The Busy Mom's Guide to Entertaining

Drinks for Everyone

You can buy all the drinks you need for adults and kids in one trip—since many stores today sell alcohol, there's no need to make a separate trip to the liquor store. And keep it simple. Everyone will find something they like from this lineup.

• Wine. There are lots of good party wines for about $10 a bottle. Buy both white and red, and pick a varietal that goes nicely with food: Sauvignon blanc is a good white choice; for red, you can't miss with merlot, shiraz, or pinot noir. How many bottles do you need? You get about five glasses of wine out of a bottle, so count up the wine drinkers and go from there.
• Beer. Bottles are much more elegant than cans; keep them on ice in a cooler or a tin washtub. If your warehouse club has a really good selection, go for the 1.5-liter bottles of imported beer with resealable swingtops. That way guests can pour a glass without feeling obligated to finish the whole thing.
• Sparkling water. For the nondrinkers, buy bottles of fancy sparkling mineral water or club soda, and make sure you put out a dish of lemon and lime wedges.
• Kiddie punch. Mix up a festive (and stain-free) punch for the children by stirring together white grape juice and club soda. Add in colorful fresh strawberries.
• Sangria. This Spanish wine punch is light, tasty, and easy to make. Mix together 1 bottle of red wine, 1 liter of club soda (this cuts the alcohol in half), and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in slices of fruit, and refrigerate for several hours before serving.