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" Raise a glass in no time with our three prep steps for perfect party sipping: 1. Get Situated Before settling on what to serve and how, decide on your bar location.  Consider how many guests you expect and where people tend to congregate when they visit your home \u2014 or, rather, where you&amp;#039;d prefer they congregate.  Rearrange furniture so the drink station is a destination: not in the middle of everything, not right at the entrance, and not a dead end from which guests can&amp;#039;t mingle (or escape) once they&amp;#039;ve filled their glasses.  Envision the space with a crowd in it. Walk through it with arms outstretched so you take up more space. Will it be cozy or cramped? Adjust furniture as needed.  2. Gather Your Gear Festive drinks don&amp;#039;t make themselves. With these tools, guests can self-serve:  An ice bucket or cooler Fill it with ice to cover the bodies of the bottles, leaving necks exposed for grabbing. Have a separate bucket or bowl for ice people will use in drinks. An ice scoop  If you use a glass and it breaks, you&amp;#039;ll have to toss out the whole batch of ice. Scoops cost as little as $2 \u2014 or use a large spoon, a ladle, or tongs. A bottle opener Sharon Franke, GHRI kitchen appliances &amp;amp;amp; technology director, prefers a winged corkscrew (more foolproof), like the Pedrini Wine &amp;amp;amp; Bar 7-Inch Soft Grip Corkscrew ($10; amazon.com).  Drink stirrers A shaker is a great tool if you have a dedicated bartender; stirrers (or iced-tea spoons) make it easier for guests to help themselves. Glass identifiers Stop playing the &amp;quot;Whose drink is it, anyway?&amp;quot; game. Invite guests to wrap their glasses with colorful rubber bands, tie stems with pre-snipped ribbon scraps, or use stick-on static-cling labels like the exclusive-for-GH holiday-themed set from Drink Flair ($5 for 12; drinkflair.com). They peel right off, leave no residue, and can be reused. Garnish tools Encourage guests to deck out their drinks by offering cocktail sticks and fresh-cut fruit; set out a nutmeg grater so they can add spice with a flourish.  3. Be Stain-Ready Spills happen. Have handy:  Absorbent cloths for when drinks are overturned A small spritz bottle of water for dampening drips before blotting On-the-spot stain remover, like Tide to Go, to de-splotch machine-washable tablecloths (and partygoers&amp;#039; blouses)   Open Bubbly Like a Pro:  Chill the bottle well (fridge temp is fine). Remove the foil and cage, and cover the top with a cloth.  Hold the cork, then twist the bottle from the base  Stock-Up Cheat Sheet No need to buy out the liquor store. Here, how to keep it simple (assume two to three drinks per guest):  LIQUOR &amp;amp;amp; MIXERS: One liter of liquor makes about 20 drinks. (Ask if your liquor store will take back unopened products if they haven&amp;#039;t been refrigerated; many do.) Get twice as many bottles of mixers (juice, soda, etc.) as of liquor, plus extra for teetotalers.  BEER &amp;amp;amp; WINE ONLY: Buy a couple of types of each: one light and one dark brew, a white and a red wine (a bottle yields five to six glasses). The unused-bottle return policy usually applies. A SPECIALTY COCKTAIL: Make it even easier and premix one drink to serve in a pitcher, punch bowl, or heated vessel. Option: Serve nonalcoholic cider or cocoa and let guests add zip with holiday-inspired liquors (schnapps, flavored vodka, etc.).  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a19244/holiday-party-drinks/>