How to plan a baby shower drink bar (alcohol-free, cute, and easy)

At a lot of baby showers, the drink table is built for the guests: a pitcher of mimosas, a bottle of rosé, and a jug of lemonade set aside for the mom-to-be. It is a kind gesture, and we think it can go further.

We think the drink bar should be hers. Everything on it should be something she can drink, and fun enough that it feels like a treat for every guest. Here is how we plan one.

Why should the baby shower drink bar be built around the mom-to-be?

Because she is the person the party is for, and she is skipping alcohol.

According to The Bump, most showers happen in the third trimester, between 27 and 31 weeks. Give her a drink she wants to hold, and make it the same drink everyone else is holding, so there is no separate option for her to explain. The Bump's own roundup of pregnancy mocktails makes the point in its first paragraph: skipping alcohol does not mean sticking to water.

There is a quieter reason, too. When the whole bar is alcohol-free, no one has to ask which pitcher is which. Pregnant guests, nursing moms, kids, the grandmother driving home, and the friend who does not drink all get the same cup with no explanation.

What is a dirty soda bar, and why does it work at a shower?

A dirty soda bar is a drink station that dresses up fountain sodas with syrups, creams, and fresh fruit, and it works at a shower because it is fun, fast, and photographs like dessert.

Dirty soda

A dirty soda is a fountain soda (Coke, Dr Pepper, Sprite, root beer) mixed with flavored syrups, cream or coconut cream, fresh lime or fruit, and sometimes a cap of vanilla cold foam. It started in Utah and has spread everywhere (the full story). Every drink is alcohol-free by nature.

The Knot's bridal shower drinks guide calls bespoke mocktails one of its favorite shower trends, and it recommends large-format nonalcoholic drinks so no one has to play bartender. A soda bar does both at once. The drinks are made to order, so they feel special, but they are quick to make, so the line keeps moving.

Our signature menu has a few that fit a shower. The Waterloo (Sprite, watermelon, vanilla cold foam) is pink and summery. The Longhorn (orange Fanta, vanilla cold foam) tastes like a creamsicle. The Austin Classic (Coke, cherry, vanilla cream) is the one for guests who want a Coke. You can see the whole menu here.

What themes work for a baby shower drink bar?

The themes that work are the ones already on the invitation. The bar should look like it came from the same box.

• "Sip Sip Hooray." Bubbles, stripes, and a menu card in the invitation font. Pair with the Waterloo and the Alright, Alright, Alright! (cherry-lime Sprite).
• "Bun in the Oven." Bakery vibes. Serve the Dazed & Confused (root beer, marshmallow fluff, toasted marshmallow, vanilla, cold foam) as the dessert drink.
• "Little Sprout" or garden. Fresh lime, fresh fruit, greenery on the table. The East 6th (Dr Pepper, coconut cream, vanilla, fresh lime) fits right in.
• "Oh Baby" in pink or blue. Watermelon and cherry lean pink; a Sprite base with coconut cream reads soft blue-white.
• Texas baby. Boots, bandanas, and The Longhorn front and center.

One tip: pick a color, not a palette. A bar with one signature color looks more intentional in photos than one that tries to match every ribbon.

How do you name a signature drink for a baby shower?

You name it after the baby, the due date, or the theme, and you stop at two names.

The Knot's shower roundup gives its drinks punny names so the host does not have to come up with them. We like that idea, so here is a head start:

• Baby's First Sip. The mom-to-be's pick, front and center.
• Bump Juice. Whatever she has been craving, in a cup.
• Due in June (or the month). Easy, sweet, and it dates the photo.
• The Little [Last Name]. If the baby's name is a secret, the family name works.
• Sprinkle Spritz. For a second-baby sprinkle, which The Bump notes is often more casual than a full shower.

Two named drinks plus the regular menu is the sweet spot. One is hers, one is for the party, and the rest gives picky guests a choice without crowding the sign.

How many drinks should you plan per guest?

For a two-hour shower we plan on about two drinks per guest, and closer to three when the shower is outdoors or it is summer in Austin.

That is our rule of thumb, not a scientific number, and it exists because showers are warm, sweet drinks go fast, and a second cup during gifts is common. A few adjustments:

| Situation | Plan for | |---|---| | Indoor, two hours, mixed guests | About 2 per guest | | Outdoor, May through September | Closer to 3 per guest | | Kids on the guest list | Add a kids' cup count; they drink smaller but faster | | Sprinkle or short brunch | About 1.5 per guest | | Co-ed shower with a football game on | 3 per guest and ice for the cooler |

Count the host and helpers as guests, because they are easy to leave off the count. And plan on the mom-to-be having a refill waiting at arrival, gifts, and goodbye.

Should you DIY the drink bar or hire one?

DIY when the shower is small and at home, and hire when you want the host to be a guest.

The Bump's pregnancy mocktail recipes are a good starting point for a home setup. A DIY soda bar is the same idea: a few bases, a few syrups, a cream, lime, and a stack of cups. The problem is not the recipe. The problem is who is standing behind the table for two hours.

| | DIY | Hired soda bar | |---|---|---| | Best for | Under about 20 guests (our rule of thumb), at home | 20 or more guests, venues, photos | | Who runs it | A helper who is not the host | Us | | Setup | You buy, chill, and arrange | We bring tables, ice, syrups, cups, and cleanup | | The look | Depends on your setup time | The backdrop is the point | | Host's shower | Partly spent pouring | Fully in the room | | Cost | Ingredients plus your Saturday | Get a quote for your headcount |

If you DIY, keep it to two bases, three syrups, one cream, and lime. Label everything and give the helper a written menu so the helper is not explaining it all afternoon. If you hire, ask three questions: Do you bring everything including ice and cleanup? Can you make a custom drink and print the name on the menu? How early do you set up?

When should the drink bar open, and how long should it run?

Open the bar when the first guest walks in, run it through gifts, and close with a last-call refill about fifteen minutes before the end.

We plan around a two-hour shower. We expect the bar to be busiest in the first twenty minutes, when guests arrive thirsty and a cup gives them something to hold, and again right after gifts, when people get up and mingle.

The Bump recommends sending invitations four to six weeks out, and that is about when you should book the bar, too. A month gives time for a custom drink, a themed menu card, and a walk-through of the space. Two weeks is doable for a simple setup.

How do you set up the photo moment?

You set up the bar where the light is good and put the mom-to-be's drink in her hand before the first photo.

The photo that usually gets posted is the mom-to-be at the backdrop. If the bar is the backdrop, the drinks are in the picture. A few things that make it work:

• Face the bar toward the window, not the wall. Cold foam looks great in daylight.
• Menu card at eye level, in the invitation font, with the signature names on top.
• A "first sip" photo. Hand her the Baby's First Sip before anyone else gets a drink, and take the picture then.
• Cups that match. One color of cup, one color of straw, and let the drinks be the rainbow.
• A small sign for the hashtag, if there is one.

What should the host do the week before?

The week before, the host confirms the headcount, sends the timeline to the bar, and then stops thinking about drinks.

If the theme, names, count, and timing are locked, the drink bar becomes the one part of the shower that runs itself while you handle the cake, the games, and the early arrivals.

We are available for showers across Austin and Central Texas, at homes, clubhouses, and venues, and we bring everything including ice and cleanup. If you are planning a shower, tell us the date and we will build a menu around her. You can read more on our showers page, and if you are also on the hook for a school or office party this year, our guide to alcohol-free corporate event ideas covers the grown-up version.