Rande Gerber Gives His Tips For The Perfect Halloween Party, Shares A Spooky Casamigos Cocktail

Rande Gerber, co-founder of Casamigos and husband to Cindy Crawford, is known for throwing epic Halloween bashes.

We caught up with Gerber on some of his best tips for throwing the ultimate spooky season party.

See Also: Brew Up These Casamigos Cocktails For Halloween

You’re celebrating 10 years this year. Can you share your top three favorite Halloween party moments from the past 10 years?

There are so many, but I would say the first year showing up with hundreds of people outside looking forward to celebrating with us. The next year, the same thing. As the years went on our house of friends grew as did our company, but the party remains the same with a great group of people that still appreciate what we do.

What tips do you have for readers looking to throw their own Halloween parties?

The key to an amazing party is to curate a great guest list. My guestlist is an eclectic group of people, some who come from out of town, family members, old friends, new friends, and everyone is there to socialize, let loose and enjoy the night.

We like to keep the list tight and have a running RSVP that is constantly getting updated. Guests are invited with a plus one and all names are added to the list. We confirm all RSVP’s on the day of the event so there are no misunderstandings at the door.

We always have dedicated personnel from our team that are familiar with most of our guests and have reviewed the list with us prior to the party. It is important to have a friendly face at the door that most of our guests recognize.

Each party I curate a special Casamigos playlist as well as a friend to DJ. It usually starts off pretty mellow earlier in the night, so the music is conducive for socializing. As the night goes on and the party picks up, the DJ takes over and we turn it up and play an eclectic mix of dance and R&R

Lighting should be sultry and sexy, cool and lively. It changes throughout the night. It is extremely important our DJs and Lighting engineers read the crowd.

This is the one party our guests arrive early and leave late.

How do you create the perfect party atmosphere at the Casamigos Halloween party?

For the Casamigos Halloween Party, it’s about our guests. Everything from the space, sound, lighting, food and, of course, drinks. We like to create somewhat of an interactive environment for our guests when they first enter the party. The moment you walk in, everyone is greeted with Casamigos ice shots. You take a shot of Casamigos from an ice shot and throw it at a Casamigos bell. This has been a party favorite.

For space, I like to keep the venue to one or two rooms with an indoor and outdoor area, so the party feels unified. A lounge environment feels like you’re in a cool, cozy, wild living room – comfortable. Banquettes for people to dance and sit on the backs, and high-top tables are great for people to stand by and hang out. Music is key and sets the vibe. We always play songs people know and love to dance to. Lighting should be sultry and sexy but also have an energy for people to dance.

What kind of music do you play?

Each party I curate a special Casamigos playlist. It usually starts off pretty mellow earlier in the night, so the music is conducive for socializing. As the night goes on and the party picks up, we turn it up and play some old school dance mixes as well as some new favorites.

Cristalino Crawler

• 1.5 oz. Casamigos Cristalino Tequila
• 1.25 oz. melon liqueur
• 1 oz. fresh pineapple juice
• .5 oz. fresh lemon juice

Optional:

• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 thick rim black lava salt/sugar 2:1 ratio

Garnish:

• 1-2 black faux spiders

Instructions:

Wet half of the rim of a large coupe or martini glass with a lemon wedge or wheel and dip into salt mixture. Combine all ingredients in a tin shaker. Add ice, shake vigorously and strain into rimmed glass. Add fresh ice and garnish.