THE GOOD HOST, COCKTAIL PARTY BASICS

One of the things I have found over my years of learning about the spirits business is that there are some basic rules when it comes to mixing a great party cocktail.

Stirred, not shaken

1 - Use the proper method to make the drink. You might be surprised when I explain that shaking a martini, for instance, has a negative impact on the outcome. Stir it. The same applies for almost any other cocktail.

A number of things require muddling, such as Old Fashioneds and Mojitos. You have to muddle firmly to release juices, and a gentle muddle will result in muted flavors.

And adding ingredients in the improper order can also impact things - always add soda or sparkling water last, for instance. You don't want to agitate carbonated drinks...trust me.

So many choices, so much expense

2 - Don't automatically use top-shelf liquors as your base, particularly if you're making drinks for a number of people. Some top shelf brands will suffer with the addition of sugars and/or fruit flavors. Use a brand which gives you all the fundamental flavors, but leave the brands best suited to nuanced sips own the shelf. Or better, lock them up.

(For example, you want to use a smooth tequila for your margaritas, but using Don Julio 1942 is simply tossing money away for no noticeable improvement on the finished cocktail itself. Likewise, don't use a brand which is so rough it will take the paint off your Buick - use something like San Matias Legado, or the standard Don Julio instead.)

The advertising campaign and celebrity-of-the-day aren't mixing your drink, you are. Sip Garrison Brothers, mix Buffalo Trace.

3 - Prepare a specific drink menu. Having to stock an entire bar for a party - just in case someone wants an Earl Grey Caviar Martini (it's a thing) - is kind of overkill. Particularly if you're doing the mixing or you've hired a professional bartender, it's easier on both your wallet and workload to find a theme and create a menu around it - a good bartender should be able to help with this. Some of the most successful require core spirits and a handful of optional ingredients, such as a Tiki menu, or Prohibition era.

(Flights can be a fun way to enhance a party, provided the people in attendance all like the same sort of liquor. Choose a category, such as bourbon, and get four solid bottles for the party. Select a sequence, and make it part of the evening's theme. Make the tasting of it the topic of conversation.)

4 - Plan your food menu around the drinks. Many people treat them as separate categories, but planning things to complement each other will make for a much more fun evening and let the drinks and the food taste all that much better together. 

Examples of this would be planning a bourbon drinks menu around a barbecue. Tequila is a natural for latin foods. Scotch goes well with more continental fare. All of this is logical and natural in that regional cuisines are largely influenced by the local alcohol style. The French, who for years almost unilaterally dominated the fine wine industry, excelled at complementary cuisine. Italians, with their rich and fruit-forward wines, also created rich and flavorful sauces to go with the wines from their vineyards.

Californians evolved what is called California Cuisine, a lower fat diet rich in vegetables and lean meats, with wine being a healthy alternative to beer and cocktails. And the heavier, fat-filled foods of the British Isles gave rise to Scotch and Irish whiskies. All of them influenced by what was available to them locally.

After the first, you're on your own

5 - Have fun.

Planning a party can be half the fun, with attending it being the other half. Too many hosts find themselves missing the socializing party as they get wrapped up the logistics of the thing. Sitting in the kitchen heating appetizers, tending bar, cleaning up. All are things which can be kept to a dull roar with a. few carefully planned options.

For cocktail parties, my Dad had a firm rule: "I'll mix your first drink, after that, there's the bar." In other words, help yourself. It allowed Dad to play the good host by getting your first drink to you, but prevented him from spending time making sure everyone's drinks were refreshed throughout the evening. Mom, on the other hand, got as much food prepared as possible, then relied upon her kids - my sisters and me - to bring them out. After we walked around with the first nibbled, they went on the sideboard for everyone to help themselves.

(It helps if you have kids, of course.)

(Important caveat: My parents entertained in the 1960s and '70s. Sensibilities have changed over the years, so plan accordingly. Be the gracious help-yourself host, but keep an eye on the guests who might over-indulge. We don't want anyone to get hurt or worse, and in today's society it just might get you in trouble too.)

Cocktail parties aren't what they used to be, but there's a strong current of nostalgia sweeping the country. If the mood strikes, plan one for you and your friends. It can be a lot of fun, and get your mind off of what's going on outside the door.

Cheers!