Party Drinks Calculator
You'll need to make a couple of decisions about beverages before you can decide how much to buy. For your gathering, would you prefer to serve wine and beer with an assortment of nonalcoholic choices? Or do you intend to offer a full bar with mixed drinks and specialty cocktails?
Especially for casual gatherings, serving only wine, beer, and nonalcoholic choices is perfectly acceptable and may be the preferred approach. Most guests will find a satisfying option, and for the hostess, a limited alcohol selection simplifies planning and allows you to match beverage choices to your menu.
When shopping for your party, include these beverages on your list:
-- White wine
-- Red wine
-- Beer
-- Water: mineral and bottled
-- Soft drinks: lemon-lime, diet lemon-lime, cola, and diet cola
Customize the list to suit your guests' preferences or to match a theme. For example, you may want to include a sparkling wine for a special celebration or focus on specialty beer choices for guests with sophisticated palates. Also, provide nonalcoholic choices, such as bottled water, juices, lemonade, iced tea, soft drinks, or nonalcoholic beer and wine.
Perfect Mixer: How to Make Lemonade
-I won??t go into though when life hands you lemons, but really a secret of how to make lemonade is fresh lemons. To prep your lemons for juicing, loosen the bits inside by rolling them across your table surface. This is a great job for kids too. Slice the lemon in half and spoon out a few seeds. You??ll need 4 to 5 lemons to get 1 cup of juice and let??s do juice. I??m gonna use a basic reamer and press my lemon over the raised section. No squeezing needed. The bottom of the container collects all that tasty goodness. My reamer doesn??t have measurements. So, I??m checking for 1 cup by pouring into a measuring cup. Now, for the easy lemonade formula, 3 parts water to 1 part fresh lemon juice. Got it? 3 to 1 and stir. Sweeten with sugar as you go, tasting as you add. Keep stirring. Ah, now that??s summer in a glass. Pour and serve your fresh lemonade over ice with a slice lemon garnish. I??m craving a lemonade stand already.
Obviously, hosting a complete bar will require more thought and investment. If you already have a home bar, you may have a foundation of spirits, mixers, and accents. You'll need to review your home bar inventory to avoid duplicating purchases (a small bottle of bitters or vermouth goes a long way) or skimping on party favorites.
For a full party bar, include these elements on your list:
-- Wine: red and white
-- Beer
-- Bourbon
-- Gin
-- Rum
-- Scotch
-- Tequila
-- Vodka
-- Water: mineral and bottled
-- Soft drinks: lemon-lime, diet lemon-lime, cola, and diet cola
-- Tonic
-- Club soda
-- Juices: orange, cranberry, and tomato
Besides these basics, if you're making a signature cocktail or know guests' favorite drinks, add the appropriate ingredients to your shopping list.
Editor's Tip: If you plan to offer a full bar, make sure you have the necessary tools and appropriate glassware, as well as drink ingredients, to mix and serve a variety of cocktails.
Continued on page 2: Make a Party Shopping List
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