About Party Drinks:

You can turn any event into an affair to remember with Party Drinks. How can this little book help you so much? Well, just for starters, by guaranteeing that the cocktail you select for your special occasion has smart, stylish flair. Whether you’re a party-thrower or party-goer, you’ll enjoy these classic and new recipes, carefully chosen for their great taste, panache, and ease of preparation. So whether you’re planning a tête-à-tête for two or a backyard bash for 50, whether your dress code will be “creative cocktail” or cutoffs and t-shirts, you’ll find the perfect signature drink here.

Party Drinks Sample Recipes:

The Ward Eight

The Ward Eight's a fantastic discussion drink--meaning, serve it at one of those more "refined" parties when you're having only a couple of friends over to talk through the events of the day. The drink's history goes back to Boston in 1898, when it was created at the Locke-Ober restaurant to celebrate the election of one Martin Lomasney to the state legislature (Martin was from the Eighth Ward). Of course, after a couple you may want to stop talking and dance on the table. Which is fine, too.

Serves 2

4 ounces rye (or bourbon, if you're rye deficient)
2 ounce simple syrup
1-1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce grenadine
Orange slices and maraschino cherries for garnish

1. Fill a cocktail shaker half up with ice. Add the rye (or bourbon), simple syrup, and lime juice to the shaker. Shake rapidly.

2. Add the grenadine to the shaker, and give it one more quick shake.

3. Strain everything into a 5- to 7-ounce stemmed goblet, or other comparable stemmed glass.

4. Garnish with the orange slice and cherry, unless you're morally opposed.

A Note: Unlike many of the drinks in this book, this one is measured for two, for two reasons. First, when having an evening of intellectual drinking, it may be nice to only have two invitees. Second, you would have to have a rather large shaker to make four Ward Eights at once, and I would hate for you to spill. If you do want to up this mix to four, just double the amount of each ingredient. But be careful of the grenadine.

The Rebecca

The key to the Rebecca is the raspberry. Lovable, with a light tang hiding beneath the kiss, use raspberries that have been freshly picked, gently washed, carefully dried, and quickly frozen. Once you freeze the raspberries, they'll keep for a while without losing sweetness. They also keep the other ingredients chilled and are a bonus once they finally slip into your (and your guests’) waiting mouth after the drink is finished.

Serves 4

Ice cubes
8 ounces vodka (If you happen to have raspberry-infused vodka, all the better)
4 ounces Chambord or other raspberry liquor
Frozen raspberries
8 ounces Champaign

1. Add some ice cubes o your favorite cocktail shaker. Then, with care, add the vodka.

2. Add the Chambord. Shake. Shake. Shake.

3. Place 4 or 5 frozen raspberries into each of 4 martini glasses. Don't they look lovely? Strain the vodka and Chambord into the glasses over the raspberries.

4. Top off each drink with 2 ounces of Champaign. Pour slowly so the Champaign just rests on top of the vodka/Chambord mix. Serve and drink and enjoy

A Note: This recipe is for a 5-to-6 ounce martin glass, but it can be adjusted accordingly if you have differently sized glasses. Just be sure and keep the ratio as 2 parts vodka to 1 part Chambord to two parts Champaign.

A Quote: "We don't want doughnuts, honey buns, poppy cakes, and other dainties; bring us a whole sheep, serve a goat and forty-year old mead! And plenty of vodka, not vodka with all sorts of fancies, not with raisins and flavorings, but pure foaming vodka, that hisses and bubbles like mad," Nikolai Gogol.