The Cocktail Shaker Boys had been invited to appear at the Ridgeway School’s Ladies shopping night. We guess their ulterior motive was to ply the ladies of Market Harborough with small samples of some of our stunning cocktails, so that they got in the party mood and spent more! Who knows, but it seemed to work…..

Cocktail Shaker Boys supporting the Ridgeway School's fundraiser

Well done to Kathy Green, Kate Jones and the other members of the organising committee. Their fund-raising activities helped generate £750 of new funds. This will go towards buying new climbing apparatus at the school.

We served up small samples of some of our cocktails which included the old classic the Cosmopolitan (vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice & lime cordial if you’re interested) and we ‘road tested’ a new one ; the Colonisation of the Dark World which is our take on the Black Russian http://hsba.biz/food/2011/07/03/is-it-possible-to-improve-on-a-black-russian-yes-it-sure-is/ is the link if you want the full story and ingredients.

It was great to see so many other small businesses there too. And a great idea to position us next to the locally famous Melody Cakes. Fantastic cakes, honestly, we keep testing them to check! www.melodycakes.webeden.co.uk for more details.

Busy time coming up, but then that’s the nature of our business. Helping people enjoy themselves! Oh well, someone has to do it.

We have birthday parties in Leicester, a social club Christmas party, as well as the 2 over New Year : one serving cocktails to a group in Leicester and a new format we’re trying for Market Harborough over new year.

Cocktail party guests - Coventry 40th birthday

Slightly different menu which featured the following 5 cocktails and 2 mocktails ;

• Mojito – which frankly looks like a glass of fizzy water with a tree growing out of the top but a great summer (!) refreshing drink. We’ll post our recipe in a future article.
• Cosmopolitan – by special request of the hostess and the most popular drink on the menu we’d say
• Grasshopper – a regular of our menus as it is sooo popular
• Green Apple Martini – again one of the very favourites
• Tequila Sunrise – still one of the most dramatic looking drinks and a real fruity classic

Our picture features from left : Tequila Sunrise, Green Apple Martini and Grasshopper

Plus the mocktails

• China Blue - blue gorgeousness in a sling glass with an unusual and exotic flavour.
• Merry Berry Cherry - featured heavily on this site.

Many more gigs coming up, a busy time – need to get practising. Also some new cocktails will be featured in some of our future parties. Recipes will appear here – eventually once we’ve tested market reaction!

Many Grasshopper cocktails were served in Harborough at 40th party

And that’s in addition to the joint 40th party we ran with a full team of 4 at Kibworth Rugby Club, serving cocktails to 140 guests. It seems the fantastically minty chocolatey Grasshopper is a firm favourite : liquid Aero is how most people describe it. However the Nigella Lawson Green apple Martini which we make with Gin also has many converts.

However with last night’s party we also served up lots of our classic 2 mocktails – alcohol free cocktails : the Merry Berry Cherry and the China Blue.

Party host with a cocktail shaker boy - summer cocktails at your home

So what’s next in the experimental world of the Cocktail Shaker Boys? Well, we’re interested in developing an idea to provide cold shots to guests on arrival. However we need some portable way of transporting glasses in something freezing. Anyone got any ideas? info@cocktailshakerboys.co.uk if you have.

Catch us on Twitter

The Cocktail Shaker Boys are on Twitter of course. http://twitter.com/CocktlShkrBoys for the latest musings.

Not sure WHY we’re on Twitter, but everyone else is, so thought we don’t want to miss out on whatever it is !! If you know what Twitter is all about, perhaps you can send us a tweet ! What we do know about is cocktails ….

Not available through Twitter

Andrew Seaward of Cocktail Shaker Boys and Esther of client EPB toasting a successful night

Read more at http://www.cocktailshakerboys.co.uk/index.php/news/corporate-entertaining-with-cocktails-for-250-guests/

We love making cocktails, and if you’re here we guess you love drinking them.

Cocktails at your place - just imagine the fun!

We also welcome questions, suggestions and comments.  We continue to run a small scale marketing campaign in Harborough, so we hope you see our name about. We’ve been on Harborough FM with Moley discussing how to make stunning cocktails at home. We’re also hoping to be on one of the Leicester stations too soon talking about Christmas cocktails. There has also been a short write up in the Harborough Mail and a piece in the high quality WOW magazine. To read more about the 3 main services on offer follow this link http://www.cocktailshakerboys.co.uk/index.php/about/

What else do we do? Well, we can hire you cocktail glasses, we run presentations on cocktails covering the history of spirits and liqueurs and how to start experimenting with your own cocktail making. Chances are if it involves cocktails, we do it!

So whatever your event, and whether it is in Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Northampton, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Milton Keynes, Melton Mowbray, Oadby, Loughborough, Leicester, Great Bowden, Kibworth, Oakham, Uppingham, Rutland, Birmingham or Coventry we have the cocktails plus the know-how !

January 2010 update - Cocktail Shaker Boys business has expanded significantly over the last few months. We now run cocktail parties at corporate events and functions for groups of up to 250 guests. We also run events and can support you with your wedding reception cocktails or special party in Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Leicester, Northampton, Derby, Nottingham, Cambridge, Sutton Coldfield and Coventry.