Oscar Party Tips

This weekend the 82nd Academy Awards are taking place and many people will be hosting their own Oscar parties on Sunday night. I'm living out of boxes at the moment so I won't be hosting any Oscar parties of my own but I will be watching the show and "Twittering Live" for Cinebeats.

I thought I'd share some last minute Oscar party tips including mid-century hors d'oeuvre recipes and some links to other helpful sites where you can find cocktail and menu ideas.

If you were hosting an Oscar party in 1958 you might have made some of the hors d'oeuvres featured in the following ad for Seagram's Golden Gin. I haven't tried any of them myself but some of them will probably look familiar since a lot of these hors d'oeuvres haven't changed all that much since 1958. Just click on the image to see the ad fullsize.

If you're looking for more current menu ideas you could always borrow some from Wolfgang Puck's official menu for the 2010 Academy Awards Governor's Ball. This annual Oscar after-party is well-known for it's Academy Award winning attendees and its fabulous menu which was posted by Hadley Tomicki over at the Grub Street Los Angeles blog.

Need some cocktail ideas? I highly recommend visiting Miss Charming's site where she has collected various cocktail and drink recipes from classic Hollywood films. Ever wonder what drinks were served in Casablanca? Curious about what Bette Davis drank in Now, Voyager or what drink Barbra Streisand sipped in Funny Girl? You'll find all those answers and more at Miss Charming' Silver Screen Cocktails 1900s-1960s page.


Stars gather for an Oscar after-party in 1958

If you need more beverage ideas check out the Hollywood Cocktails page at About.com where you'll find alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail recipes perfect for all ages such as the Hollywood Martini, The Red Carpet, the Roy Rogers, the Scarlet O'Hara, the Shirley Temple and The Graduate.

Last but not least, the official Oscar site also features a helpful page devoted to Oscar party planning. The Oscar Party Kit contains a lot of great recipes for drinks and hors d'oeuvres, as well as party game ideas and more.

Even if you aren't planning your own Oscar party this year you can use all of the ideas above for hosting special movie nights with friends or if you just want to throw a Hollywood inspired theme party.