This Winter, Throw the Kind of Party Your Friends Would Hate to Miss

Parties are a lot like the coming apocalypse: Your chances of surviving depend on what you’ve got stocked in the bunker. The finest blowouts happen on the fly, when friends wander in and genial minutes turn into feverish hours and the spirit of impromptu celebration gradually disrobes and dismantles the home that you worked so hard to make tidy. Ideally, as a social being, you should always be prepared for just such an insta-bash. And if you happen to have on hand all of the items we list here, the sudden arrival of revelers shouldn’t faze you in the slightest.

When you’re serving food at a party, your mission is simple: Get the best. Welcome remarks along the lines of “Wow, where did you get these olives?” and “This is the best chorizo I’ve ever tasted!” do not happen by accident. Snacks don’t have to be glamorous, but going the extra mile for quality is worth the effort. Stocking your pantry, your fridge, and your freezer with premium items—Calvisius caviar from Italy, bars of Compartés chocolate and tubs of McConnell’s ice cream and loaves of Manresa bread from California, charcuterie from Pittsburgh pork savant Justin Severino’s new Salty Pork Bits, olives and almonds from La Tienda, etc.—will make you look like the smart and generous host you strive to be. (These items can all be shipped to you.) In a moment you have a meal, and in a matter of minutes everyone’s partying like it’s the end of the world. Here are some of our favorites. —Jeff Gordinier

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