Make Every Day a Cause for Celebration with These Tips for Hosting Happy Hour at Home

It’s called “happy hour” for a reason—whether it’s celebrating the end of the work week or simply spending time with loved ones, it's always a joyous occasion. While most think of these gatherings occurring at bars or restaurants, home and hosting content creator Savannah K. Barry has perfected the art of happy hour at home. From her sunny Texas patio, Barry whips up seasonal drinks, plays games with her husband, and invites friends over for laid-back hangs—all captured in the viral videos that helped grow her TikTok following to 100,000.

Barry shares her must-try tips for hosting happy hour at home, no matter where you live or what size space you have. "Your space might be small, but you can create that happy hour vibe anywhere," she says.

Tips for Hosting Happy Hour at Home

Barry says hosting happy hour at home is as simple as having something to eat, something to drink, and friends to enjoy it with. "It’s just bringing a pitcher of margaritas out on the patio at 4 p.m. on a Friday and creating some type of appetizer that goes along with the margaritas," she says. "It’s really that easy."

While the happy hours can be as simple or detailed as you want, Barry has a handful of tried-and-true tips she uses while hosting her own.

1. Set Aside Prep Time

Barry says one of the most important aspects of hosting is preparing beforehand. She recommends setting aside time for party prep. "I try to prep as much as I can before guests arrive so I can be in the moment."

For example, if your friends arrive for happy hour at 5 p.m., use the hours between noon and 3 p.m. to prep any food and produce you can set aside for later. Then, you can get yourself and your home ready after 3 p.m. without being rushed.

While party prep might not be everyone's favorite aspect of hosting, Barry says prepping for happy hours is one of her favorite parts of the process. If you dread the preparation of entertaining, she recommends making it feel like a special event. "I think you can have fun with it," she says. "Throw your hair up, soundtrack the moment with your favorite main character songs, and set the scene."

Barry, a proud Virgo who loves to clean and curate her home, says that for her, the act of preparing to host guests is therapeutic and beautiful. "This ritual feels like an act of love to myself and my home."

2. Offer a Coordinating Drink and Appetizer

Aside from catching up with loved ones, a good drink and appetizer are the main draws for happy hours. Barry says she prefers to prepare a special drink for guests with a coordinating appetizer. For example, on her social media, Barry showed a happy hour with tomato martinis (lovingly referred to as tomatinis) and fancy bagel bites. Another food and drink combo she's whipped up is frozen pineapple cocktails with a blood orange, citrus salad. When in doubt, Barry makes a seasonal cocktail and pairs it with a snack plate of fruit, chips, cheese, and veggies.

Barry often looks to her local restaurants and bars when deciding what to make for happy hour. While she uses local menus for inspiration, she says she always puts her own unique twists on the drinks and dishes. She also likes to incorporate seasonal produce, so oftentimes her menu will be inspired by a certain fruit or vegetable.

3. Have Activities on Deck

According to Barry, it's rare if someone doesn't start playing a game (or two or three) before happy hour's over. If happy hour is outside on her patio, Barry says she likes to play darts with her friends. If the party moves inside, she always has a deck of conversation cards on hand.

"I am that friend who will skip the small talk and go into your dreams and your goals and your childhood," Barry says. Rummikub, Catan, and trivia are some of Barry's other go-to games for groups.

4. Create an Atmosphere

Since Barry was once a wedding photographer, she has plenty of experience understanding and curating an atmosphere. While lighting candles and using thrifted decor and serveware help, Barry says there's one necessity for setting the tone—a good playlist.

"I’m used to stepping into spaces that are really important to people, and I’m always surprised by the music," she says. Instead of turning on a shuffle of songs you don't know or care about, Barry suggests curating an intentional playlist to play during your happy hour.

"Make a playlist of music that you really, really love," she says. "It’s not just mindless radio." Her go-to playlist for happy hours has a mix of songs from her favorite '90s rom-coms that make her feel like the main character in a movie.