Mixology is demystified by sticking to a few rules

Any fool can throw a cocktail party.

“It’s not only the high and mighty priest — the bartender — standing behind the altar — the bar.” So said one of those high and mighty priests, Tony Abou-Ganim, at a seminar Saturday on crafting a cocktail party. He was joined by Julie Reiner, herself a high priestess, on a mission to demystify mixology at the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival.

Like most everyone invited to shepherd such events at the festival, they have blue-chip credentials. He runs the cocktail program at the Bellagio in Las Vegas; she runs the celebrated Clover Club in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Flatiron Lounge in Manhattan (although she grew up in Hawaii). They are celebrities in the field, shaking up cocktails on television, in books and on myriad stages such as this one.

But their point is that a fun, friendly cocktail party is within anyone’s reach.

Any fool can do it, but that doesn’t mean being foolish. Learn a few rules, especially the KISS rule, Abou-Ganim said: “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”

» Use fresh juices: Never use bottled lemon or lime juice. Squeeze the fruit yourself.

» Make simple syrup: Combine equal parts sugar and boiling water. Refrigerate up to a month and use as needed. Much better than stirring granules of sugar into a cold drink.

» Make nice ice: Use filtered water to get clean, clear cubes. Make it fresh and keep cubes in sealed bags until needed or they will absorb odors in the freezer. To “geek out,” like Abou-Ganim, freeze water in blocks, letting impurities settle at the bottom, then chip off clear chunks from the top.

» Keep the food simple: It should not compete with the drinks. A generous platter of cheese, charcuterie (cured meats) or crudite (veggie sticks and dip) is enough and easy to prepare ahead.

» Keep the details simple: If this becomes a habit, invest in good glassware and bar tools and maximize the quality of your liquor. But if you’re just starting out, you just need a small measuring cup, a spoon and something to muddle with (see the mojito recipe on D1).

» Learn balance: Follow recipes to get an idea of how to merge alcohol with sweetness and/or bitterness, but play around with flavors, especially when it comes to seasonal fruits. “There are rules, but the rights and wrongs of it are subjective,” Abou-Ganim said.

Self-Serve Cocktail Party Strategies

ROSÉ SANGRIA
Tony Abou-Ganim

A showcase drink done up in a large pitcher or a punch bowl makes a colorful centerpiece.

» 2 lemons, quartered
» 6 strawberries, sliced
» 1 apple, sliced
» 1 cup mixed red and green grapes, sliced
» 1 small orange, in quarters
» 750-milliliter bottle rosé wine
» 8 ounces vodka
» 4 ounces Cointreau liqueur
» 4 ounces simple syrup
» 4 ounces pomegranate juice
» 8 ounces lemon juice
» 4 ounces white grape juice
» Lemon-lime soda, to taste
» Extra fruit, for serving and garnish

Place cut fruit in large pitcher. Add liquors and juices, but not soda. Refrigerate overnight.

To serve, remove fruit. Pour sangria over ice in large pitcher. Add fresh fruit. Top with soda. Let guests pour their own drinks into wine glasses and garnish with more fruit. Serves 8.

BOATHOUSE PUNCH
Julie Reiner

» Peels from 4 lemons
» 1/2 cup sugar
» 1-liter bottle gin
» 750-milliliter bottle Aperol (Italian aperitif)
» 12 ounces St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
» 12 ounces EACH lemon, orange and grapefruit juices
» 750-milliliter bottle sparkling rosé wine
» Sliced lemons, for garnish

Place lemon peels and sugar in bottom of punch bowl and muddle to moisten sugar. Let sit at least 1 hour or overnight.

Add remaining ingredients except wine. Let sit 15 minutes. Remove lemon peels.

Just before serving, add block of ice and wine. Garnish bowl with sliced lemons.

Tip: Freeze sliced fruit within the block of ice. Use a bundt pan for a really classy effect.

NEGRONI
Julie Reiner

This classic can be made up ahead, then poured and garnished for each guest.

» 15 ounces gin (Tanqueray preferred)
» 10 ounces Campari liqueur
» 10 ounces sweet vermouth
» 8-1/4 ounces cold water
» Orange peels, for garnish

Combine gin, Campari, vermouth and water. Stir; chill at least 2 hours. Pour into glasses and garnish with orange peel. Serves 10.

MOJITOS
Tony Abou-Ganim

Put out the essential ingredients and teach your guests to muddle (“press and twist to massage the mint and get it acquainted with the syrup and the lime,” Abou-Ganim says). A muddler is like a pestle used to crush ingredients. You can buy specialty muddlers (give each guest one as a party favor) or use wooden spoons.

» 12 to 15 mint leaves
» 1 lime, halved
» 1 ounce simple syrup
» Crushed ice
» 1-1/2 to 2 ounces light-bodied rum
» 1/2 ounce soda water

Pinch off mint stems and squeeze leaves lightly to release essential oils; place in tall glass.

Squeeze lime to make 1 ounce juice; add to glass with simple syrup. Muddle.

Add crushed ice. Add rum. Top with “tickle” of soda. Garnish with mint.

Tips: Submerge mint leaves in water to keep fresh. Squeeze limes just before using for best-quality juice.