ST. LOUIS, (PRNewswire-FirstCall) — The holiday season is upon us, and party planning is in full swing. Whether it’s a small celebration with family and friends or a big to-do, hosts can enhance the merriment by
ensuring guests get home safely at the end of the evening.
“Festive music and delicious food and drink are key elements of any holiday celebration, but being a responsible host can be the most important,” said John Kaestner, vice president of Consumer Affairs for
Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. “Making sure your friends have a safe ride home is the best gift you can give your loved ones during the holidays.”
Follow these tips from Anheuser-Busch’s “Great Party Guide” to keep your festivities both fun and safe:
* Offer a variety of good foods with alcohol beverages. The web site http://www.herestobeer.com offers food and beer pairing suggestions.
* Offer non-alcohol beverages for the designated drivers, such as O’Doul’s, O’Doul’s Amber, 180, and where available, 180 Sport or 180 Blue with Acai.
* Serve each guest one drink at a time. Spacing drinks throughout a party can help guests stay within their personal limits. Never force drinks on anyone.
* Serve measured drinks. Unlike other alcohol beverages, beer and flavored malt beverages contain 4.2 to 6 percent alcohol by volume and come in standard-sized packages, so it’s easy for guests to keep track
of how much they’re drinking.
* The amount of time during which an alcohol beverage is consumed greatly impacts how alcohol is absorbed into the body. Beer is widely recognized as a beverage of moderation.
* Stop serving alcohol beverages at least one hour before the party ends. Serve desserts and other foods, coffee and soft drinks. But remember, none of these eliminate alcohol from the body — only the passage of
time will do that.
* Encourage guests to designate a driver when they arrive or ask someone to spend the night if he or she may have had too much to drink.