Batch Of Cocktails

Ina Garten believes the point of cocktail parties is for friends to drink together, so bulk up a drink recipe to have enough drinks for everyone.

Consult cocktail recipe books for exact measurements, and conversion charts ensure that bulked-up drinks maintain their intended taste and quality.

Limes

Instead of bottled sour mix, Garten prefers freshly squeezed lime juice. You can store it in the fridge for three days or less to preserve the nutritional value and taste.

Dilute

Ice cubes cool and dilute drinks, reducing the alcohol's strength. Ice also affects taste — even some wines taste better after dilution.

Different shapes of ice and the temperature of your alcohol also affect the taste of your drink. Some mixologists even add flavored ice to their drinks.

Shaker

Garten recommends shaking a cocktail for 30 seconds to chill and dilute it more effectively than stirring, which also creates a cloudy appearance with air bubbles.

Margaritas

For delicious, affordable margaritas, you can use cheap tequila with a mix of lime and lemon juice. Garten says the secret to this drink is the juice from a single lemon.