Raise a glass: Toast the holidays with simple, flavorful, colorful drinks

You could serve guests the full spectrum of booze at your holiday party. But all of that mixing, shaking and stirring would leave you no time to overeat, smooch underneath the mistletoe or gossip about your neighbor's collection of sequined holiday sweatshirts.

Instead, we recommend offering a limited menu. Assemble one or two signature drinks, a colorful nonalcoholic option and a cooler of beer, preferably produced by a fine local brewery.

Another tip: rent glasses. Cheap plastic cups are for college keggers. Check the Yellow Pages or online for a nearby party rental store.

We've gathered half a dozen festive recipes. Some can be prepared in advance; others require just a few ingredients. But each is as beautiful as it is flavorful.

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CRANBERRY GIN AND TONIC

Yield: 10 servings

2 (12-ounce) bags fresh cranberries

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

3 1/3 cups chilled tonic water

1 1/4 cups gin

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1. Bring cranberries, sugar and water to a simmer in a 3- to 3 1/2-quart saucepan. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until berries just begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Drain cranberries in a fine-mesh sieve set over a 1-quart glass measuring cup.

2. Measure and set aside 2 cups cooked cranberries. Force remaining berries through the sieve into the syrup. Discard solids remaining in sieve, then add reserved 2 cups cranberries to the syrup. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a pitcher; chill until cold, about 2 hours.

3. Add tonic water, gin and lime juice to syrup, stirring gently to combine. Serve over ice in 8- to 10-ounce glasses

Adapted from Gourmet

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HARVEST BOWL

Yield: 10 servings

Ice block or cracked ice

2 cups apple cider

1 cup vodka

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as orange curacao or triple sec

1 apple, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

1 (750ml) bottle sparkling apple juice, chilled

1 (750ml) bottle brut champagne, chilled

1. Place a block of ice in a large punch bowl or fill bowl halfway with cracked ice. Add cider, vodka, orange liqueur and apple and lemon slices. Stir.

2. Carefully add sparkling apple juice and then champagne. Stir. Serve in wine glasses or goblets.

Adapted from "Champagne Cocktails" by A.J. Rathbun (Harvard Common Press, 2010)

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BUBBLY POINSETTIA

Yield: 2 servings

Ice cubes

6 tablespoons gin

3 tablespoons grenadine

2 tablespoons maraschino liqueur

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Chilled brut champagne or other sparkling wine

2 lemon slices

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add gin, grenadine, maraschino liqueur and lemon juice. Shake vigorously.

2. Strain the liquid into two flute glasses. Top each with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Adapted from "Champagne Cocktails" by A.J. Rathbun (Harvard Common Press, 2010)

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AMARETTO-CRANBERRY KISS

Yield: 8 servings

2 cups cranberry juice cocktail

1 cup vodka

1/2 cup amaretto

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Ice cubes

1 clementine, peeled, and separated into segments

1. Mix cranberry juice, vodka, amaretto, and orange juice in a pitcher. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

2. To make 2 drinks, fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Pour in scant 1 cup vodka mixture. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into two martini glasses. Garnish each with a clementine segment.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

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TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD

Yield: 1 serving

1/4 cup white tequila

2 tablespoons green or white creme de menthe

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Ice

1 thin lime slice

1. Combine tequila, creme de menthe and lime juice with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well, the strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lime slice, allowing it to float on the drink

Adapted from "Drinkology" by James Waller (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2003)

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NON-ALCOHOLIC APPLE SPARKLER

Yield: 5 servings

1 tablespoon red or green colored sugar, optional

10 unpeeled orange wedges or chunks

5 unpeeled lime wedges or chunks

5 (6-inch) wooden skewers

2/3 cup raspberry juice blend

1 (750ml) bottle sparkling apple cider or sparkling pear-apple juice, chilled

1. Sprinkle colored sugar on a piece of waxed paper. Moisten the rims of five wine glasses, one at a time, with a little water. Dip each rim in sugar and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to dry.

2. For fruit garnish, place 2 orange wedges and 1 lime wedge onto each skewer; set aside.

3. Divide raspberry juice blend among prepared wine glasses, being careful not to disturb the sugar on the rim. Gently pour sparkling cider into each glass. Place a citrus skewer in each glass.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Distributed by McClatchy Tribune Information Services

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