ET LØFTE EVENTS

ALL HAIL THE MARTINI

It's a little known fact that signature drinks are a cost effective way to reducing your bar costs for any function. But one bar option that is often overlooked is the Martini Bar.

The Martini has long been associated with class and sophistication. From the sleek design of its container to the hundreds of flavour and colour options to the unique styles of swizzle sticks and garnishes. But with that association of class and sophistication comes the assumption that Martini Bars are only for the elite or high-end functions -- racking up costs well beyond the average budget. Not so. In fact, Martini Bars can be a cost effective alternative to the traditional host bar.

Whether it is offering a dry bar in conjunction with a few Martini choices or having a vast array Martinis as the only option, Martinis can add flair to your function without necessarily driving up the costs.

How? It's simple really -- those who don't like Martinis will opt for the non-alcoholic beverages and those who do will have a blast choosing from the many chic options.

Our fave company here in Toronto is The Martini Club International Inc -- beverage alcohol experts and innovators in the field of mixology and cocktail design who provide unique themed cocktails for any function. Owned by Michelle Hunt and Laura Panter and the first specialized bar catering service in Canada, The Martini Club has provided unique themed cocktails for over seven years and for some very high-end clients including the Toronto International Film Festival, CTV, Alliance Atlantis and Sony Entertainment.

Armed with endless ideas, The Martini Club offers cutting edge cocktail design with a full array of unique flavours. Here are just a few that strike our fancy:

The Pumpkin Patch (well-chilled vodka rinsed with sake, sprinkled with toasted salted pumpkin seeds)

The Spring Fling (rum shaken with banana liqueur, pineapple juice and a touch of light cream, garnished with a pineapple spear and a maraschino cherry)

The Baroque Martini (Tanqueray Ten gin stirred over ice, served with Johnnie Walker rinse and garnished with a Gorgonzola-stuffed olive)

Death by Chocolate (dark creme de cacao blended with Kahlua, a wisp of chocolate syrup and a scoop of chocolate ice cream, topped with a float of cherry brandy and garnished with a maraschino cherry)

Don't want alcohol? The Martini Club also offers a wide selection of unique flavoured mock-tails including The Sunrise Blend, The Soda Shop Cola and The Cherry Ale as well as the more traditional bar fare like wine and beer.

The minimum booking rate for The Martini Club is based on four hours but you can have them remain for as long as you like for an additional per hour fee. They provide all the necessary liquor, garnishes and mixes for the feature cocktails (at cost!) as well as beer, wine, flat and sparkling water and including staff, bar management and mixologists (the number of mixologists is determined by the number of guests)! The cool factor? They also provide cocktail menus for your guests!

Martini Club rates are determined by a few factors including the number of guests but to give you a rough idea of cost, for a function with 100 - 130 attendees you can expect to pay approximately $2000 - $2200 for four hours of service.

Considering that the average "Bar package" for most venues sits at roughly $30 per head (tallying to $3000 for 100 guests), how could you go wrong with a martini bar that adds elegance and innovation with a touch of chic to your function and can be just as cost efficient if not more?

Cheers!