Have you heard of an “Everything But a Cup” party? If you love hosting themed events, this unique party idea allows your guests to bring out their more creative side without needing costumes (although they’re welcome to go all out if they want).
Here’s everything you need to know about hosting an “Everything but a Cup” party so that you can create a bash that people won’t stop talking about for years to come.
What Is an “Everything but a Cup” Party?
While classic dinner parties never go out of style, coming up with new ideas for parties is always fun. From toga parties to white elephant gift exchanges, themes help hold a party together and give guests a streamlined idea of what to wear, what to bring, and what to expect.
Enter the “Everything but a Cup” party, which is precisely what it sounds like. It’s a party where you and your guests drink beverages out of anything except a traditional cup. These parties are creative and fun and are often held as a contest, where the most unique cup alternative wins! The competition can be as laid back or cutthroat as you want it to be.
Are you having trouble wrapping your brain around what people would be drinking out of?
Here are a few of our favorite options to function as inspiration, followed by some cocktail options to serve in them! You can also keep your party seasonal and narrow the theme to fit the time of year — Halloween, Christmas, and Easter are especially fun for an “Everything but a Cup” event! But really, the sky is the limit.
1. A Squirt Gun
An “Everything but a Cup” party is all about being fun and unique, and very few options check both those boxes like a squirt gun. Remember how much fun you had being a kid, just running around in your backyard and shooting your friends with water guns? Imagine how much fun that will be as an adult when you add your favorite drink into the mix!
While a squirt gun may not keep your drink cold, it more than makes up for it with the fun you’ll have squirting your drink into your (or your friend’s) mouth.
When it comes to what to pour into your squirt gun, stick with spirits you can serve straight. Haus Rose Rosé, tequila, or any flavored liquor works well here! Just make sure to wash your squirt gun thoroughly before loading it up.
2. A Blender
Many of the best cocktails are made in a blender, so why not take that one step further and serve or drink your beverages directly out of one! Just be careful to remove the blade so you don’t have any accidents.
Blenders are good for cocktails you want to share or serve in higher quantities, although you may want to choose drinks with a lower ABV to avoid the dreaded morning hangover.
3. Edible Options
Are you worried about waste? No problem! Why not try an edible option to serve drinks out of instead of buying temporary plastic that will eventually end up cluttering the landfill.
There are almost endless edible choices to pick from, and they can be customized to go with whatever drinks you’re planning to have. Fruits and vegetables are the obvious choices but don’t be afraid to get creative. For example, why not serve a cocktail out of a hollowed-out muffin or homemade chocolate cups? The more creative you can be, the better.
4. Sand Buckets
If you’re hosting your “Everything but a Cup” party in the summer, why not match your cup to the theme and have drinks in a sand bucket? While the shape may resemble a traditional cup, it’s a much more exciting, summery, beachy alternative.
If you want to get extra creative, use a fun straw or even the plastic shovels that come with them to get the cocktail from your bucket to your mouth (although this may be more challenging than you’d expect).
5. Food Jars
If you want to surprise your guests, try drinking out of a clean food jar! Imagine their faces when they see you drinking out of an old mayo jar or ranch dressing bottle! Bonus points if you keep the label on and use a cocktail similar in color to what may have initially been in the jar.
Just make sure that the jar has been thoroughly cleaned first. Ranch water may be a fun new cocktail trend, but actual ranch dressing isn’t quite the same taste sensation.
6. A Gas Can
Another way to keep your guests guessing is to enjoy your cocktails from a clean (never used) gas can. Although you won’t be able to show off the physical beauty of your cocktail-making skills, we promise you’ll get plenty of shocked looks when you start taking a swig out of that traditional red gas can. The price of gas may be high, but it only costs a few bucks to shock and surprise your guests.
Drink Ideas for an “Everything but a Cup” Party
Hopefully, you have a few good cup alternatives to get you started. Now, let’s talk cocktail ideas to serve at your “Everything but a Cup” party.
While your drinks should fit in with the theme of whatever you’re drinking them out of, you’ll also want plenty of options for others to fill up their own not-cups.
Here are a few of our Haus favorites:
1. Frozen Moscow Mules
Frozen drinks work well in drinking vessels like the blender or a sand bucket, but why stick with a more traditional option at an untraditional party? Everyone loves the classic Moscow mule, so turn it into a frozen drink and wow your guests.
Here’s your shopping list for four frozen Moscow mules:
- 8 oz vodka
- 12 oz ginger beer
- 3 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 oz simple syrup
Add all the ingredients to a blender and keep adding ice until you get the frozen consistency you’re looking for.
2. The Winter Wonderland
If you’re hosting a festive holiday party and you love peppermint, or you’re just looking for a white cocktail to trick your friends when you drink out of an old mayo jar, we’ve got you. The Winter Wonderland may not be the healthiest cocktail out there (we’re looking at you, heavy cream), but it is one of the most delicious.
Here’s what you’ll need to make four of these minty, festive drinks:
- 8 oz vanilla vodka
- 4 oz white chocolate liquor
- 2 oz white creme de cacao (use clear if white isn’t available)
- 4 oz heavy cream (whole milk or half and half can easily be substituted, but don’t go any lower fat than that)
Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice and shake vigorously for 15 - 30 seconds. Depending on the size of your cocktail shaker, you may need to do this in two batches. You can serve this without ice, which will only enhance the mayo-drinking illusion.
3. Sonoma Sandia Coolers
Want a seasonal summer cocktail that tastes delicious while also looking beautiful? We found that perfect combination with strawberry and basil. And we loved it so much that we bottled it. You can use it to make a bright, refreshing cocktail that can go in any style of drinking vessel.
To make four coolers, you’ll need:
- 12 oz Haus Strawberry Basil apéritif
- 12 oz fresh watermelon juice
- 12 oz chilled sparkling water
Shake the Haus Strawberry Basil and watermelon juice together. Fill four alternative cups with ice and divide the mixture between them. Finish off the drink with 3 oz of sparkling water in each cup!
3. The Spritz
For a quick cocktail that you can gussy up and customize to fit your “Everything but a Cup” party theme, look no further than the spritz. The spritz is one of the original apéritifs from Italy, a country that does laid back and relaxed better than any other in the world. While the original spritz is made with Aperol (a bitter apéritif), you can alter the ingredients and the ratios to fit your personal taste.
Here is what you need to make one Spritz cocktail:
- 2 oz of your favorite apéritif (try Haus Citrus Flower for a bright, warm weather option)
- 2 oz Prosecco
- Splash of sparkling water
Get your glass and gently stir in the first two ingredients. Add in ice and top it off with a splash of sparkling water.
A Unique and Fun Themed Party
If you’re looking for a new spin on hosting an event at your home, look no further than an “Everything but a Cup” party.
These parties force you to be creative and are always a good laugh, which is what we all need in these stressful times. You can even take it one step farther by having a contest at the end to see who has the most unique non-cup alternative.
Don’t settle for another boring party; surprise your guests with something different this year.
Sources:
The American Dinner Party | PSU
8 Parties So Wild They Made It Into History Books | History Channel
How Do You Measure the Percentage of Alcohol in Beer, Wine, and Other Beverages? | NIST
