Drinkology 101

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.

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.

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.

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

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.