Whether stuck in quarantine or living 100 miles from family and friends, happy hour can still be a time to share! Virtual happy hours are the perfect solution when in-person gatherings can’t happen, and with these exciting twists, it will feel like a new era of remote toasting!

It doesn’t matter if you’re meeting with friends or family, hosting a work event or enjoying an intimate date, spicing up the interaction will make the experience one to remember (and one to repeat!).  So get your favorite Butternut on hand and start planning your next great happy hour with these fun ideas.

Virtual Dinner Party
The Happy Hour that turns into dinner is always the best! This time, plan ahead and get the same ingredients for a recipe you’ll cook together – all while connected virtually! Plan for a meal that pairs well with the wine and you’ve just started a great tradition that you can repeat again and again.

Bring in Some Comedic Charm
Take the pressure off yourself and have a professional comedian host your virtual Happy Hour! It may sound too good to be true, but it’s not. This brilliant concept was started by Laughter on Call and now it’s all they do.  Whether it’s a small private party or a unique work event, they’ll make sure every single guest is overcome with laughter.  Your only job is making sure to remember the Butternut!

Lip Reading
Accidentally being stuck on mute is finally part of the plan! Have some fun with lip reading and take turns being on mute while still trying to talk. See who can guess what you’re saying! You can be spontaneous and talk about anything or decide on categories like songs, movies or famous people. This is the perfect idea for last-minute fun and always gets more enjoyable as the Butternut continues to flow.

Virtual Pairing Experience
The best pairing experience is about to be the one that you all contribute to! Decide on a bottle or two of Butternut that you’ll each be enjoying…and then have everyone decide on an item that they want to pair with the wine.

You can go two ways with the setup of this virtual experience. You can have each person send their chosen item to everyone attending your virtual event OR come up with a list ahead of time and find the items on your own. Spend your virtual call savoring each pairing and see who came up with the best options!

Virtual Escape Adventure
Book a virtual escape room and spend Happy Hour solving riddles and finding clues as if you were all right there in person! This is a really fun way to change things up and experience something new together, even if you’re all stuck at home. Companies like The Escape Game will make the whole process seamless. You simply book the time (and pick out your wine)…and they will take care of the rest!

No matter the size or time of your virtual Happy Hour – there’s always ways to make it fun and unique! Grab your favorite bottle of Butternut, your closest friends, and give each one of these twists a try. Good luck!