Khanyi Mlaba
Give your party a chic focal point with a beautifully styled drinks table. The bonus is that guests will be encouraged to help themselves so you can enjoy yourself. Here are some tips for styling a drinks table.
“Gin bars and gin cocktails are all the rage,” says events specialist Stefan Norval of Afresh Event and Design in Jo’burg. “This is why I’ve styled a drinks table where guests are encouraged to mix their own.”
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The timber-topped table in his Hyde Park apartment provided the perfect surface as there’s plenty of space for glasses and mixers. “Start by deciding on a colour theme; I chose rich yellow-gold which looks beautiful against the wooden surface and the dark green foliage. Your display doesn’t necessarily have to be symmetrical but it should be balanced and include contrasting heights and shapes. I like grouping items on trays or boards to create structure. My secret is small brown bowls which I use to lift up items. Thanks to their colour, you don’t notice them.”
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For this gin-themed party, Stefan included a variety of gins, herbs such as rosemary, basil and mint, cracked black pepper, coarse salt and a selection of fruit. “The combination of strawberry and basil with gin and ruby grapefruit juice is sublime.”
