John Hancock Your Party: Signature Drinks

Surely your pleasing personality is the perfect signature to your party, but if you want to make sure your face is in the entertaining hall of fame, consider a signature cocktail.

Okay, if you have cocktail wieners wrapped in bacon, you're already half way there, but adding a distinguishing drink can't hurt.

Most of my exposure to signature cocktails is through Four Weddings, where the sippers always look sugary sweet and are colors usually only served in a fishbowl. Unless you are serving your drinks in a fishbowl (invite me), it's probably better off to stick with something a little simpler.

A signature cocktail serves the purpose of differentiating your cocktail, but also of minimizing your personal bar tab by allowing you to buy one type of booze, one mixer, and save you dish time by allowing for one type of glass.

So if you're planning an end-of-Summer soiree, here are a few quick-mixes to your perfect cocktail.

• Honey, Do Make Me Another: Take one part gin to two parts tonic, and change up the flavor by adding honey and mint leaves in the shaker (to taste). 
• We are the Champs: I can't hear "We are the Champions" without my vision going a little sepia-toned, and this drink certainly helps with the process. A spin on the traditional French martini, ditch the Chambord and add a generous pour of champagne, a small pour of vodka, and some lavender to a mixer (add tonic if you're a lightweight like me), and shake with ice for at least one full minute. 
• Skinnygirl Beergaritas: My Midwestern roots made me a beer girl, but I like to class things up from time by adding accoutrements. Adding a can of limeade per three beers (since the flavor will be overpowered anyway, go with Coors Lite or MGD 64) may not turn water into wine, but it does make for a nice afternoon.