Booze & Vinyl Vol. 2

Art of the Boozy Listening Party

We grew up in a house with a turntable in the living room and parents who relaxed on the weekends by hosting listening parties—an excuse to enjoy music and mixed drinks. As kids raised in a low-fi household, it never would have occurred to us that we would one day write a book called Booze & Vinyl together, let alone two books in a series! We are ecstatic that we have been able to share our passion for drinking and listening with so many people.

When we wrote Booze & Vinyl, we could feel the meteoric momentum behind LPs, and with events such as Record Store Day and mass access to inexpensive personal turntables, vinyl has made a massive comeback. In 2020, vinyl sales surpassed CDs for the first time since the 1980s. They’ve gone from relic to relevant. The mainstreaming of the format has been a thrill to watch, and we got to see it firsthand on our Booze & Vinyl book tour in 2018 when we rode from New York to Nashville in a mobile listening party bus with Crosley Turntables.

We hope this new book encourages you to unplug, lower the lights, and set out a few glasses. Pick a record. You’re about to slip through a magical musical portal that encompasses many eras and many styles of music, from rock ’n’ roll to hip-hop to dance to country to lush club sounds and world beats. Many of these albums represent turning points in music history, or bands and singers who broke records by being firsts in their categories. So, think of this as a music history class with benefits. And what are those benefits? A curated list of epic music paired with hand-crafted cocktails that connect to a song or songwriter in a unique way. May this book expand your taste in all ways, to new music and to new cocktails. We hope you find a signature drink to savor over and over—just like a favorite song.

How to Use This Book

In this book, a companion to Booze & Vinyl (Running Press, 2018), we have compiled seventy more groundbreaking albums—from 1956 to 2016. We’ve organized them chronologically within four chapters: Rockin’, Beats, Mellow, and Jazzy & Bluesy. Each album is paired with a Side A and Side B cocktail. To help you craft a vibe, we’ve listed listening party suggestions under When to Spin so you can match music to a mood. Need an album for a boozy brunch? Check out the B-52s (here). A holiday party? Drop some Nat King Cole (here).

Host the Ultimate Listening Party

Whether you’re new to entertaining or a seasoned red-carpet host, here you’ll find a few magic tricks we think may improve your weekends, your relationships, and your ability to truly chill out as you prepare to drop the needle and pick up your cocktail shaker.

Invite people to bring a record—and maybe a bottle or a snack.

First of all, don’t feel that you have to do all the work. Pick a theme and ask people to pony up a bottle of bourbon, a record from the ’90s, or a dish to pass. Don’t forget that you can also reach out in advance and ask someone to help bartend, or appoint a pair of DJs. If you’re able to share in the fun, your guests will feel at ease. No one can relax around a stressed host.

Always hand people a drink the minute they step through the door.

Nothing is more welcoming than a cold beverage. Pop a bottle of Prosecco, cava, crémant, or even hard cider when you hear footsteps in the hall. Your first guest (and last!) will thank you for helping them avoid awkward small talk. Open the door, take their coat, hand them a glass. They will immediately relax.

Batch at least one cocktail in advance if you have four or more guests.

For small bashes, you might as well shake and stir as you go—you’ll find our crash course on home bartending in the back, along with a list of large-format drink recipes (here). Just keep in mind that you can usually fit about three drinks in a cocktail shaker. BUT, if you’re hosting more than four friends, you might want to batch something so you don’t spend all your time behind the bar.

Turn the lights down.

A listening party is a great excuse to hang up a festive string of lights or change out the bright bulbs in your lamps and insert a few colored ones, or at least something soft and dim. You could even invest in a lava lamp, or pick up a few candles. Then, settle back and listen.

Offer snacks to relax.

If you’re going to take the time to make drinks and pull vinyl, you might as well clear your coffee table, set out a candle and a plant, and arrange a few treats, along with some napkins. Set out a cheese board or some dips and spreads, and your friends will feel taken care of. Finger foods make people feel at home—fact. Take a tip from the Italians who are so good at aperitivo (Italian happy hour), and put out several little bites, along with plates or napkins. Then, let everyone help themselves.

We’ve created a few quick recipes and party boards that could easily fit into any listening party situation: