thatstheSPIRIT.com Rolls Out the Red Carpet with its Annual Guide to Hosting an Award Winning Oscar Party

Decorating and drink ideas for hosting an Academy Awards party.

Toronto, ON (PRWEB) March 2, 2006 -- The 78th annual Academy Awards are almost here and it’s time to put the final touches together for your Oscar watching party. thatstheSPIRIT.com makes it easy with its annual guide to hosting your own “Oscar” Soiree.

“It’s a great night to throw a party, and so easy to create a fun Oscar themed atmosphere to watch the ceremony itself. Even a four hour telecast can be fun with the right drinks, food and decorations” says David Coulter, Head Bartender and party planner from thatstheSPIRIT.com. “Hollywood and parties have such a rich history that there are hundreds of ways to capture the atmosphere of Hollywood at your own party”.

Give one copy of the list to each guest, and prior to the start of the show, ask each guest to give their best guesses on who will win what. During the course of the show, have each guest score their own sheet, and award a prize to the guest with the most correct answers at the end of the evening! Have DVDs (or CD soundtracks) of movies to offer as prizes.

thatstheSPIRIT.com offers a range of drink ideas that tie in to both this year’s Oscar nominees and to previous years honored films. Drink ideas range from classic drinks that share the name of award winning films like Titanic, Moulin Rouge, the Godfather, and Chicago to name just a few. Offering your guests a non alcoholic choice is important and this year the non-alcoholic Cinderella ties in nicely with the awards. For a full list of Oscar party drink ideas visit us at http://www.thatsthespirit.com/en/drinks/articles/Oscar_drinks.asp

Coulter notes “We have always found that a great way to greet guests at an Oscar party is with the classic Manhattan – not only for the obvious movie tie- in, but because a Manhattan when served right can be very classy. A red carpet to your front door, a warm greeting, and a properly presented Manhattan and the evening is off to the right start.” Coulter offers up the Bourbon Manhattan recipe as a great option for this year’s party given both the nominated films and the trendiness and popularity of bourbon.

"Bourbon Manhattan"
Combine in a shaker over ice:
½ oz. sweet vermouth
1 ½ oz bourbon (Jim Beam or Knob Creek)
Dash of angostura Bitters
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Staying with the Oscars theme and making hosting a party easier Coulter also suggests the “Oscars Festive Punch”.

“Oscars Festive Punch"
Combine all of the following in a large punch bowl:
4 oz grenadine
64 oz Schweppes Club Soda
64 oz Schweppes Ginger Ale
1- can frozen lemonade concentrate (thawed)
1- can frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)
64 oz cranberry/raspberry cocktail
64 oz pineapple juice
optional: Orange and lemon slices and mint leaves
Keep a bottle of vodka or rum nearby to allow your guests to make their serving alcoholic. Use a large block of ice to keep the punch cold longer and undiluted.

In addition to drink and food ideas thatstheSPIRIT.com also offers many decorating tips including:

• Start your decorating outside the front door of your party location. Roll out the red carpet for your guests by using rolls of red carpet from curbside to the entry doors.
• Sprinkle stars in all sizes over everything: entryways, tables, ceilings, walls, or tucked inside invitations.
• Use life-sized cutouts of Hollywood legends around your party rooms to make guests feel they are truly in Tinsel Town. Use props like director’s chairs and cameras and lights to add that Hollywood feel.
• Nothing will make your Hollywood Party glitter more than covering your tables in silver or gold. This will add to the elegant tone of the evening.
• Have a photographer available to take plenty of pictures to capture the magic of the evening. Create a photo backdrop, and encourage all the guests to stop by to have a "formal" picture taken.
• For more informal photographs recruit a friend or hire an amateur photographer to come dressed as the "Stalking Paparazzi". Guests will genuinely feel like celebrities with this camera-toting hound on the loose!

thatstheSPIRIT.com even offers a simple idea for making “Best Sound Editing” a highlight of the evening:

“Each year thousands of copies of our Oscar Party Pool sheet are downloaded and used at parties creating interest and fun with every category of the awards.” says David Coulter. “Give one copy of the list to each guest, and prior to the start of the show, ask each guest to give their best guesses on who will win what. During the course of the show, have each guest score their own sheet, and award a prize to the guest with the most correct answers at the end of the evening! Have DVDs (or CD soundtracks) of movies to offer as prizes.”

Visit http://www.thatstheSPIRIT.com for more great ideas on throwing an award winning, Academy Award party.

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