Joe Trujillo: Well, it's that time of the year again when many people are hosting their own home holiday parties and playing the role of personal home bartender. As a professional bartender and bartending instructor, I have a few tips and recommendations to really make your holiday party a success, while not breaking the bank at the same time. First and foremost, people often go out and buy too many of the extravagant and expensive drinks. Although they can really complement your party, they neglect the fact that they haven't stocked up on the staple and basic drinks, such as your Rums, your Gin and your Vodkas, which leads to the next question of how much liquor to buy. It's always a tough question to answer, but for your standard party of 10 of moderate drinkers, I would recommend the following: 2 bottles of Vodka, 2 bottles of Rum, 1 bottle of Gin, 1 bottle of Triple Sec, and 1 bottle of Tequila. That should more than cover your entire party for a party that's lasting anywhere between two to three hours.

When it comes to the wine, remember to keep it simple. You need the selection of red and a selection of white. My recommendation for the red is either a Cabernet Sauvignons or Merlot. One or two bottles are more than sufficient for a party of 10. For your chardonnay, same thing the one or two bottles. For your beer, I've recommended the following: having a domestic, a domestic line and two imports, one of those imports should be of a Mexican influence. A 12 pack of each is more than enough and I guarantee you will have leftovers. Perhaps, the biggest mistake out there involves ice. Most people don't plan it for enough. My recommendation is to usually have about twice the amount that you actually anticipate using. You need to have enough to fill your cooler with ice to cover your beers and wines, you need to have enough to using your actual mixing glass and martini shakers, and finally, you need to have actual ice that you'll be serving in the drinks themselves. So those are some bar attending tips for a successful home party. Have a happy and safe holiday!