Throw a Cocktail Wars watch party
The new E! mixology showdown premieres August 18. What to pour, how to host it, and how to run your own war when the credits roll.
Jul 24, 2026 · 7 min read
The MixKings blog.
Cocktail guides, hosting ideas, and drink-building know-how, from the app that turns your next get-together into a cocktail showdown.
The best cocktail app depends on what you're looking for
MixKings isn't a static list of recipes. What it's built for instead, feature by feature, and what it costs.
Hosting a cocktail competition. Judges are optional.
A panel is more planning than a Saturday with friends needs. Four play styles that keep everyone in the game and nobody on a bench.
How to make a home bar menu that doesn't go stale
Your library is not your menu. What to put on it, how to group it, and why the version in Word stops being true by the second bottle.
Cocktail acids: how to make a drink sour without citrus
Sour is a sensation. Citrus is a flavor. Separate them and a whole toolkit opens up.
How to play MixKings: the cocktail party game, explained
Build a shelf, pick a mode and a play style, and let the room decide. A full walkthrough of a game night.
Flips and nogs: why the yolk is the whole point
Egg white foams, egg yolk thickens. That one difference is the entire family.
Tiki cocktails: why the real ones are not sweet
Split rum bases, layered syrups, and why crushed ice is structural rather than decorative.
Highballs and fizzes: the two-ingredient family worth taking seriously
Two ingredients, nowhere to hide. Why the mixer matters more than the gin, and how to keep the bubbles.
Spirit-forward cocktails: the three shapes behind every stirred classic
Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Negroni. Three templates, one technique, and the vermouth mistake nearly everyone makes.
Sour cocktails: the one template behind half your favorite drinks
Margarita, Daiquiri, Whiskey Sour, Sidecar. All the same drink. Here's the ratio and the shake.
The cocktail families: every drink fits one of ten templates
Ten structures, not a thousand recipes. The map that makes any drink easier to build, fix, or reinvent.
How to host a cocktail competition at home
Five formats by group size, copy-paste rules, and a scoring system fair enough to argue about.
Stock a home bar without buying everything
The six bottles that do the work, the twelve that cover almost everything, and the tools worth owning.
Cocktails for hard seltzer drinkers
The bridge drinks that match the light, crisp seltzer palate, plus still picks for the no-bubbles crowd.
How to judge a cocktail like a pro
The three-sip method, what the pros actually taste for, and a judging vocabulary worth stealing.
Batch cocktails: premix drinks for a party
The scaling math, the dilution rule most people miss, and what actually holds up in a pitcher.
Turn your living room into a cocktail bar
A working bar station, lighting that flatters drinks, and your menu up on the TV.
The only glassware guide your home bar needs
The two shapes that cover everything, the nice-to-haves, and the skip list.
Host a zero-proof cocktail night
Why the no-alcohol round is the harder game, what to stock, and how to make it an event.