Raise a Glass! Here's How to Set Up a Beverage Station

Get ready for a perfect summer party with a refreshing beverage station!

We are all looking for a glass of chilled, refreshing drink to quench our thirst at a summer party. And if there's a beverage station - that's perfection right there. Drinks stations are a need for a summer party, especially if it's outdoors.

They are a convenient yet elegant way of serving drinks. Plus, they allow the host to enjoy the event because they are not serving drinks the whole time. So, setting up a self-serving beverage station would help you a lot.

A beverage station can be as fancy or as simple as you want. Here's a simple guide to setting up an elegant beverage station using not too many tools.

Set up a Table

The first step of setting up a drinks station is placing a table. You can use a standing serving tray as well. Now it doesn't need to be fancy and all - it can be something simple already present in your house. Place it in the right place, and it would be good. By the 'right place,' we mean a location where it is accessible to everyone.

Table selection doesn't take much time but choosing the right tablecloth can. It is best if you match the beverage table with the rest of the decor. If you have a color theme for the event, make sure to get the tablecloth in matching colors.

Make a Menu Card

Making a menu card is a simple step. You don't have to go through the drill of making one with an app and printing it.

Simply take a rectangular piece of chart paper and write the drink's name on it using a sharpie. Next, punch two holes on the sides and tie the menu by the dispenser via string. Finally, you can place the menu card on the table or hang it by the dispenser's lid.

You can also make a large hanging sign for the wall as decor. For example, you can write something like 'Quench Your Thirst' or 'Be Your Own Bartender.'

Pick Elegant Drinkware Glasses

The glassware you use has a lot of impact on the overall looks of your beverage station. So make sure you choose elegant plastic drinkware.

Stack up plastic drinking glasses at your beverage station. Have more glasses than the number of guests, so everyone has their drinkware glasses.

If you hate washing dishes - get disposable plastic cups - especially when you have a crowd. If you have difficulty finding drinkware that's both elegant and durable, visit The Kaya Collection and find yourself the best glassware.

If you are using disposable cups, put a sharpie on the table so the guests can have personalized drinkware for themselves. Then, allow them to take their personalized glasses home. They would feel important that way.

Edible Decor

There's no need for elaborate decor when you can decorate with the things you already have. For example, put flowers in a highball glass and place them in the center.

We have another great idea; fill up ice cube trays with fresh flowers and water the day before the event. Once they freeze, put them in glasses and pour the drinks on top. You can imagine how beautiful they will look when you serve them to the guests. Of course, you can also put those ice cubes in the dispensers, but in that case, you will need a lot of them.

Spread bright yellow lemons and bright green limes on the table for a perfect summer vibrance.

Oh, and dried flowers make pretty alluring decor also. Edible dried flowers include rose petals, lavender, and marigold. Place them in a clear glass and enjoy their vibrance.

Even though they are not edible, mini planters make stunning decor for your beverage station. They make a perfect combination with flowers or fruits. And since we are talking about refreshments in summer, we cannot forget plants.

Fill a Drink Dispenser with Drinks

Do you know how professional caterers set up drinks stations so beautifully? Their beverage dispensers are what steal the spotlight.

Oh, and dried flowers make pretty alluring decor also. Edible dried flowers include rose petals, lavender, and marigold. Place them in a clear glass and enjoy their vibrance.

Even though they are not edible, mini planters make stunning decor for your beverage station. They make a perfect combination with flowers or fruits. And since we are talking about refreshments in summer, we cannot forget plants.

Fill a Drink Dispenser with Drinks

Do you know how professional caterers set up drinks stations so beautifully? Their beverage dispensers are what steal the spotlight.

If you expect a lot of guests, beverage dispensers are the ideal choice. So get a pretty dispenser and fill it with edible decor and colorful drinks.

While a drinks dispenser is a top choice for beverage stations, you can use pitchers if you don't want to spend extra on the dispenser. In that case, you must at least have three or four pitchers filled with drinks.

Regarding beverage dispensers, the trend is more toward infused drinks. They are refreshing, easy to make, and serve a crowd. You can make any drinks of your choice - peach punch, sparkling watermelon, or cucumber and Mint Agua Fresca. The recipe for Agua Fresca is shared below.

If you have bottled drinks, put them in a large bucket partially filled with ice. That way, they will serve elegantly and stay chill throughout the event.

Garnishes and Drink Caddy

Garnishing drinks is another game; colorful fruits like cherry, mango, watermelon, and citrus fruit slices add vibrance to the beverage station.

Take cute little bowls and fill them with mango, strawberry, and watermelon slices. Then, place lime slices and orange slices in a tray for added effect.

Like any other bar, your beverage station should have a drink caddy. Fill it with stirrers, colorful straws, cocktail umbrellas, and colorful spoons.

Agua Fresca

What keeps you cool on a hot summer day is Agua Fresca. It's a Spanish drink made with cucumbers, lime, and mint.

Slice 4 cucumbers, peel them, and put them in a blender with mint. After about 5 minutes of blending, strain the cucumber juice and pour it into a pitcher or a beverage dispenser.

Dissolve ½ cup sugar in ½ cup lime juice and pour that into the dispenser too. Top with ice and water, and throw in cucumber slices. Mix and your refreshing Agua Fresca is ready.

Now that you know the details of setting up a beverage station, we believe you are ready for a refreshing summer get-together. Trust us - the beverage station will be the piece de resistance of your event. So make a drink station at your next event and say 'Cheers!'