Kitchen design
Set Up a Christmas Drinks Station (and Keep the Kitchen Free)
Move the drinks out of the cook's way: what a self-serve drinks station needs, plenty of alcohol-free options, and the drink-drive rules.
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At a Christmas party, the kitchen fills with people looking for a drink while you are trying to cook. A self-serve drinks station somewhere else solves it.
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What it needs
| Item | Tip |
|---|---|
| Ice bucket or cool box | Ice with a little water chills bottles faster than ice alone |
| Glasses | Count 2 per guest; label or charm them |
| Soft drinks and water | Plenty, in jugs and bottles |
| Alcohol-free options | A non-alcoholic punch or fizz for drivers |
| Bottle opener, corkscrew, napkins | Tied to the table so they do not wander |
| A bin for empties | Saves clearing up |
Drink-driving
The legal limits are lower in Scotland than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the government warns it is impossible to say how many drinks keep any one person under the limit. The only safe option for drivers is none: make the alcohol-free drinks as appealing as the rest.
Mix drinks with a cocktail shaker, serve mulled punch from a punch bowl, and keep bottles cold in an ice bucket.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the drink-drive limit in Scotland?
Lower than the rest of the UK: 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, compared with 80 mg in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
How many drinks can I have and still drive?
There is no safe number: the government says it is impossible to say how many drinks keep a particular person under the limit. If you are driving, do not drink.
How do I chill drinks quickly?
Put bottles in a bucket of ice with a little cold water, which surrounds the bottle and chills it faster than ice alone.
Sources
- The drink drive limit, GOV.UK. Checked 8 October 2026.