How To Throw An At-Home Happy Hour That Beats The Bars

The last time you had all of your friends over for drinks, a 3 a.m. noise complaint got ugly when one of your belligerent co-workers decided to tell the cops what she really felt about them. The brunch party you threw on a recent lazy Sunday was equally unsuccessful, as your neighbor, the sweet old lady next door, interrupted with a well-intentioned tirade about partying on the Lord's day. 

This time, though, we’ve got the perfect party plan: DIY happy hour. That’s right, skip the bar and invite your friends over after work. Even if they linger for hours, they’ll still be out of your hair before it’s late enough for your neighbors to get annoyed. Plus, you'll all save money by rotating the shindig from house to house each week, and those who can't show up until later (lawyer friends, we're looking at you!) won't feel left out for once.

Here, our foolproof game plan for hosting the best happy hour at home...

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