We are fast approaching drinks party season and, to our minds, there’s no more civilised way to gather. The absence of seating plans, the abundance of delicious tipples, the succession of small, salty things to eat and, crucially, no washing-up mountain to contemplate at the end of the evening – what's not to love?

All you really need is low lighting, enough to drink, a good Spotify playlist and, most importantly of all, some excellent people crammed into your kitchen. But if you fancy layering in a little extra glamour (it is Christmas – or nearly, at least), the key is to make it look effortless – even if you've spent the previous frantic hour decanting olives into bowls and stressing over how to make a Negroni. Happily, a few well-chosen accoutrements go a long way. Here, then, are all the beautiful coupes, gleaming Champagne buckets, ready-made cocktails, elegant nibbles and entrance worthy frocks you can shake a cocktail stick at. Cin cin.