Rathbun - Party Drinks!

The Harvard Common Press
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Boston, Massachusetts 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com

2004 A.J. Rathbun

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Printed in China

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rathbun, A. J. (Arthur John)
Party drinks! : 50 classic cocktails and lively libations / A.J. Rathbun.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 1-55832-273-6 (hc : alk. paper)
1. Cocktails. I. Title.
TX951.R17 2004
641.8'74dc22
2004003285

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Photographs by Brian Hagiwara
Styling by Bret Baughman

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13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6

for natalie fuller,
who pours me drinks

My Pia Colada recipe was first printed, in somewhat different form, in the summer 2003 issue of Tin House, which you should own.

I'd like to offer up big thanks to my amazing editor, Pam Hoenig, who made this book sing, and to the whole Harvard Common Press crew for all their help in bringing Party Drnnks! into the world. Thanks times 10 also to my agents, and pals, Rebecca Staffel and Doe Coover, who do a wonderful job. In addition, a large shout-out to my sisters, Holly and Jill, and my mom, Trudy, for teaching me the finer points of throwing parties. Finally, a toast to the amazing bartenders I've had the pleasure of learning from, including Natalie, Jeremy H and Jeremy S, Joel, Ken, Gary and Mardee Haidin Regan, Rich, and the Skoog.

We are living in a fantastic cocktail era. People at bars and restaurants are enjoying a wide range of inventive new cocktails, as well as rediscovering some dearly missed classic drinkstoasting with friends, family, and sometimes a stranger sitting at the next bar stool. While the reasons for toasting in 20 languages may not have changed much in the past 100 years, what we actually drink has been refined, retooled, and modernized. Perhaps more than at any other time in history, due not only to advancements in the distilling process but also to those in the shipping process, it's possible to get orange-flavored rum in Washington, single-batch bourbon in Florida, and raspberry vodka in Maine almost year round. It's also easier to get fresh lemons, limes, cherries, and many other types of fruit all over the world not long after they've been harvested.

It's a crying shame, though, to have creative cocktails only at barswith the right recipes and tools it's easy to move the cocktail party into the home or onto the patio. Most great drinks are easy to construct on the kitchen counter, eliminating any reason to stay stuck in that same old drink-making rut when you decide to throw your next party. Whether you're hosting a black-tie winter ball or just kicking it in cutoffs on the deck, a drinking "centerpiece" or two makes the occasion memorableand takes a lot of the stress off your shoulders. As a host, having a couple of good drinks ready to pour equals a lot less worrying. Though the celebratory instinct is something everyone possesses, throwing a really good gathering can be an undertaking. If you're going to make the effort, why not do it up in memorable style? For example:

"Come over for the annual backyard hoedown, celebrating spring on our balcony. We'll be letting the Horsefeathers loose this Friday at 7:30, and then we'll be rounding them up and drinking them down. Plan on watching the sunset, picking and grinning, and putting your feet up." Now that's an invitation that dials in straight to the imagination of any hot-blooded partygoer.

Election results finally in? Then it must be time to have your Democrat and Republican friends over to drown their sorrows and mend their burned bridges over some Kentucky bourbonbased Presidentials (), spiraling that beloved beer into an animated masterpiece with the well-measured aid of one of any home bartender's best friends, ginger ale.

Assembling a gathering around cool party drinks consistently makes occasions more memorable. Achieving it isn't hard; all it takes is some simple preparation, reliable recipes, and good guests.

Of course, the basic idea of serving alcoholic beverage at parties isn't newit's almost as old as humankind. Like many life-changing inventions, the discovery of alcohol-based beverages probably was accidental: some lucky ancestor of ours mistakenly ate a fermented fruit or grain product and became fond of the taste as well as the effect. I'm guessing many Neanderthals and their descendants convened around the fire, or on the first rocky front porch, with a glass (or a carved coconut) in one hand and friends all around. Our ancestors liked to party, which is why soires, revelries, bashes, events, festive ftes, celebrations, casual carousing, mighty merriment, box socials, and just plain parties don't go in and out of stylethe love of fun and community is too deep. This deep love of festivity is also why a mundane drink should never be served. It dulls not only the palate, but also the occasion.

The drinks in this book are especially tailored to helping put the pizzazz in your next gathering. I selected these particular drinks, classic and new, because each has a bit of sparkle, a sense of suave silliness, and at least an ounce of panachethings needed to make a mundane party mighty. Of course, I also believe they all taste good. This is important, because you don't want to serve a drink that sounds neat-o, but tastes yucky. That won't make your party memorableor it will, but not in a good way. Finally, a party drink shouldn't be outlandishly hard for the home bartender to constructotherwise, you (as host or hostess) don't have enough time to actually enjoy your party, which would be a crying shame.

While rigorously testing many, many drinks (the sacrifices I've made for you, dear reader) in order to decide which should be included in this volume, I kept in mind all of the above requirements. And also, always, I tried to determine whether I would want to serve the drink in question at a shindig I was throwing. The recipes that remain meet every party standard (whether they've been around for centuries or a few short years) and are truly worthy of being called party drinks.

So kick up your heels, ring up friends and family, and get those party drinks popping!

Years ago, along with takeout veggie chow mein, I received one of my favorite fortune cookie fortunes: "Proper prior planning prevents poor performance." As a host, it is a perfect phrase to remember when you're having six people over in 10 minutes and haven't yet thought of what drinks to serveperfect because you can tell yourself that, next time, you'll remember that fortune and plan ahead.

Planning is a vital ingredient to throwing a hoedown, shindig, or your basic revelry, though, on the flip side, last-minute decisions to have a party in half an hour often lead to memorable occasions (usually at 2 a.m.). I realize that to many, last-minuting is as appetizing as eating Velveeta, but trust me, being impetuous can be fun. Whether you're someone who sends out invitations six months, two weeks, or five minutes ahead of time, having a few essential tools around makes the role of host much easier.