As this evening leads to night many people , young and older, are planning "Twilight" parties given the midnight release of the New Moon DVD. I give credit to great marketing of an influential audience, but it is what it is and I have even had some inquiries about drinks for the event. In fact, I was asked about a mocktail menu for the occasion and created a couple of drinks for it. Here are some of my alcoholic and non-alcoholic picks for Twilight fans of every age.

Non-alcoholic Twilight Drinks:

• Twilight Dove (pictured) - As much as I love designing cocktails, I find that non-alcoholic drinks are just as fun to explore and create. In this dark purple-red mocktail I've combined grape and cranberry juices (don't skimp by going with cran-grape juice, please), a touch of agave nectar and a splash of lavender soda.
• Fine Wolf - As hot as the blood of New Moon's wolf pack, my mix of hot apple cider and chai tea is soothing and a comfortable, movie-watching drink.
• Berry Sweetheart - It is a love story after all and this innocent mix of cranberry, apple and honey is quite tempting.
• More Twilight Mocktails - Cheri Loughlin (The Intoxicologist) put together a great menu of original mocktails last Halloween on The Examiner for the occasion and all are impressive (as most of hers are - she's a great source for innovative non-alcoholic drinks anytime).

Alcoholic Twilight Cocktails:

• Vampire Kiss Martini - If you have seen the movies or read the books you realize how appropriate this vodka, champagne, and Chambord cocktail is. Also, the red sugar rim is the ideal adornment for any Twilight-themed drink.
• Vampire Cocktail - Similar to the Vampire Kiss, the Vampire is a simple and delicious drink.
• Belladonna - I chose this cocktail, which has been around for awhile, because it alludes to Bella Swan and the herb for which it was named has an interesting story. The belladonna plant was used in the late 1500's by fine ladies to give their skin a pale look, which was all the fashion in those days - I do not recommend this beauty secret. Rather fitting I think, given the main character's desire to be a vampire.
• Blavod Cocktails - As the only black colored vodka on the market, any drink made with it is perfect for any scary party theme. Also, to get this look in mocktails, you can use black food coloring, which can be found at specialty baking stores.
• More Cocktails - With any party theme that has to do with the supernatural, monsters, and other scary beings any drinks from my selection of Halloween cocktails would be a great addition.

Find more "Twilight" party tips here from Donna Pilato, About.com Guide to Entertaining...

More Mocktail Recipes...

Follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

Newsletter subscribers got a sneak peak of two of my newest reviews yesterday. One is the latest flavor from Absolut and the other stems from this past week's The Macallan Tasting Note Project. I thought I'd pass them on for the rest of you because either of these will make some great sipping this weekend. Also, if you don't want to miss my newsletters in the future, you can sign up here.

• Absolut Berri Acai Vodka - If you miss Absolut Los Angeles you will be happy to know that this newbie is almost the same vodka and it will be a permanent fixture in the product line.

• The Macallan - I reviewed the 12 Year Old Sherry Oak and 15 Year Old Fine Oak scotch whiskies from The Macallan last week. Both are impressive and each has their own features.

Follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

The Manhattan is one of those classic cocktails that, like the Martini, continues to inspire variations. It is a testament to how great the drink is even though it is very simple, but it is that three ingredient base that we can build on to create equally impressive cocktails.

Lance Mayhew has recently shared three variations of the Manhattan from The Gallery Bar at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel in LA. Each has a different flavor profile and all have that great bourbon base that is so popular in today's Manhattans.

• The Big Apple Manhattan - Big taste from a combination of amaretto, apple schnapps, and cranberry.
• Central Park Manhattan - Interesting, yes. Delicious, definitely... Frangelico, Drambuie, and cream are paired with Woodford Reserve.
• Grand Manhattan - The Manhattan gets a twist of orange.

Follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

St. Patrick's Day Menus:
Today's menu is from Bryce Eddings, About.com Guide to Beer, Molly Watson, About.com Guide to Local Foods, and Syrie Wongkaew, About.com Guide to Australian & New Zealand Food.

• Let's look beyond Guinness this year for our St. Paddy's day stout fix. Here are the different styles of stout from cream to Russian imperial. A Layman's Guide to Stout
• Is emerald green beer what you're looking for to make St. Patrick's Day complete? Here's a step-by-step guide to making green beer. How to Make Green Beer
• Butter Braised Cabbage couldn't be easier: gently cook chopped cabbage in a bit of butter and salt for a meltingly tender, richly flavored side dish perfect to serve with roast meats of all kinds - including corned beef or roasted lamb.
• Potatoes & Cabbage are cooked with a bit of cream and topped with cheese for a hearty dish perfect for a vegetarian nod to St. Patrick's Day.
• Irish-inspired comfort food with mouthwatering scones and a hearty beef & vegetable stew.

More St. Patrick's Day Party Tips...

Every St. Patrick's Day I am asked about how to make green drinks. It is the one day of the year when everyone wants everything possible to be green and luckily there are plenty of cocktails to choose from.

One of the easiest ways to create green cocktails is to use one of the many green liqueurs. For traditionalists there is the option of employing absinthe, Green Chartreuse, or green creme de menthe. For the modern, sophisticated drinker premium green liqueurs like Midori and TY KU are great, and for those who just want an easy, greenest of green cocktails there are always the artificially colored sour apple schnapps. However, let's not forget that green can also be obtained with fresh fruits and herbs like lime and mint.

The options are numerous for going green on Wednesday. Find more suggestions in this article: How to Make Green Cocktails.

Follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

St. Patrick's Day Menus:
Today's menu is from Elaine Lemm, About.com Guide to British and Irish Food

• St Patrick's Day can be long with all the celebrations and parades, so make sure you start out with a good breakfast. A Full Irish with bacon, eggs, sausage and potato Fadge and a couple of slices of Soda Bread will keep you going.

More St. Patrick's Day Party Tips...