How to Turn Your Sad Nightcap to an Epic Online Inuman at Home

Liquor bans have been lifted across many parts of the Philippines, as cities and regions transition to the more relaxed general community quarantine. But drinking alone at home just isn’t the same as drinking with friends. When you’re surrounded by others, beers and other alcoholic beverages are fun—but when you’re alone, it’s just a sad nightcap after a long, tiring day of working from home.

If you’re itching for a bottle or two, don’t go at it alone—consider calling up the gang for a session. But with hundreds of new COVID-19 cases each day, your best bet at safety is still staying at home and turning to the internet for your dose of good fun with friends over beer.

Here are some things you should probably consider when throwing your next virtual party, e-numan, online mañanita, or whatever you want to call it.

Party Venue

Pre-pandemic, deciding on a party venue meant calculating which place is the most accessible for everyone. For your online party, however, the only choice you’ll have to make is which app to use. Zoom seems to be the current favorite, as it allows up to 100 people in your call, but note that it has a 40-minute cap. Of course, there are other apps you can try, like Skype, Google Hangouts, or even Facebook Messenger. Tip: Consult everyone in advance and agree on which app to use before you send out your invites.

Scheduling and Invitations

Scheduling a call with friends should not be much of an issue nowadays, considering that your peers are (or should be) staying at home. That said, it’s still proper etiquette to send out invitations days in advance, just so they can book that time slot for your online hangout. Besides, they need enough time to set up their respective areas and schedules, too.

Here’s the tricky bit: While pre-pandemic parties have always been merrier with more attendees, too many participants don’t usually make for a fun group chat. Having around five people in your call should get you to that sweet spot where it’s not boring, but you’re also not dealing with people talking over one another.

Setting the Theme and Entertainment

Back when we had physical gatherings, themed parties always felt like more effort than they’re worth. There, we said it. And who could be bothered to plan activities ahead when fun just rolled out as long as the booze kept flowing?

But given the current circumstances, planning themes and activities are a definite must if you want your party to succeed. Decide early on what you want to do or discuss with your friends to keep the crickets at bay. While you don't need a designated driver, you will need a designated host to organize your chosen activity, whether it's a trivia night about your favorite sci-fi franchise or maybe a friendly debate about which superhero would win in a fight.

You can also try imposing quirky dress codes, silly punishments for those who would join in late, shots every time someone starts talking about their job—anything that you and your friends will enjoy.

Foods and Drinks

Before, it usually fell on the host to make sure that everyone had enough food to eat and that drinks were in free-flowing supply. Nowadays, the only person you really need to cater to is yourself, unless you want to go the extra mile and have food and drinks delivered to your buddies.

Regardless of your choice, make sure to have Heineken beer at your party to keep the fun times going. If the usual six-pack isn't enough, you can elevate your drinking experience at home by going for the Heineken draught blade machine, which chills your drink to two degrees celsius. It comes with an eight-liter keg which you can enjoy with your family or alone as you please (we don't judge).

Partying responsibly doesn’t have to be boring. Grab a bottle or two of Heineken and #SocializeResponsibly.

DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

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