PHOTOS BY GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Dale DeGroff sets a citrus peel aflame -- for show, and to release the citrus oil into a drink. His creations include Old Flame, top, Port Whiskey Punch, left, Irish Coffee and Whiskey Peach Swirl. For some of his recipes, see below.

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A pro provides tips for adding
flair to a New Year's soiree

THE GUESTS have all been invited, the sushi platters reserved and the fireworks bought.

But before you kick back and relax this New Year's Eve, don't forget about a key component of any successful soiree -- the bar.

Be a responsible host The Distilled Spirits Council offers the following tips: Designate a bartender who can serve your guests and keep an eye on how much everyone is drinking. Alcohol is alcohol is alcohol. It is important to understand that a standard serving of beer (12 ounces), wine (5 ounces) and a cocktail (containing 1-1/2 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits) each contains the same amount of alcohol -- and will lead to the same amount of inebriation. Have plenty of non-alcohol beverages available. Try creating a festive non-alcohol punch or eggnog. Make sure your guests have a safe way home. Coordinate transportation in advance, either by assigning designated drivers or by having the number for a taxi service on hand. Equip yourself GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Items to have at the bar so your guests can mix drinks: Tools of the trade: Some of Dale DeGroff's tools, pictured above, include a paring knife, muddles (wooden sticks to mash fruit), cocktail spoon, strainers, scissors and zester Other items: Cocktail shaker, measuring jigger, hand citrus juicer, wine opener, can opener and appropriate glassware Handy garnishes: Lemon and lime wedges, orange and pineapple slices (depending on the drinks to be made)

No, we're not talking about tapping a keg and passing out those red plastic cups or picking up a couple of bottles of wine for guests to sip.

This year, take some time to purchase the right ingredients and you'll be celebrating the rebirth of the classic American cocktail party in addition to the start of 2005.

"This is a really great tradition, this whole cocktail thing," says Dale DeGroff from behind the bar at the Lewers Lounge in the Halekulani. "It's a very American thing ... it's very much a part of who we are."

As the self-appointed "King of Cocktails" (actually, his wife gave him the moniker), DeGroff was in town a couple of months ago to help train the hotel's bar staff and develop signature drinks for various liquor-serving establishments on the property.

With three decades of experience tending bar, including 12 years at New York City's famed Rainbow Room under the tutelage of famous restaurateur Joe Baum, he's recognized as one of the key players in the renaissance of drinks such as the Cosmopolitan, Negroni and Belmont Breeze.

"The cocktail has had a tremendous rebirth in the last 15 years," he says while whipping up a whiskey concoction that's nothing like your typical Jack and Coke. "What we did at the Rainbow Room was right there at the beginning, and was one of the sparks that started it all."

These days, DeGroff travels the world as a bar consultant and is preparing for the January opening of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans' French Quarter. But you can tell he's most comfortable when bottles are flying, shakers are shaking and there's a warm body on the barstool across from him to enjoy the show he's putting on.

IT DOESN'T take much to make a good cocktail, whether it's at a classy Waikiki hotel bar or in the comfort of your own kitchen. For DeGroff, there are two key components -- quality liquor and fresh ingredients to use as mixers.

"If you can't afford that Grey Goose vodka, Smirnoff is going to be OK in the home," he says. The key is to get the best liquor that you can afford. "There's no question about the fact that you don't want to use off-brands, but at the same time ... you've got to have the right materials."

And it might take a little more prep work, but DeGroff insists that the best cocktails are made with fresh ingredients, not the canned and bottled stuff that can be bought off the shelf at a supermarket or liquor store.

Before Prohibition in 1912, most bartenders made all their mixers by hand. There was no such thing as sweet and sour mix or fruit juice in a can.

"After Prohibition, what we ended up with was a lot of inexperienced people," explains DeGroff. "So as a hedge against all that unskilled labor, they started inventing shortcuts."

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GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Bartending consultant and pioneer Dale DeGroff, on assignment at the Halekulani, has been developing new signature drinks for the resort's bars and restaurants.

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For the next 50 years, bartending was more of a burn-and-turn affair, with pre-made mixers and bottled syrups becoming the norm. It wasn't until DeGroff started working for Baum in New York that the emphasis began to shift back toward bold flavors and fresh ingredients.

One of his signature techniques is muddling, or using a wooden stick (the end of a wooden spoon will also do the trick) to mash fresh fruit for use in a drink. Mashing the fruit and straining the juice instead of just blending it keeps the rind and seeds from getting into the cocktail, while allowing essential oils and flavors to carry over into the finished product.

For a New Year's celebration, DeGroff suggests that you purchase all the necessary ingredients, but let guests make their own drinks.

In his book, "The Craft of the Cocktail" (Potter, 2002, $35), he explains that a simple bar can be set up on a 6-foot table covered with a festive tablecloth. Arrange the liquor and mixers on trays accessible from all sides; cocktail shakers, glasses and ice buckets should also be placed within easy reach.

Instead of hiring a bartender, set out a few placards with sample cocktails and recipes listed on them (some sample recipes follow). Encourage guests to help themselves, or even show off their bartending skills, using the materials you've set out.

Another option is to make a specialty drink or punch in advance, so guests have something to sip the moment they arrive. Make just enough for each guest to have a drink upon walking in the door, but consider leaving the recipe at the bar so they can make themselves another if they like it.

"Everybody's gotten spoiled by the extraordinary variety and flavor that's available when they dine out now," says DeGroff. So why not let that attitude carry over to the drinks you serve at the bar?

"If you make it, they will come!"

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Recipes

These New Year's Eve suggestions come from DeGroff's "The Craft of the Cocktail."

Combine whiskey, coffee and syrup in an 8-ounce glass. Ladle 1 inch of cream on top.

Note: To make brown sugar syrup, mix 1 pound brown sugar with 16 ounces water. Heat gently in saucepan until sugar dissolves. To make Irish Coffee Cream, whip heavy cream to just under stiff, so cream has no bubbles and will still pour slowly).

Shake whiskey, juices and syrup with ice and pour into highball glass filled with ice. Top with ruby port. Garnish with orange slice.

Note: To make simple syrup, fill a bottle with equal parts water and sugar. Shake vigorously 1 minute until sugar dissolves. Let sit 5 minutes for mixture to become clear, then shake again before using. May be refrigerated up to 1 month.

In bottom of a mixing glass, muddle pineapple pieces and Cointreau. Add vodka and juice and stir with ice. Strain into chilled martini glass and top with champagne. Garnish with cherry.

Shake ingredients with ice and strain over ice into highball glass. Dust with cinnamon.

In bottom of a mixing glass, muddle lemon wedges and cherry brandy. Add vodka and ice and shake well. Pour into rocks glass.

Shake all ingredients and strain into martini glass.