SUMMER COCKTAIL PARTY: HIGH CLASS, LOW-COST.

So, you’ve gotten to the point in your life where B.Y.O.B. is no longer particularly appealing, but hosting a cocktail party can get expensive, fast! Here’s how to throw a classy cocktail party with plenty of booze for just $60.

The key is choosing a few drinks that have some bottles in common. Impress your friends — and make some new ones — with these classic cocktails. These recipes are fruity and light for an easy, breezy, late-summer cocktail party, but not too frou-frou for the hard core drinkers in your group. You’ll make a nice variety of classic drinks for only two bottles of booze and a handful of mixers.

WHAT TO BUY:
• Vodka ($20)
• Galliano ($20)*
• Sparkling Water ($2)
• Orange Juice ($3)
• Cranberry Juice ($3)
• Lemon-Lime Soda ($1)
• A pound of dark cherries ($5)
• A dozen limes ($5)
• Sugar (if you don’t already have some)
• Total Cost: $59.

The night before your party, prepare a simple syrup. A simple syrup is a key ingredient in many cocktails, and as the name would suggest, it is quite simple: 
1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a medium sauce pan.
2. Reduce heat and stir in 1 cup sugar.
3. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is clear.
4. Remove from heat.
While your syrup cools, wash and halve the cherries, removing stems and pits. Put the cherries into a plastic bowl. Hint: This is messy work. Hold the cherries over your bowl while you work, and be careful not to get the juice on your clothes — it stains! Add 1 cup of lime juice (about 6 limes’ worth). Roll them back and forth on the countertop first to extract the most juice. Add your cooled simple syrup. Stir, cover and place in the fridge overnight.

CHERRY VODKA COLLINS:
• 2 oz. Vodka
• 2 oz. Cherry Syrup Mixture
• Sparkling Water
Shake with ice in shaker, pour into glass. Top with sparkling water.

HARVEY WALLBANGER:
• 1 oz. Vodka
• ¼ - ½ oz. Galliano
• 3 oz. Orange Juice.
Pour vodka & orange juice over ice and stir. Float Galliano on top.

VODKA SEVEN:
• 2 oz. Vodka
• Lemon Lime Soda
• Juice of half of a lime
Pour vodka and lime juice over ice and stir. Top with soda.

CAPE CODDER:
• 1 ½ oz. Vodka
• 3 oz. Cranberry Juice
• Lime Wedge
Pour vodka and cranberry juice over ice and stir. Add lime wedge.

Lucy - Not sure what “lifestage” you’re referring too but as a longtime Brick reader I can say some of us like to taste, savor and enjoy a nice cocktail.  If you and your friends are the alcoholics you’re post makes it sound like and you’re looking for massive quantity on the cheap, may I suggest the cheapest grain alcohol you can find and a fruit of your choice.  Buy a cheap kitchen trash can from Wal-Mart to mix it all together.  A bathtub or a good size cooler works well too.  Then go crazy.

Once again Chunky Puff is right.

You can do way more with vodka than bourbon.  Vodka is a lot cheaper too.

this article is ridiculous.  this amount of alcohol would be gone in a minute at any real party.  someone better have brought their own damn liquor (ooh, or is that FROWNED UPON at this life stage) or else this party is going dry.

Where’s the bourbon ?