The Cosmopolitan is such a classic cocktail that it seems like it must have been around forever – it’s one of those drinks that you see the really cool people drinking in those old film noire movies, right?

Actually, it’s not. It wasn’t invented by Sex and the City, but the Cosmo has only been around since the mid 1980s. The original drink is generally credited to Cheryl Cook, a bartender in South Florida, who was challenged to come up with a drink to showcase the new Absolut Citron vodka. Cheryl also wanted something that would make a beautiful visual presentation in a classic cocktail glass.

I’ve definitely a Cosmo Girl – how about you?

The Ultimate Cosmopolitan

* 3 parts Citron Vodka
* 1 part Cointreau
* 1-2 parts cranberry juice
* splash of fresh lime juice

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In planning a New Years Eve party, one of the most exciting items is the selection of cocktails for the party. New Years Eve is a holiday which is largely associated with alcohol consumption. Those who attend these parties are likely to expect an array of interesting cocktails to celebrate the coming of the New Year and many hosts are more than willing to oblige their guests with an assortment of delicious and interesting cocktails.

When planning a New Years Eve party which will include children, it is important to plan on serving a wide variety of non alcoholic beverages in addition to the alcoholic cocktails for the adults. This is important because it will prevent the children from being envious of the interesting beverages the adults are drinking. It will also prevent the children from being curious about the drinks the adults are enjoying and attempting to sneak a taste of these beverages. Non alcoholic cocktails are also considered mocktails and can often be created to look just like the real beverages in a wide variety of colors, flavors and textures. Beverages such as the pina coloda, margarita and a variety of martinis can all be made in non alcoholic versions.

In planning cocktails for a New Years Eve party, you should consider offering a wide variety of beverages throughout the night. This could include both hot, cold drinks and even frozen drinks. One of the most popular cocktail options for a New Years Eve party is punch which is served from a punch bowl. This festive cocktail is typically sweet and contains ingredients such as fruit juices, lemon lime soda and an array of alcoholic ingredients such as vodka and rum. Some hosts may even include champagne in the punch mixture. Adding a scoop or two of sherbet to the punch bowl also helps to cool the beverage and adds an additional layer of taste and texture to the mixture.

Another popular option of a New Years Eve party is to offer one signature cocktail throughout the evening. This can be an item such as a Martini created specifically for the occasion with a seasonal feeling. An eggnog martini is an example of a beverage which is a great deal of fun as well as appropriate for the season. Champagne cocktails are also appropriate for a New Years Eve party. You can create a simply champagne cocktail by combining champagne with sweet vermouth and grenadine.

Hot cocktails are also popular options for a New Years Eve party. Spiked coffees and hot chocolates are always popular but for a more festive cocktail consider creating drinks with a hot cider base. You can create a luxurious hot chocolate cocktail by combining a butterscotch flavored liqueur with rich hot chocolate. An example of a hot beverage which is also quite festive is a hot cider spiced with cranberry juice and rum. Although hot cocktails are extremely popular, most guests will likely only drink one or two hot cocktails during the evening. Conversely they are likely to consumer significantly more cold cocktails during the course of the evening. For this reason, it is recommended to provide both hot and cold cocktails during your New Years Eve party.

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One of the most fashionable parties for adults these days to have are cocktail parties. Even thought their popularity has fallen off over the last few decades, cocktail parties have reappeared on the party scene and are now even more fashionable than they ever were before.

While many adults in the United States today enjoy beer and wines, the mixed drinks of the past are really starting to become more and more in vogue again. Now days when you walk into a typical bar, you will see many more people ordering mixed drinks than they have in the last decade or two. Some of the most popular today is the apple martini, chocolate martini, dirty martini, and the cosmopolitan.

One of the best things about planning a cocktail party is that they generally only last a few hours. In addition, your guests will be wandering around mingling and snacking rather than sitting around a table eating a full meal with each other. This makes the cocktail party perfect for inviting people who may or may not already know each other.

One of the easiest things about planning a cocktail party is the fact that you can have just about any menu your want, as long as the food is complementary to the most popular mixed drinks that is. Guests who come to a cocktail party know that they are only there to snack, have a drink or two, and mingle. Because of this, you can supply a wide variety of finger foods and be confident that everyone present will find something agreeable to them.

Here are some professional party planner’s tips on hosting an amazing cocktail party that everyone will remember and be talking about.

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