Give Your New Year's Eve Party Some Added Class with a Great Vodka Martini

As the new year approaches, we all begin to think about the wonderful festivities and the time to be close to our friends and family. To make your New Year's Eve special, try adding a touch of class to your New Year's celebration. Invite your guests to a black tie affair with jacket and tie as part of the dress code for attendees. This gives everyone the chance to dress up for the occassion and try on those fancy clothes that have been gathering dust in the forgotten corners of the closets for the last few years. To make the adult beverages served at your event match the theme of your party, consider adding this variation on the Martini to your bartenders list of drinks.

The Vodka Martini is an old favorite that imbues the very image of high class in its gorgeous stemware and ornate garnish. Simple but elegant, the Vodka Martini can be made by even the most untrained of bartenders. Like James Bond, I prefer my martini, "Shaken, Not Stirred" so I shall start my recipe with one shaker filled with crushed ice. Add one ounce of vodka. Premium vodka such as Grey Goose is preferable but any vodka will work for this recipe. Next , add one third ounce of Vermouth. Again top shelf labels are preferred. Placing the lid on the shaker, give the shaker a nice agitation without getting overly vigorous and busting up the ice into small chips. The idea is to thoroughly chill the drink, not to have miniature icebergs choking your guests.

After shaking the drink, use a strainer and pour the Vodka Martini into chilled Martini glasses or even the fancy party glasses made of ice. You can buy the molds for these glasses through specialty stores and the "glasses" they produce are an excellent way to make sure that your guests drinks stay extra cold. Garnish the vodka martinie with olives or pearl onions on toothpicks. For the occassion, fancy toothpicks such as those topped with bright collored cellophane streamers, the digits of the new year, or even Baby New Year characters are a great way to make your party the talk of the new year party crowd.

The new year is a chance to start over and rejuvenate your life. Why not start it with a little extra class?