Your best food items to serve at a drinks party

[nowwearefour]

We are hosting a small scale drinks party to say thank you to some people. I want to serve mulled wine, drinks and some food to accompany it. I was thinking food on platters with sticks. It is elderly people from church and they will all (I assume) have already had a main meal. Should I do small mince pies or regular sized ones (thinking drink in one hand, etc). Are 'one bite' items easier? What have you prepared before? I am willing to make things by hand.....

[MoonlightMerrimentandMistletoe]

Bite sized is definitely easier. Means you run less risk of dropping the mulled wine. The last party around this time of year I did had the following for food:

Also, rather than handing anything round, I laid out a table with the bulk of the items and dotted plates with samples around other points in the room.

miniature mince pies (they do take a lot longer to make mind you, as there are a lot more to do)
various cheeses (cut into cubes), plates of crackers close by
cocktail sausages
iced gingerbread shapes
smoked mackerel pate (homemade - mash some mackerel in with natural yoghurt, lemon, chives and black pepper) with crudites and fingers of soda bread for dipping
usual bowls of crisps and nuts

[nowwearefour]

oooh my mouth is watering moonlight! thanks!