Want to party like it’s 1776? You’ve come to the right place! I hosted a Hamilton Party based on the Broadway musical for my friends with 18th century attire, patriotic flare, and many of Hamilton’s real life favorite foods on the menu. We all wore 18th century attire and it could not have been a more fabulous evening. If you want to party Founding Fathers style, keep reading!

Thank you to my grocery partner Kroger DFW for supporting The Rose Table and sponsoring this party! It’s partnerships like this that keep The Rose Table going. All of the food and florals are from Kroger and some even arrived via delivery, a huge help during party week. Gotta love that Boost membership!

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Hamilton Party Decor

I transported my guests to the Revolutionary War era with antique-looking bunting, patriotic touches, and a huge 13 colonies American flag hung prominently from my kitchen columns. It was really important to me that the patriotic decor still felt very much like a Hamilton Musical party, so I included gold and black stars on most surfaces, a clear symbol of the Broadway musical.

I set books that are hundreds of years old all over the house with taper candles and feather quills, since Hamilton is known for being a prolific writer. I even included the Hamilton poster on my mantel display and I swapped out my dining room artwork for my mom’s stunning painting of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home.

I had leather bound books with antique decor set up for a voting station as well as for the guest book in the entry way. I thought it would be fun to get my guests writing with feather pens, since there’s even a song about how much Hamilton writes. The stars really pop here and I love the flags sticking out of my fabulous silver piece from Thrift for Good.

Two days before the party, I found a replica of the Declaration of Independence with Hamilton’s signature at an antique store!

Historic Banners

One way I made sure my Hamilton party stayed on-theme and didn’t start looking like any old 4th of July party was with custom Hamilton banners hung up strategically: The Room Where it Happens in the dining room doorway, Tell Your Story on the main mirror, and I’m Not Throwin’ Away My Shot above the drink table. Learn how to make them here.

The Flowers

I styled four large bouquets for this party and tucked little antique bud vases with red carnations all over the house. The big bouquets were a mix of white and blue hydrangeas, red and white roses, red sunflowers, white Campanula, and baby’s breath, which I never normally include but I think it looks like fireworks, perfect for those Independence Day vibes.

The Table

I styled the table with an oatmeal-colored linen table cloth with tassels with a stack of antique books, a feather quill, taper candles, a Hamilton playbill, a Revolutionary War hat, patriotic flowers in a fabulous antique vase, and an old American flag gently blowing in the wind.

The table was so colorful with all of the food! It turned out even prettier than i could have hoped. I especially love the garden flag that I repurposed with a handmade stand that my dad built.

Themed Drink

I served a historically accurate Founding Fathers Punch and I was NOT prepared for this to be the most popular drink I’ve ever served. In fact, I was actually worried since it’s so unusual that it would not be a hit. Boy was I wrong. I’ve never gotten more compliments on a drink!

In the late 18th century, they followed a 1-2-3-4 ratio: 1 part sour, 2 parts sweet, 3 parts strong, 4 parts weak. This punch involved lemon juice, brown sugar simple syrup, Caribbean rum, and chilled black tea, a common punch ingredient of the time. I also floated orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and star anise for Colonial era garnishes. Get the recipe here.

Hamilton Party Recipes

Words cannot even express how much research I did into this era. I feel like an expert on 18th century cuisine! However, this is The Rose Table, not Tasting History with Max Miller (which I love) so this menu is a modern take on historical dishes.

Hamilton Party Menu
Sheet Pan Sausage and Apples
HAM and Rice Salad
Satisfied Cheese Board
Mini Mushroom Quiche
Pecan Chicken Salad
Veggie Board
Relish Tray
Hamilton Cupcakes
Cherry Berry Trifle
Date Nut Cake Roll
Mini Apple Pie Tartlets
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
White Chocolate Lemon Bars
Patriotic Popcorn

Sheet Pan Sausage and Apples

The real Alexander Hamilton adored fried sausage and apples. I adapted this for a make-ahead sheet pan recipe that I’m now obsessed with. I’ve made it four times in the last month! It turns out, the founding fathers had great taste. Get the recipe here.

HAM and Rice Salad

This dish puts the ham in Hamilton! Hilariously, cold ham was another favorite foods of our leading man. What an easy party dish this is! The flavors go together perfectly (the Dijon mustard ties it all together) and it tastes perfect stays later. Get the recipe here.

Satisfied Cheese Board

I had some patriotic flare with 1776 cheddar cheese (thank you, Kroger cheese section!), cherries for George Washington, red fruits, blueberries and blue cheese, a Salami rose (it is my signature after all), prosciutto, and red pepper jelly on cream cheese with symbolic nods to the Schuyler sisters. Get the recipe here.

Mini Mushroom Quiche

This delicious mini quiche recipe is based on another of Hamilton’s favorite foods, mushroom fricasse. If you’ve never tried my mini quiche, you’re in for a treat. This tasty dish will make your whole house smell incredible! Get the recipe here.

Pecan Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is another great make-ahead dish that’s great for a party. This version has lemon zest, Greek yogurt, diced celery, green onion, red grapes, and crunchy pecans. I served it with warm rolls so my guests could make chicken salad sandwiches. Get the recipe here.

Veggie Board

Is this my prettiest veggie board ever? For my bountiful harvest, I included sugar snap peas, snack peppers, radishes, sliced cucumbers, rainbow carrots, carrot chips, and endive leaves paired with french onion dip and chipotle ranch dip. There’s no tomatoes because in the 1700s, people thought they were poisonous! I garnished the board with zucchini blossoms, pansies, and herbs from my garden. Get the inspiration here.

Relish Tray

People pickled just about everything in this time period so I included a huge relish tray full of pickles, okra, mushrooms, and baby corn.

Hamilton Cupcakes

I decided to make rum-caramel Hamilton Cupcakes with little firework toppers to honor Hamilton’s humble beginnings in the Caribbean. He was born on Nevis and I was lucky enough to see the ruins of the Hamilton estate! Talk about boots-on-the-ground party research. These delicious chocolate cupcakes are topped with caramel frosting and rum-caramel drizzle, rum being extremely popular at the time. Get the recipe here.

Cherry Berry Trifle

I served a delicious Cherry Berry Trifle for George Washington! Hopefully I don’t need to explain the cherry connection. This delicious trifle has a cheesecake-like filling, blueberries, angle food cake, and incredible cherry sauce. Get the recipe here.

Date Nut Cake Roll

Dates were extremely popular at the time and I said, say less! Y’all know how much I adore dates, with their natural sweetness and caramel flavor. This fantastic cake roll has a cream cheese filling, freezes perfectly, and stays moist for days! Get the recipe here.

Mini Apple Pie Tartlets

Could these be cuter!? Apple Pie was another one of Hamilton’s favorite desserts and I thought these bite-sized mini tartlets would be perfect for a party. Get the recipe here.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Nuts were very popular at the time so I couldn’t resist serving these delicious bars, which easily stay fresh for a week. They’re extremely rich so they’re perfect to cut into bite-sized portions for a party. Get the recipe here.

White Chocolate Lemon Bars

Lemons were prized in baking in the colonial era and I just can’t resist making my favorite lemon bars for every party! I can’t help it that they fit every single theme. So perfect, this recipe is even in The Rose Table Cookbook. Get the recipe here.

The Fashion

Part of the fun of this party was the 18th century dress code. My friends got so into the theme and looked absolutely incredible! I wore a blue and black gown with an antique pendant and petticoat that was SO fun to wear. I couldn’t stop shaking my hips!

We even had a costume contest with prizes. Sydney won a lavender-scented Hamilton candle for her Broadway-accurate ensemble and Joshlyn took home a Rise Up! Hamilton mug for her incredible take on Alexander Hamilton, goatee and all.

I hope this inspires you to party like it’s 1776 and host your very own Hamilton party! Want to see more theatre parties? Check out my Midsummer Night’s Dream party, Romeo & Juliet dinner, or SIX the Musical party.