Home bartending principle number one: rely on signature drinks.

Everyone who entertains and is not a teetotaler knows – or should know – the value of a well-stocked bar. Having a handful of liquors, a few mixers and a couple of garnishes on hand allow you to accommodate the majority of cocktails or mixed drinks your guests might desire.

Sometimes, however, we don’t live up to this ideal. Stocking a full bar and keeping it stocked can be an expensive enterprise, after all. Sometimes we entertain while on vacation, away from home. Most important, there are times when bartending by the drink is impractical. We have hostly duties or the final details of dinner to attend to, and the last thing we want to do is juggle requests for manhattans, cosmos and white Russians.

In these instances, a single drink on hand saves trouble. If a thematic or seasonal cocktail is presented to them, most guests are happy to follow with whatever is on offer; wine and beer on reserve can keep the others satisfied. The challenge of the home bartender is to choose a drink that will serve as a focal point for the meal, party or gathering – a signature drink or an old standard with a twist.

What do I mean by signature drink? It should be memorable, the sort of thing that guests will remember and associate with you and your event. Cosmopolitans can be just the thing after a day at the beach, but in general along with apple martinis and white Russians, they’re probably too overexposed to seem special for an evening occasion. On the other end of the spectrum, more obscure drinks with stronger liquors can sometimes be hard sells; don’t make a batch of Rob Roys unless you’re reasonably sure that your crowd likes blended scotch. Go for crowd-pleasing yet not cliched; simple yet dramatic.

I’ll be giving ideas for such drinks in this blog. As an example of what a simple cocktail can achieve for a party, let’s start with a blood orange sidecar. Sidecars are my favorite cocktail, so I’m sure I’ll have more to say about them, other recipes to give. But my friend Rebecca suggested using the blood orange to give deep-red color and almost purfumey touch to this great-for-winter cocktail. The fruit is in season now, and what better way to note a special occasion than with seasonal ingredients? The sugared rim adds a nice dramatic touch for company, too.

For value and body, I recommend a decent but not fancy full-bodied brandy; the Spanish brand Fundador always works well for me. The three-citrus punch of Rose’s and juice orange in addition to blood orange may seem like overkill but since blood oranges are sweeter and less acidic the balance is needed. (You’ll find them stingy on the juice, too; the high number in my recipe reflects that.) I tested the recipe with the more classical lemon juice, but the result didn’t seem to gel right and tasted thin, like a failed cosmo.

Cointreau is expensive, but don’t - simply don’t - use regular triple sec here. With a cocktail tittering on the edge of a fine sophisticated-fruity diving line, triple sec will push it straight into cloyingly sweet territory.

For fruity drinks like this, shaking really chills the cocktail and shows off the flavors well. Note the recipe is for four drinks, but depending on your math skills, you can pare it down to one… or mix in larger batches for a more crowded party. If going the latter route, put all ingredients in a pitcher then refrigerate (no more than an hour or two in advance). When mixing, just stir, pour into a cocktail shaker, shake, then strain into cocktail glasses.

Blood Orange Sidecar
Makes 4 cocktails

5 jiggers brandy
2 jiggers Cointreau
1 jigger Rose’s lime juice
juice of 3 blood oranges
juice of 1 regular orange

First sugar the rims of 4 cocktail glasses by rubbing the rims with the flesh of any citrus fruit, then dipping the edge in granulated white sugar. Set aside; you can chill in the freezer if you like.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in ingredients. Shake, then strain into the glasses. Garnish with orange twist.