Every year, Andy Cohen throws a holiday party, and no, we’re not talking about New Year’s Eve events on CNN which he celebrated with his best friend Anderson Cooper – However he loves it that one, as you may have seen on TV. We’re talking about the annual shindig he holds for his friends at his apartment. One of his best tips for throwing a successful party? Make sure you have the right mix of people.
“That’s super important,” he said of the guest list. “You want fun people, you want people who will contribute, and if you’re looking for drama, invite a few haters and see how it goes. I also like that.
“The unexpected guests are also really interesting. Invite a few people your other friends don’t want to see and don’t tell them,” he added. “Because friends these days are like ‘Who’s coming, who’s coming?’ So leave a few names off the list for an element of surprise. They’ll say, ‘You won’t believe what happened at Andy’s party, guess who showed up!’ It’s very interesting.”
Below, he tells us some other secret essentials to having the most epic festival.
Host Andy Cohen’s Party Essentials
“The key to having a great party is the vibe, and for me that includes having a disco,” says Cohen. “I own a large gold one. I always had a disco ball, and I had one in every apartment I lived in.”
“Nosh is really important, but what you serve depends on the timing of your party,” says Cohen. “If it’s called at 6 o’clock, you need to feed your guests a lot. Mine would be 9 o’clock. I’m a late night person, and I want to throw a late night party. I want people to go out to dinner and feed themselves before they arrive.” He added, “I won’t have a big old ham; I don’t eat roast beef. I don’t want to see your dirty plates, forks and napkins all over my apartment. What I’m going to do is get you drunk around 9 p.m., and I’ll have a ton of trivia: I’ll have cheese and crackers, I’ll have guac, I’ll have fries. And I won’t think too much about it. Those are the snacks everyone wants when drinking at a party.”
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Simplicity is the key. Cohen uses the Alexa Echo to customize his holiday routine, with both music and smart plugs connected to the device. He said of his Alexa: “I have a whole routine that makes a vibe and it’s all tied to it. “It’s as simple as when I say, ‘Alexa, light it up,’ and the lights and music on the Christmas tree will come on.” (A digital fireplace also appeared on his Fire TV.) “Thanks, dramatic vibe!” he says. “Now I just need my bar and a little snack, and I’m ready to go.”
“I am also a candle maker,” he said, noting that he liked Diptyque’s Baies Perfume. But he can’t throw a party without loads of twinkling lights, like this string light curtain that works both indoors and outdoors. He said: “I think lighting is extremely important for every party. “I have dimmer switches on every light switch in every room of the house, including in Ben’s room. But you must have twinkling lights for a party. I have tons of them.”
When it comes to stocking the bar, Cohen says he always has to have tequila and vodka on hand. To keep things simple, he also has ready-to-drink cans available. “I love Fresca Mixed, which is Fresca and tequila or Fresca and vodka mixed together,” he said. “Those are cocktails that I would make myself, but the pre-mixed version is always great and easy to serve at a party.”
“I’ve always been a fake Christmas tree maker,” says Cohen. “Mine is quite large and has a lot of lights built into it. That’s all you need, really. Also, it’s good for the environment and simply put it up year after year.” He added that he was also never in a hurry to tear it down. “I keep my activity going until mid-January – I just think it’s a super fun festival.”
Cohen is all about clothing for the occasion. “I think plaid sweaters are always great for the holidays,” he said. He’s also a fan of plaid pants like this Brooks Brothers tuxedo. “I have a pair of plaid pants to wear to a party, and they are great. They scream the holidays, and they make my ass look great. They are my party pants!”
