Planning an event for a group of friends can be stressful. From deciding where to go, when to meet, and what plates to share that fit everyone’s budgets, many a group chat has descended into chaos from the options. We here at Apéros Frenchies feel your pain! If you think planning for 10 friends is difficult, imagine what planning for 200 people looks like? Don’t worry, we’re here to help, let’s plan an apéro within the comfort of your own home!
The Food
If you’ve been keeping up with our apéro series you know what an apéro is! Thankfully for us, the rules are fluid, and you can feature any variety of snacks and appetizers to accommodate all palates and dietary restrictions. The key to success here is preparation! Be sure to make a list of your favorite cheeses, charcuterie, and accompanying vegetables.
I don’t know about you, but the selection in my local Monoprix is incredible, and I can only pronounce half of the names! So, don’t be shy about asking for help if you get overwhelmed. Our Event and Communications Manager Fanny Bertalan recommends a mix of several snack foods, “be sure to grab both cold & warm to combine with salty & sweet – the table needs to be filled with many choices”. Be sure to pay attention to seasonal offerings, and buy some interesting snacks to go along with the classic favorites.
Our Community Manager Sara Fitussi recommends looking out for unique flavors and being adventurous, “flavored saucisson is for the real pros, look out for regional specialties with olives, cheese, or nuts”. Maybe you will get lucky and your curiosity will be rewarded with a sample at your local fromagerie?
Your Plate
Now comes the fun part: the presentation! Feel free to get creative and cut your fromage et saucisson into perfect bite-sized pieces. Put unlikely flavor combinations next to each other and get ready to enjoy your lovely creation. Paris Frenchies, If you’re not the creative type you can of course still order a premade board from the popular 17.45! You’ll need to move fast though as their operation Cochon Vide finishes tomorrow 27 of March.
Frankfurt Frenchies, be sure to check out Die Fromagerie for all of your cheese needs! We heard a rumor you might still be able to borrow their raclette and fondu machines. Find out more on their Facebook page, and be sure to follow safety directives if you do decide to leave your home. Safety first! When placing an order, be sure to add truffle Cheese to your assortment, our COO & Co-Founder highly recommends it!
The Drinks
Once you have your appetizers sorted out, its time to move to the aperitifs! Of course, there are the classic wine and beer, but here at Apéros Frenchies, we love Lillet! Conviviality is the keyword, but be sure to keep the drinks light and refreshing. Classic apéro drinks include a glass of champagne, the french classic pastis, gin, or any still, dry, light white wine. It’s really up to your personal preference!
Your Glass
At a typical Apéros Frenchies event, you will find us drinking a variety of aperitifs depending on the setting. The ever-popular gin tonic can be spotted in the hands of many attendants, but the real crowd-pleaser at our rooftop events is the Lillet tonic! Luckily for us, recreating this drink at home is as easy as 1-2-3:
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- Fill your glass with ice cubes
- Add 10cl of Lillet (blanc/rosé/rouge)
- Just a splash of tonic water (to taste)
- Throw in some cucumber slices or maybe some citrus fruit
- Santé!
So what are you waiting for? Grab a bottle of Lillet before your next apéro and impress your friends with your new cocktail making skills! The next time you are attending an apéro be sure to pick up a bottle of something appropriate along the way. Feel free to tag us in all your upcoming At Home Apéros with the hashtag #shareyourapero. We look forward to seeing your drinks and yummy charcuterie boards soon.
Happy Hosting!