Tired of overly strong “Cuba Libre,” tequila body shots and boring beer during the upcoming holiday parties? Try our simple cocktail recipes to impress your friends and make your party way more classy. Remember to enjoy responsibly.

Bee’s Knees

1.5 oz. gin

0.75 oz. lemon juice

0.75 oz. honey

Put all the ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake well. Serve in a lowball glass on ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Earl Grey Hot Toddy

1 cup strongly brewed Earl Grey tea

1 tsp. brown sugar

2 oz. bourbon

0.5 oz. lemon juice

Put all the ingredients in a mug and stir well. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Mulled Wine

1 bottle (750ml) cheap red wine

2 cinnamon sticks

Spices: cardamom, allspice, star anise

1 orange

1 lemon

1 cup apple cider

Honey or maple syrup to taste

Slice oranges and lemons horizontally into disks. Combine all the ingredients into a big pot and heat until it boils. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Filter out all the liquid and transport to a separate pot. Serve warm and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Non alcoholic options

Shirley Temple

1 glass ginger ale

1 splash of Grenadine

Pour a glass of ginger ale over ice and add a splash of grenadine. Stir well and garnish with one or two maraschino cherries.

Virgin Mojito

Handful of mint leaves

1 oz. simple syrup (1 part water, 1 part sugar)

1 oz. lime juice

Club soda

Add mint leaves, simple syrup and lime juice in a glass and muddle gently to extract essential oil out of the leaves. Add ice to the glass and top with club soda. Garnish with a lime wedge. For an adult version, add 1.5 oz. of rum.

Daniel Yeom is the dining editor. Email him at [email protected].