The Host’s
Playbook
A Twelve-Month Calendar of Drinks, Menus, and Cigars for People Who Actually Have People Over.
The hosting framework, twelve months of menus and drink lists, the bar/larder/humidor stocking lists, and the four occasion playbooks — dinner party, holiday gathering, cigar night, watch party. The book that turns you from bartender into host.
Instant download · 100+ pages · code HALFOFF auto-applied
Inside the Playbook
Four parts. A year of nights worth remembering.
Not a recipe collection. A choreography — the framework, the calendar, the lists, and the four occasions worth getting right.
The Hosting Framework
The rule the cocktail magazines won't tell you: the host is not the bartender. Three foundational chapters covering the framework, the mise en place that lets you actually sit down with your guests, and the timing rules that turn a chaotic dinner into a relaxed one.
The 12-Month Calendar
One chapter per month. Each with: a seasonal menu, a drink list (cocktails + spirits + wine), a cigar pairing for after, a shopping list, and a guest-count cheat sheet. January through December. No 'spring/summer/fall/winter' shortcuts — twelve actual months with twelve actual menus.
Stocking the Bar, Larder & Humidor
What to keep on hand year-round so you can host on 48 hours' notice. The 12-bottle bar (refined from Cocktail Codex), the larder list, the eight cigars to keep boxed at all times, and the wine inventory that doesn't require a 600-bottle cellar.
Four Occasion Playbooks
The four nights worth getting right: the intimate dinner party (4–6 people), the holiday gathering (10–20 people), the cigar night (men's-night-but-better, 4–8 people), and the watch party (Super Bowl, World Cup final, finale episode). Each with menu, drink list, timing, and the one thing that ruins it.
The 12-Month Calendar
A real chapter for every month.
Not seasonal shortcuts. Twelve actual months, twelve actual menus.
Month 01
January
The Sunday-After roast & high-rye Manhattans
Month 02
February
The cabin-fever bourbon flight & cassoulet
Month 03
March
St. Patrick's reset — Irish whiskey beyond Jameson
Month 04
April
The first-grill-of-the-year Daiquiri & tequila menu
Month 05
May
Derby Day done right — Mint Juleps and the Hot Brown
Month 06
June
Father's Day cigar night & three-bourbon flight
Month 07
July
Independence Day — the Painkiller, the brisket, the patio
Month 08
August
Late-summer rosé, swordfish & a tiki finisher
Month 09
September
Football return — chili, smoked old fashioned, watch-party logistics
Month 10
October
Bourbon Heritage Month — the four-bourbon tasting flight
Month 11
November
Thanksgiving — the bird, the bar, the post-meal smoke
Month 12
December
The holiday party at 18 — the punch bowl strategy
The Occasion Playbooks
Four nights worth getting right.
The Intimate Dinner Party (4–6)
The 4–6 person dinner is where you actually get to know people. Menu, timing, the wine pairing, the after-dinner pour, and the rule that keeps the host at the table.
The Holiday Gathering (10–20)
Larger groups need different choreography. The buffet vs. plated decision, the punch-bowl trick, the bar setup that doesn't bottleneck, and the cigar tray for the post-meal step-outside crowd.
Cigar Night (4–8)
Men's night, but elevated. The four-bourbon flight, the three-cigar progression, the snacks that don't fight the smoke, and the playlist that doesn't try too hard.
The Watch Party (Super Bowl / Finale)
The big-game / finale-episode playbook. Snacks that don't require attention during the action, the pre-game cocktail, the halftime pivot, the post-game finisher.
Common Questions
Worth answering before you waitlist.
Do I need to be a great cook to use the menus?
No. Every menu is designed for someone who can follow a recipe — not someone who's trained. Each month has at most one show-stopper dish; the rest are 'good versions of normal things.' You can always swap any dish for a takeout equivalent and the rest of the playbook still works.
How is this different from Cocktail Codex (the free book)?
Cocktail Codex teaches you the cocktail families and the 12-bottle home bar. The Host's Playbook is what you do once you have the bar — actual menus, occasion playbooks, the 12-month calendar, and the cigar/cocktail/wine choreography for evenings with people over.
Are the cigar pairings just for cigar people?
Each month has both a cigar suggestion AND a non-cigar finisher (digestif, dessert pour, espresso). The book works whether or not you smoke — but if you do, the pairings are the part that turns a good night into a memorable one.
When does it ship?
Launches in 2026. Waitlist subscribers get the buy link the day it goes live, plus a launch-week discount that won't be advertised on the catalog page.
The Host’s Playbook is live now.
100+ pages, twelve monthly playbooks, four occasion chapters, and the framework that turns you from bartender into host. Code HALFOFF cuts it from $39 to $19.50 at checkout — instant PDF download.