Nobody wants to be the one stuck making drinks at their own hen do or summer party. But a table of prosecco and a bag of crisps isn't a party either. The middle ground is a self-serve cocktail set-up: it looks like you hired someone, takes ten minutes to prepare and runs itself.
These are the five we recommend most — and every one of them is 75ml of mix, 50ml of spirit and ice.
1. The Pornstar Martini bar
Best for: hen parties, birthdays, anything with fizz.
Pre-batch Pornstar Martini Mix and vodka (75:50) in a pretty bottle the night before. On the table: the batch on ice, a shaker or two, coupes, a bowl of halved passion fruit and a bottle of prosecco in a bucket with shot glasses. Guests shake their own — it's half the fun — and pour a side of fizz.
Make it a moment: a chalkboard reading "Shake for 10, sip the prosecco" and a garnish station of dehydrated pineapple is all the styling you need.
The hen party favouritePornstar Martini Mix — 750ml, makes 10£11.25 · just add vodkaShop now →
2. The Margarita station
Best for: garden parties, barbecues, taco nights.
Margaritas don't need shaking, which makes them the lowest-effort option here. Two jugs — classic and chilli — a bucket of ice, and a plate of salt with lime wedges so guests rim their own glasses. Put out a bowl of dehydrated lime wheels and let people choose their heat.
Quantities: one bottle of each mix plus one 70cl bottle of tequila covers 20 Margaritas.
3. Strawberry Daiquiris, two ways
Best for: afternoon garden parties, baby showers with a mocktail option.
Shaken over ice, the Strawberry Daiquiri is bright and summery. Blended with ice, it's a frozen daiquiri and the most photographed drink at any party. Set a blender next to the batch, tape a recipe card to it (125ml batch, one cup of ice, blitz) and leave the rest to your guests. Batch a second bottle with water instead of rum — it's indistinguishable in a glass, which matters when not everyone's drinking.
4. The Garden Martini for the gin table
Best for: anyone who says "I'm more of a gin person".
Apple and elderflower with gin, served straight up or over ice with soda for a longer drink. It's the lightest, most refreshing drink in the range and quietly disappears on a hot afternoon. Garnish with a thin apple slice or a dehydrated lemon wheel.
For the gin drinkersGarden Martini Mix — 750ml, makes 10£11.25 · just add ginShop now →
5. The "pick three" trio table
Best for: mixed crowds where you can't agree on a drink.
Order the Mix & Match Trio, set out the three bottles with their matching spirits, a stack of glasses, ice and a printed card: "75ml mix, 50ml spirit, shake with ice." Everyone makes their own and nobody argues about the menu. For 20 guests, two Trios.
Three flavours, free deliveryMix & Match Trio — any 3 bottles£30 · 30 cocktailsBuild your trio →
The shopping list
For a party of 12–15 with two cocktails on offer:
- 3 bottles of mix (one Trio) — 30 cocktails
- 2 bottles of spirit (70cl)
- 6–8kg of ice, plus a bucket and scoop
- Glasses: coupes or tumblers, one per guest plus spares
- Garnishes: two packs of Thirsty Fruit
- A shaker — the Mini Shaker is sized for one or two drinks and fits in a picnic bag
- Prosecco if you're doing Pornstar Martinis
Total for the drinks: around £30 of mix, £40 of spirit, a fiver of ice. Roughly £2.50 a cocktail.
Make the table look like a bar
- Height: put the bottles on a crate or a stack of books so it isn't flat.
- One big ice bucket beats six small ones.
- Label everything. Kraft luggage tags on the bottles, a chalkboard for the "menu".
- Garnishes in small bowls with tongs, not bags.
- Line up the glasses. It reads "bar" instantly.
Hen party extras
Turn the cocktail-making into the activity: split into teams, hand each a bottle and a shaker, and have the bride judge. Our Cocktail Lovers Gift Box — a bottle of your choice, Mini Shaker and garnish — makes a neat prize or a bride-to-be present that actually gets used.
The bride's presentCocktail Lovers Gift Box£26 · free UK deliveryShop now →
And if you'd rather not lift a finger
For bigger hen weekends, weddings and garden parties across Dorset, Hampshire and the South West, our mobile bars come with the team, the ice, and the frozen cocktail machine. You just choose the menu.