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A cocktail is a great way to host your guests without necessarily spending a lot of time preparing food in large quantities. Whether it is a birthday celebration or just a simple get together party, you can make the event a memorable one by serving an amazing drink. No doubt, making the best cocktail drink is not very easy. Serving it in an effective manner is also quite a challenge.

Here are some tips you need to remember when deciding that your guests will be served a cocktail:

1. A few simple ingredients can make a classic cocktail. You do not have to worry about stocking up on lots of ingredients if you are strapped for time or money. Bourbon, vodka and gin are some ingredients that you may not wish to do without. Having a variety of mixers will ensure your guests that they have a wide range of simple drinks to choose from. Such mixers as lime juice, cranberry juice, club soda or sour mix will come in handy and your guests can have a lot to sample. Ensure to have enough ice as this will be necessary for chilling.
2. Have the right glasses and garnishes for the cocktail. The focus of the party will be on the drinks you are serving. This means that you will need to add a bit more of effort in serving it. Choose glasses that complement the kind of drinks you will be serving. At the same time, you need to find unique ways of garnishing your drinks. The added visual impact will elevate your guests’ desire to savour each and every serving. Do not forget that spiking cherries, for example, is a simple yet effective way to garnish as well.
3. Add a bit of food that complements the cocktail you will be serving. You will not need to serve heavy foods as the party is ideally a cocktail one. Simple bites like sandwiches, nuts, pita crisps and several other light appetizers will come in handy being served alongside the cocktail.
4. In every party, there are activities organised to keep guests occupied and entertained. When planning a cocktail party, you need to be sure that the activities you have slotted in will be those which complement the cocktails to be served. Many people find that such activities like pool and hula contests add a lot of fun to cocktail parties. Sometimes, coming up with an ideal theme that blends well with the cocktails you have prepared will add to the allure of the occasion. Hence, you may decorate the venue highlighting the colours that your drinks will have.

Having an effective cocktail event will usually depend on your general creativity when it comes to such things as mixing ingredients up and serving the drink. When you pay attention to all the little things that matter in a party, you will be able to get it just fine. Sometimes, keeping everything simple will add a sense of style and preparing and serving cocktails is not much different.

You've been good all week, but now you're up against one of the biggest challenges dieters face — Friday afternoon happy hour. With just a few sugary margaritas and house lagers, you can pack on hundreds, or even thousands, of calories and undo all your progress. Worse still, you'll actually feel hungrier after drinking; alcohol lowers your blood sugar and makes you crave food.

You don't have to give up drinks altogether, though. Here are five low-calorie drinks to help you survive happy hour.

1. Rum and Diet Coke

If you have a sweet tooth, your first thought may be to order a Strawberry Daiquiri or similar drink. Drink two, though, and you've just doubled your caloric intake for the day. In addition, if you like to have happy hour outdoors, the sugar in these drinks will counteract even the most valiant mosquito outdoor control efforts.

Replace your sugary cocktail with a twist on the rum and diet coke. The natural sweetness of rum combined with the artificial sweeteners of the soda will satisfy your craving for something sweet.

2. Champagne

Ok, so maybe you like to feel a little fancy when you order a drink. Don't opt for a fruity cocktail though. Instead, break open some bubbly. On average, a 4-oz glass will set you back just 85 calories. Two glasses will hardly hurt your diet at all.

If you are on a diet, you are most likely pretty cautious of what you eat.  But are you just as mindful of what you drink?  Probably not…but you should be.

Did you know a 10oz Long Island Iced Tea has the same number of calories as a McDonald’s Big Mac?  Ew!  That is a lot of unnecessary calories!  And guess, what…the Long Island Iced Tea isn’t even the biggest weight loss saboteur.  There are lots of other villains. 

Drinks That Make You Fat

You are probably totally unaware of the fact that your favorite adult beverages are adding hundreds of calories to your night out.

• A 10oz Long Island Ice Tea has 543 calories.
• A 10oz Margarita has 550 calories.
• A 6oz Mud Slide has 556 calories.
• A 12oz PiñaColada has 586 calories.
• A 9oz Mai Tai has 620 calories.

If you want to put it in perspective, these drinks have roughly the same calorie content as a McDonald’s Big Mac, large French fry, two slices of pepperoni pizza, a Whopper from Burger King, an extra large order of onion rings, or a chicken quesadilla.  If you are on a diet, you probably avoid these foods like the plague.  So why are you drinking the same amount of calories during your night out?!

Studies have shown that alcohol consumption can slow fat metabolism by as much as 73%.  How appetizing are those drinks looking now?