Life of the PARTY

Beyond the holidays, here's how to whip up impressive tipples for any festive occasion

- JARED PAUL STERN

"I like to have a Martini, two at the very most. After three I'm under the table; after four I'm under my host." Dorothy Parker, famous rapier wit of the Algonquin Round Table, summed up the festive possibilities of the world's most famous cocktail in her usual succinct style; while also managing to comment on the perks (and perhaps pitfalls) for those who provide hospitality in liquid form.

All of which is to say we are wholeheartedly in favor of festive cocktails of the cool and classic sort that transcend the much-maligned "holidays." Which is why we welcome the publication of the definitive work on the subject: Festive Cocktails & Canapés: Over 100 Recipes for Seasonal Drinks & Party Bites from Ryland Peters & Small, with photographs by Alex Luck, the best cocktail photographer in the business.

Holidays and other festive occasions, "from large cocktail parties to intimate celebratory dinners." call for timeless tipples and riffs on classic concoctions as a solid repertoire of crowd pleasers, plus a few showier drinks that scream "celebration"-in a well-bred way. According to the book's authors, "stylish cocktails that can be rustled up from a well-stocked festive bar cart," include, in addition to the iconic Martini, takes on the Sour, Bramble and Manhattan.