Searching for St Patrick’s Day party ideas? Look no further…

March 17th will never be the same again — especially once you’ve delved into our premium selection of chocolate gifts and cacao-inspired tipples to elevate your Paddy’s Day celebrations.

St Patrick’s Day is a unique celebration where green reigns supreme, and party ideas are integral as friends and family unite to raise a hearty toast to Ireland’s patron saint. 

No matter if you’ve organised a lively party with friends from every corner or an intimate gathering with your nearest and dearest, no celebration is quite complete without a sophisticated spread of nibbles, delicacies, and snacks to power you through the day.

Here at Hotel Chocolat, we have to ask one question… What better way to elevate the occasion than with the versatile, comforting richness of cacao? From once-in-a-lifetime flavour experiences and thoughtful gifts for hosts and guests alike, here’s how you can host your St Patrick’s Day party with the help of chocolate.

Party food ideas for St Patrick’s Day

We believe that a great party starts with great food. To begin curating your spread, think about your guests’ flavour preferences and the overall theme of your celebration. 

For instance, a sharing platter of sandwiches, sofa bread, nuts, cheeses, green-themed savoury snacks, and dips would go down a treat for parties and large gatherings. Even if you’re having a sit-down meal to celebrate, a small table filled with classic party snacks will offer your guests everything they need for a little nibble here and there between mingling and chatting the night away.

Our Selectors are also a brilliant way to introduce complex, unique flavours to the sweeter side of your grazing board. Plus, they’re currently available with a 3 for £14 offer. Our Trillionaire Shortbread Selector includes rich, crumbly layers of butter caramel, biscuit, and milk chocolate, finished with a hint of hazelnut. 

Guests are too full for dessert after dinner? Why not give them best-loved desserts in bite-size form with the help of The Patisserie Collection Selector? You can use them as place setting or hand them out over the course of the evening. Alternatively, add them to personal gift bags with a heartfelt thank you note. 

You could also gift our Selectors as they come, finished in a chic translucent bag ready to be taken home.

Drink and cocktail ideas for your St Patrick’s Day party

St Patrick’s Day is all about raising a glass to Ireland, so why not do it with a sumptuously smooth cocktail that’s ready in seconds? Our Velvetised Creams are the epitome of barista-style indulgence, blending real cream with the deep, nuanced flavours of cacao and spirits.

• Espresso Martini Velvetised Cream: A luxurious take on the classic, this liqueur brings together the boldness of espresso and the silkiness of high-quality cacao. Pour over ice or shake into a martini glass — it’s the perfect after-dinner digestif.
  
• Salted Caramel Velvetised Cream: Where sweet, buttery caramel and invigorating sea salt meet as one. The result? A truly balanced, moreish sip. Serve on the rocks for a slow-sipping beverage to savour all night long.
  
• Chocolate Velvetised Cream: An effortlessly simple concoction that allows the cacao’s notes to shine through seamlessly. Perfect for sipping and even for drizzling over ice cream if you fancy.

Some guests may prefer a more traditional toast — after all, it is the day of Ireland’s patron saint. In that case, we also have our Cacao Gin, infused with cacao nibs and citrus botanicals for an elevated G&T like no other. For a hint of tradition matched with modern tastes, we also have our Salted Caramel Cacao Vodka Liqueur for the silkiest, richest sip,

For more cacao cocktail inspiration, take a look at our recipes. 

The St Patrick’s Day game with a cacao twist

No party or celebration is complete without some interactive moments. Games are perfect for getting groups of friends and family to mingle and also for a spot of welcome merriment. Introducing… our chocolate-tasting challenge. Your host for the evening? Our Sleekster Chocolate Gift Boxes.

Select an assortment of your favourite Sleeksters — including a bonus one as a prize for the winner — and get ready to turn your St Patrick’s Day party into a refined game of flavour discovery and experience. You can either set up a separate table for everyone to come up to, play it on the dinner table, or gather around the sofa.

Guests can take turns sampling the different chocolates, taking their time to describe the unique flavour notes and taste experience that comes with each one. Whoever identifies the most correct chocolate flavours will win. Then they can take home a Sleekster to enjoy without the added pressure! 

There’s no need to wrap it up, either. Our Sleeksters are ready to gift and present with their sleek cacao-pod-inspired boxes. Simply lift the lid and let our sumptuous chocolate recipes do what they do best.

For the perfect game lineup, we recommend:

• The Everything Sleekster for a little bit of everything from our best-sellers, including tastes of pralines to caramels.
  
• The Exuberantly Fruity Sleekster for those who love bright, tangy notes in their chocolate.
  
• The Patisserie Sleekster for the most well-rounded, dessert-inspired assortment.

If you’re not in the mood for a taste test, pub-style quizzes and classic board games also work very well. You could even include an Irish-themed quiz or charades competition to keep the atmosphere lively all night long.

Gift ideas for hosts

If you’re heading to a loved one’s for a St Patrick’s Day party, the first rule is to never arrive empty-handed. Instead of opting for the usual bottle of wine or flowers, why not surprise the host with something that stands out from the crowd?

If your host is the ultimate chocolate connoisseur (even if they don’t already have The Velvetiser™ for a barista-grade beverage in just 2.5 minutes), we’re sure a few of our Limited Edition hot chocolate sachets would be more than welcome. Our Love Ya Honey and Nuts About Raspberry hot chocolate sachets both offer bold, indulgent flavours for a distinctive flavour experience.

For a host who prefers nibbling rather than sipping, we have a huge variety of chocolate gifts to suit every budget and flavour preference. If you want to reserve your rightful title of best guest, we recommend browsing our Award-Winning Chocolate variety for recipes recognised by The Academy of Chocolate.

Make your St Patrick’s Day party unforgettable

With games, food, gifts, and drinks prepared for your St Patrick’s Day, it’s always worth remembering that a little bit of thought (and a lot of chocolate) goes a long way in creating a celebration to remember. 

No matter if you’re hosting or attending, we hope our chocolate collection and gift ideas will make your day one-of-a-kind. Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!