Whether you’re hosting your family, his clan or (gulp!) both of them, use our handy primer for pulling off a delicious, stress-free fete -- from cocktails to cleanup.

Pour the Perfect Drink

Holiday thyme
1 oz. Dubonnet Rouge (you can find it at liquor stores for about $13)
2 oz. vodka
Sprig of fresh thyme
Squeeze of lemon juice
Lemon slice, for garnish

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine Dubonnet, vodka, thyme sprig and fresh lemon juice.
2. Shake vigorously. Pour into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
3. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Help! My family’s getting drunk.
Buzzed guests are happy guests, but no one wants to see a plastered Uncle Willy doing the Electric Slide at dinner. Try this liquor fake-out:
-Up the amount of Dubonnet to 1 ½ oz, decrease the vodka to 1 oz. an then add ½ oz. club sode. Vodka is 100-proof and Dubonnet is 36-proof, so guests won’t get hammered -- or even know the difference.