Here are some cocktail recipes, from epicurious.com, for some common drinks you could serve at a party. Once you’ve got your concoctions on hand, follow this link to plan some drinking games for your soiree: http://www.webtender.com/handbook/games/

SCREWDRIVER HIGHBALLS

12 ounces vodka (1 1/2 cups)

6 cups fresh orange juice, chilled

Orange slices for garnish

Stir together vodka and juice in a large pitcher, then serve over ice. Serves 8,

CRANBERRY-ORANGE CAPE COD

1/2 cup cranberry cocktail

1/4 cup vodka

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

2 teaspoons lime juice

Fill each glass with ice. Pour cranberry juice cocktail, vodka, Grand Marnier, and lime juice into glass. Stir to blend. Garnish with lime wedge. Serves 1.

LONG ISLAND ICED TEA

1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) gin

1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) vodka

1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) light rum

1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) tequila

1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) triple sec

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon superfine granulated sugar

1 cup ice cubes

1/2 cup cola

Lemon wedge for garnish

Combine all ingredients except cola in a cocktail shaker and shake 5 seconds. Strain into a very tall (16-ounce) glass filled with ice cubes, then top off with cola and stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Serves 1.

MOJITO

3 cups (packed) fresh mint leaves

9 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups light rum

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

6 cups club soda

6 cups crushed ice

6 lime wedges

Reserve 6 mint leaves for garnish. Place remaining mint leaves in medium bowl. Add sugar. Mash with wooden spoon until mint is aromatic and oils are released. Add rum and lime juice and stir until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture into pitcher. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead; refrigerate.)

Add club soda to pitcher; gently stir. Fill each of 6 glasses with 1 cup crushed ice. Pour mojito over and garnish each glass with 1 mint leaf and 1 lime wedge. Serves 6.

TURQUOISE MARGARITA

6 lime slices

Coarse salt

1 1/4 cups margarita mix

3/4 cup tequila

1/4 cup blue curacao

1/2 lime, quartered

4 cups ice

Rub lime slice around rim of each of 6 stemmed glasses. Reserve lime slice. Dip rims of glasses into salt. Combine margarita mix and next three ingredients in blender. Blend until lime is finely minced. Add ice and blend until thick and smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with lime slices. Serves 6.

PINA COLADA

2/3 cup pineapple juice

6 tablespoons canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)

3 tablespoons white rum

2 cups ice cubes

4 teaspoons dark rum

Combine first three ingredients in blender. Add ice and blend well. Pour into two tall glasses. Spoon 2 teaspoons dark rum over each and serve. Serves 2.

SEX ON THE BEACH

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce peach schnapps

2 ounces orange juice

2 ounces cranberry juice

Pour all of the ingredients into a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Serves 1.

BLOODY MARY MARTINIS

1 medium-sized piece fresh horseradish, peeled and julienned

20 black peppercorns

1 pint vodka (there will be leftover vodka)

5 cups chopped ripe tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

4 celery stalks

Place horseradish and peppercorns in vodka bottle; seal; chill at least 24 hours. Puree tomatoes; drain with fine-mesh sieve; discard pulp. Add celery salt. Fill a shaker with ice; add 2 ounces vodka (not peppercorns or horseradish), 1 ounce tomato puree; shake. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with celery stalk. Serves 4.

RUM PUNCH

3 tablespoons bottled Whiskey-sour mix or fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice

2 teaspoons light rum

2 teaspoons amaretto

Splash grenadine

1 tablespoon dark rum

Maraschino cherry and an orange wedge, for garnish

In a glass filled with ice, stir together all ingredients except rum. Top off drink with rum. Garnish with cherry and orange. Serves 1.