget, that’s okay! You can still buy coverage on the same day as long as it’s before your event begins.
FAQs About Host Liquor at Company Holiday Parties
What Is an Example of Host Liquor Liability?
- A guest has several Christmas ales at their company’s holiday party. They get behind the wheel and back into another car. The other driver sues the host for overserving the guest.
- At your annual holiday party, a guest overdoes it on the rum and ciders. He wanders over to the neighbor’s yard and damages their fence. The neighbor expects you to pay for the repairs.
- When nobody is looking, an underage guest sneaks a few shots of vodka. When driving home, they cause a car accident, injuring themselves and a passenger. Their parents sue the host for negligence.
How Much Does Host Liquor Liability Insurance Cost for a One-Time Event?
Host liquor liability starts as low as $66 for a one-day policy. Your total premium depends on the nature of the event, how many people will attend, and where you’re located.
