The Best Party Drink Recipes

Throwing a blow-out bash or just a simple dinner party? The cornerstone of get-togethers is often the food and drink served and you can make a lasting impression by knowing the best drinks and how to make them. Here is a simple guide to party drinks to wow your next batch of guests. 

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From Visually.

Crantinis Recipe

Love It, Love It, Love It! Passing on another great recipe by Betty Crocker. Do you need a drink for entertaining? Well here's one I know you'll like. The first time I tried this drink I fell in love with it. It looks so beautiful in a martini glass and it even inspired me to craft my own beaded skewers for fruit. One day I'll post about that too. :) 

Crantinis Recipe 
Originally uploaded by Betty Crocker Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
• 1/2 cup citrus vodka or plain vodka
• 1/4 cup Triple Sec or orange juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Fresh cranberries, if desired
• Lime slices, if desired

Directions:

1. Fill martini shaker or 3-cup covered container half full with ice. Add all ingredients except cranberries and lime slices; cover and shake.

2. Pour into martini or tall stemmed glasses, straining the ice. Garnish glasses with fresh cranberries and lime slices on picks.

Noel Spritzer Recipe

Noel Spritzer Recipe 
Originally uploaded by Betty Crocker Recipes

It's time for mixing and fixing those holiday drinks! This week I'll be blogging all about it and sharing my favorite recipes. Today I'll start the stir stick stirring with a Betty Crocker recipe. I've served this spritzer for 7 or 8 years now and always fall back on it in a pinch. Not only do I serve it during the holidays but I serve it to house guests all throughout the year.

Ingredients:

2 cups chilled dry white wine, nonalcoholic wine or apple juice
1 cup chilled cranberry-apple juice drink
1 cup chilled sparkling water
Apple slices, if desired
Fresh mint, if desired

Directions:

1. Mix wine, juice drink and sparkling water.
2. Serve over ice. Garnish with apple slices and mint.

Here's how to make the blood for a wickedly tasteful drink

What makes Halloween or a vampire party so special? It's the spooky creations that set the theme of the party right. Well spooky drinks are no different. You can easily go from plain & mundane to errie blood creations in just a few steps. Or should I say in just a few bites....

• 1 c. Sugar    
• 1/2 c. Karo Syrup
• 1/2 c. Water
• Red Food Coloring

The "Blood Rim" is made from the same kind of mixture as you use to make hard candy. Combine sugar, syrup and water. Cook without stirring to hard crack stage – which is 300 degrees F. Add food coloring.Turn off heat. While the mixture is still hot, all you have to do is dunk the top of the cocktail glass into the mixture to create the red rim. whichever you prefer. Flip the glass right side up to cool. Now, Do you need a recipe for the drink to go inside? How about a Blood- Tini?
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The Bloody-tini is simply a fun Halloween cocktail and would be great for a spooktactular dinner party. Other great drinks would be the Black Martini or Vampire Kiss.

• 2 oz VeeV Acai Spirit
• 1 oz acai juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• Top with fresh champagne
• lime wedge for garnish

1. Combine VeeV, Acai juice and fresh lime with fresh ice in a cocktail shaker and shake.
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with champagne.
3. Serve with a fresh lime wedge or bloody rim glass.
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Here's another recipe

• 1/2 cup Grenadine Syrup
• 1/2 cup Corn Syrup
• 1 to 3 Drops Green Food Coloring

Mix the Grendine and Corn Syrup. Add green food coloring one drop at a time, mixing thoroughly after each, until the 'pink' edge has been taken off the mixture. Pour into a wine glass, and swirl. The concotion looks very good under bright light. If you plan to drink it, though, I recommend you cut it half-half with water. It all depends on how you want to use it. Inside a glass, rim of a glass. Or even on someones face!
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• Hey yall.... remember this idea for Christmas too. Not the blood part but the red part inside a Christmas drink would be great! 
• Did you know there;s also chocolate blood? 

photo by By Love Manor Johnny Love