As the doors of party season get set to open, every girl should arm herself with a guide or trusted manual should she be caught hosting her own cocktail party. Whether planning a girls’ night in, or just mixing up a few drinks before hitting another seasonal soiree, there’s a fresh new book out that’s more than just shaking up
Sex and the City-style cosmos. Combining one part dating manual with one part relationship guide and a splash of everyday musings,
Libations of Life: a girl’s guide to life, one cocktail at a time, is packed with both girl talk and girly drinks.

Author Dee Brun (who’s ring tone just so happens to be the theme song from Sex and the City) is seasoned both behind the bar and in the game of life. She lays it all out in her first book with a generous dose of wit and a serious glug of humour. You know you’re dealing with a bit of a she-devil with chapters like "The dating pool, and its lack of lifeguards –cocktails meant to help you stay afloat". And a whole section on "Trolling cocktails" with drinks like "don’t let me go home with him Daiquiri", the perfect cocktail to keep you out of trouble at the holiday office party.

"This libation must ALWAYS be accompanied by your girlfriend with the clearest judgment. Most importantly, listen to her!" says Brun.

Don’t let me go home with him Daiquiri

1 ½ oz. white rum

½ oz. melon liqueur

2 oz. lime juice

4 large fresh smashed strawberries (or frozen mix)

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 cup smashed ice

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a large glass rimmed with brown sugar. Garnish with a splash of protection.

Brun recommends flipping through the "Trim the back fat" chapter, featuring 12 deliciously low-cal, low-carb elixirs, over the holidays as this leaves room for "guilt-free hazing of the buffet."

Stick to vodka, rum and white wine she suggests, for the most figure-friendly options.

More cocktails on the next page!


Libations of Life: a Girl’s Guide to Life, One Cocktail at a Time, $19.95 (Whitecap Books, 2007), available at major retailers across the country.


Want to plan the perfect holiday soriee? Check out our expert tips and tricks on what to wear
here!

Ryan Jennings is the co-author of
Cooking with Booze.
For other ways to help you get through the holidays visit www.cookingwithbooze.com.


Control Top Cosmopolitan. . .with a twist of I can’t feel my legs

2 oz. raspberry vodka

4 oz. sugar-free grapefruit juice

1 cup ice

Shake all the ingredients and strain over a tall glass of ice. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries.

For navigating the cocktail party bonanza Brun dishes some sage advice.

"A girl always needs to look fabulous during this season — from head to toe. Just remember you always look better upright, and not passed out on the "coat bed" at a holiday party," she quips.

If indeed you find yourself asleep on a pile of leather and faux fur perhaps you were drinking one of Brun’s favourite holiday cocktails.

How did I get home? Stinger. . .with a dash of short-term memory loss

1 ½ oz. vodka

½ oz. peppermint schnapps

2 oz. lemon juice

1 cup smashed ice

Shake all the ingredients together and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a quick glance around the room to ensure you know where you are!

These recipes and Brun’s book are sure to put you in the festive mood, even if you’re only in it for the alcohol. So, her best advise over the holidays?

"Drink responsibly during any company function. You do not want to be the topic of discussion around the water cooler Monday morning, especially if they are discussing how you ended up on top of, or under that table."


Libations of Life: a Girl’s Guide to Life, One Cocktail at a Time, $19.95 (Whitecap Books, 2007), available at major retailers across the country.


Want to plan the perfect holiday soriee? Check out our expert tips and tricks
here!

Ryan Jennings is the co-author of
Cooking with Booze.
For other ways to help you get through the holidays visit www.cookingwithbooze.com.