Turn Your Living Room into a Cocktail Lounge—on a Budget

How Should I Calculate Garnishes?

Plan on one lemon and one lime for every three guests. Preslice them (though not more than an hour before the party begins, otherwise they'll dry out) and keep the slices on the thin side to get more from each fruit. If you're going to put out the liquid ingredients to make martinis, you'll need olives too. Don't bother with cocktail onions; they're really only used in one drink (a Gibson). Instead, make up a small bowl of orange and lemon twists: Take the peel, roll it into a tube and slice it into 1/4-inch strips. Guests can use them in everything from dry martinis to vodka tonics.