<div class="section1"><div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""><img align="left" src="/photo/968829.cms" alt="/photo/968829.cms" border="0" />Party preparations are underway: Your partywear is fresh from the dry cleaners, the decorations look marvelous and the appetizer platters are delectable. But don''t neglect the drinks! For this special occasion, you''ll want to make sure that the cocktails look just as fabulous as everything else.
Most of these "dress-up" tricks will work equally well with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, so everyone at your party will be able to enjoy a delightful drink or two. </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Garnish a Glass</span><br />There''s more to garnishing a drink than tossing a wedge of lime into the glass. Not that citrus can''t still be a drink''s best friend, but take a journey outside the ordinary for this occasion. Try circular slices of lemon, lime or orange -- floating on top, or cut partway through the middle and fixed on the rim of the glass. A long twist of citrus peel is a simple and elegant way to finish off a mixed drink as well. To get extra-fancy, use strips of zest or circular slices of more than one kind of citrus, twisted or tied together. These tiny citrus fruits are entirely edible -- peel and all -- and they pack a mouth-watering punch of sweet-tart flavor. </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">Don''t stop there, though! Expand your drink-garnishing repertoire even more with some of these delightful selections: </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">For Sweet Drinks</span> </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• <img align="right" src="/photo/968830.cms" alt="/photo/968830.cms" border="0" />Maraschino cherries in several colors: red, green and blue </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Pineapple wedges </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Mint leaves </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Candy canes </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Shaved coconut </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Chocolate curls </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Cinnamon sticks </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Whipped cream </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Several kinds of fruit chunks skewered on a long toothpick </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Ice cubes made with fruit chunks inside </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">For Non-Sweet Drinks</span> <img align="right" src="/photo/968831.cms" alt="/photo/968831.cms" border="0" /></div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Slices or curls of cucumber, carrot and radish </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Thin spear of celery with olives skewered on it </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Green onions with the ends fringed </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-left:18pt="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt="">• Fresh herb leaves </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Frost a Glass</span><br />We''ve all seen margarita glasses with the layer of salt around the rim, but have you ever considered frosting the rim of any of your other favorite cocktails? Besides salt, you can use coarse sugar; instant coffee granules or finely ground coffee beans; chocolate powder; finely chopped coconut; a mixture of cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg; or, for a Bloody Mary, how about celery salt? Grab the garnish of your choice and spread it in a thin layer in a wide, shallow dish with a flat bottom. For most drinks, you can use a wedge of lime, lemon or orange to moisten the rim of the glass just enough to make your garnish stick. If you want to add a different flavor or color, though, wrangle up another wide, shallow dish and pour in a little bit of the colored liquid of your choice. Choose a juice or coffee that complements the flavor of your drink, or use grenadine or food coloring if you''d like your sugar, salt or coconut to be tinged with a festive hue! </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""></div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""></div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Luxurious Layers</span><br />Multi-colored, multi-layered cocktails have a magical effect and are a great addition to your "fancy drinks" repertoire. To get the right look, you''ll need to use ingredients that have contrasting colors and varying weights. Very sweet, syrupy ingredients like grenadine or fruity liqueurs are heaviest, and creamy ingredients like Irish cream and half-and-half are lightest. Beginning with the heaviest ingredient, pour it very slowly over the back of a spoon and into the glass. Continue pouring slowly over the back of the spoon, working your way from the heaviest and finishing with the lightest ingredients in your cocktail. This technique may take a little practice, but not to worry -- you can always drink your mistakes! </div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="" margin-top:9pt="" margin-bottom:9pt=""><img align="left" src="/photo/968836.cms" alt="/photo/968836.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Light up the Night</span><br />For a special drink that will truly get everyone''s attention, try lighting it on fire! However, be sure to use extreme caution: Before you light the drink, make sure that your hair is out of the way, and that there aren''t any low-hanging party decorations that could easily catch aflame. Before beginning, warm up your glass by swirling warm water inside and dumping it out (If the glass is cold, it could crack with the sudden temperature change caused by a small flame). Pour your favorite beverage into the warmed glass, and then pour a little bit of high-proof alcohol into a metal spoon. Ignite the alcohol in the spoon using a long match, and then carefully pour the flaming alcohol into the glass. Serve immediately, and remember to blow out the flame before drinking! </div> </div>
