So, you've planned the perfect party for New Year's Eve ? Perfect hors d'oeuvres? Check. Perfect guest list? Check. Perfect decorations? Check.

But what about perfect beverages?

To help you get your beverage situation under control, here are some of our favorite tips on how to stock a holiday bar.

Bar tools

Setting up your bar doesn't have to be complicated. If you're thinking about offering cocktails to your guests, you'll want to be sure to have the basic bar tools on hand.

A cocktail shaker, bar spoon, bottle opener, bar book with recipes, jigger (measuring device), ice bucket, and, depending on the beverages you plan on serving, appropriate glassware. Skip the plastic, there's nothing worse than a great cocktail served in plastic except a bad cocktail served in plastic.

Tip: If you'd like to pull out all the stops to impress your guests, don't forget to have a bar knife, zester or vegetable peeler on hand to add garnishes that are simple and sure to carry a wow factor.

The mixers

A good cocktail, like a house, is only as good is its foundation. So, if you plan to offer your guests a full bar you will want to be sure to include the following: cranberry, grapefruit, tomato and orange juice, a variety of diet and regular sodas, sweet and sour mix, grenadine, tonic water, ginger ale, lime juice, club soda, simple syrup, Red Bull and bitters.

Tip: Consider purchasing the smallest containers of each of the mixers. Not only will your cocktails be fresher, but you will be able to save and use any unopened mixers for another occasion. Be sure to buy name-brand products. Sometimes off brands taste exactly the same and sometimes they don't even come close -- tonic water is probably the best example of this. A holiday party isn't the place to experiment.

The garnishes

Fresh lemons and limes are a must. You might also consider clementines, blood oranges, grapes, raspberries, grapefruit, and please, don't forget the maraschino cherries. Mint, thyme and basil also make great garnishes if you're looking for something a little green to add a little extra pizazz.

An unforgettable garnish is edible wild hibiscus flowers in a syrup that tastes like a blend of rhubarb and raspberries. Placed in glasses of champagne or sparkling wine with a little syrup, the flowers dance around the streaming bubbles and can make a lesser bottle of bubbly taste much better than it actually is. The flowers, which come 11 to an $11 jar or in a "party pack" of 50 for $35, may be available in some specialty shops, or you can plan ahead for next year's party by ordering from www.wildhibiscus.com, which also boasts some truly terrific cocktail recipes.

Tip: If you're looking to be creative without making a lot of extra work for yourself, frozen fruit can double as unusual, colorful ice cubes. You can go with anything from grapes to sliced star fruit to pomegranate -- be creative.

Or you could make your own ice with a sprig of mint or basil. Using hot water to fill the ice trays will help to release the oils from the herbs and infuse the ice with added flavor.

The liquor

If you're just looking for the basics and don't care about the quality or taste of your cocktails, shop from the bottom shelf (we don't recommend this, but it is an option). If you kind of like your guests, shop from the middle shelf. If you really like your guests, and your budget allows it, shop from the top shelf -- the party is sure to be merrier and you'll earn high marks from any lounge lizards in attendance.

The basic bar should include a bottle of tequila, vodka, light rum, gin, triple sec, dry vermouth and whiskey. For the bottom-shelf brands, these seven bottles of liquor should set you back about $75. The top-shelf versions of the same liquors will set you back $150 to $200, depending on your tastes.

Once you have the basics in your cart, you're ready to think about any extras. In recent years, there has been an explosion of brands and flavors of vodkas, gins, bourbons and liqueurs. Even Starbucks has lent its name to a coffee-flavored liqueur. Look around for ingredients that inspire you.

Tip: Don't buy the cheap stuff. While some of the cost of premium liquors and liqueurs goes to pay for the marketing, much of the difference in price is related to the production process. Just as connoisseurs of fine wines can taste the differences between different vineyards, connoisseurs of fine cocktails will be able to discern the difference between top-shelf and bottom-shelf ingredients.

Planning

There are many ways of planning just how much and what kind of liquor you'll need. One way would be to poll your guests ahead of time regarding their beverage preferences. If your guests are requesting the same drink, you'll know you what you need to stock in your bar and what you don't. "The Guide to Ridiculously Easy Entertaining," by Mike Riccetti and Michael Wells, suggests party planners should bank on two drinks per guest for the first hour and one drink per hour for each additional hour of a party. The authors also suggest that about half of your guests will drink cocktails while the other half searches out other beverages.

Keep in mind that the basic mixed drink contains about 2 ounces of hard liquor, which means you'll get roughly 12 drinks per 750-ml bottle. For wine drinkers, there are four glasses per 750-ml bottle.

Never forget that a good host will keep an eye on guests to make sure they're drinking responsibly and have a safe way home after the party has ended.

Drinks by the pitcher

For a large party, you might consider making drinks by the pitcher, which offers several advantages. First, much of the work can be done ahead of time allowing you to spend more time with your guests. Second, you can better estimate how much of everything you'll need. Third, preparing your drinks ahead of time actually gives you more options. Just like a mixer, the beverage you've created in your pitcher can be used as a base for cocktails or mocktails (alcohol-free cocktails).

Tip: Notice that in each of the following recipes we used parts rather than ounces. This allows you to easily scale your recipes based on the number of guests.

Let's start with the basic punch recipe.

Party punch • One part cranberry juice • One part grapefruit juice Add to the pitcher and stir. Fill a rocks or highball glass with ice cubes and then fill glass with punch. Glass: Rocks or highball Garnish: Optional Tip: Cut fresh fruit into small pieces, pat dry. Spread fruit out across a cookie sheet and place fruit on sheet in the freezer for several hours. Remove from freezer and use as ice in your party punch. Want some fizz? Fill a glass with ice cubes and then add punch about ²/³ of the way up. Top off with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda. Want to make a cocktail? The classic Sea Breeze • Three parts party punch • Two parts grapefruit flavored vodka Add ice, vodka and party punch to a drink shaker. Shake gently and pour into ice filled glass. Glass: Collins or rocks glass Garnish: Lime Cosmo • One part vodka • 1/2 part Cointreau/Triple Sec • One part party punch • One splash lime juice Add ice, vodka, Cointreau, party punch and lime juice to a drink shaker. Shake and pour into chilled martini glasses. Garnish and serve. Glass: Martini Garnish: Orange twist Starting with our basic party punch recipe and just a few variations, we were able to make three additional drinks. And that's the tip of the iceberg; the possibilities are endless both for the base punch and for the cocktails made with it. Sound easy? That's because it is. Cheers!