Stay afloat this party season with a new cocktail book, filled with more than just recipes, it’s a guide for navigating the sea of life.

As the doors of party season get set to open, every girl should arm herself with a guide or trusted manual should she be caught hosting her own cocktail party. Whether planning a girls’ night in, or just mixing up a few drinks before hitting another seasonal soiree, there’s a fresh new book out that’s more than just shaking up Sex and the City-style cosmos. Combining one part dating manual with one part relationship guide and a splash of everyday musings, Libations of Life-a Girl’s Guide to Life: One Cocktail at a Time, is packed with both girl talk and girly drinks.

Author Dee Brun (who’s ring tone just so happens to be the theme song from Sex and the City) is seasoned both behind the bar and in the game of life. She lays it all out in her first book with a generous dose of wit and a serious glug of humour. You know you’re dealing with a bit of a she-devil with chapters like “The dating pool, and its lack of lifeguards—cocktails meant to help you stay afloat”. And a whole section on “Trolling cocktails” with drinks like “don’t let me go home with him Daiquiri”, the perfect cocktail to keep you out of trouble at the holiday office party.

“This libation must ALWAYS be accompanied by your girlfriend with the clearest judgment. Most importantly, listen to her!” says Brun.

Brun recommends flipping through the “Trim the back fat” chapter, featuring 12 deliciously low-cal, low-carb elixirs, over the holidays as this leaves room for “guilt-free hazing of the buffet.”

Stick to vodka, rum and white wine she suggests, for the most figure-friendly options.

For navigating the cocktail party bonanza Brun dishes some sage advice.

“A girl always needs to look fabulous during this season—from head to toe. Just remember you always look better upright, and not passed out on the “coat bed” at a holiday party,” she quips.

If indeed you find yourself asleep on a pile of leather and faux fur perhaps you were drinking one of Brun’s favourite holiday cocktails.

These recipes and Brun’s book are sure to put you in the festive mood, even if you’re only in it for the alcohol. So, her best advise over the holidays?

“Drink responsibly during any company function. You do not want to be the topic of discussion around the water cooler Monday morning, especially if they are discussing how you ended up on top of, or under that table.”

Libations of Life: a Girl’s Guide to Life, One Cocktail at a Time, $19.95 (Whitecap Books, 2007), available at major retailers.

The right tequila and liqueur can make or break your margaritas. Follow our tips and wow your guests with the perfect margarita cocktail.

To mark the 30th anniversary of Jimmy Buffet’s legendary cocktail song we’ve deconstructed the noble margarita and come up with a couple failsafe recipes — enough to have you “wastin’ away” right through to the fall. NOTE: not responsible for lost or stolen shakers of salt.

Margaritas come in many shapes, sizes and colours but a basic margarita is made with three ingredients — tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice, then shaken with ice. Although, if you insist on blending yours with ice, we’ll let it slide. However, if you have a bottle of “gold” tequila in your cupboard and insist on using that to mix drinks, we’re sorry but that just will not do and you should dispose of it immediately.

Squeeze out the rest of summer with lip-smacking citrus cocktails.

Few things can cut through the sweat of mid-summer like the sharp pucker of a citrus cocktail. A little sweet, a little sour and served well chilled, citrus really is the standby summer thirst quencher. Readily available in fruit, juice and frozen form, citrus blends easily with other flavours, it’s rich in vitamins and it goes great with almost any booze from wine to tequila. Even citrus cocktails are versatile; they can be served frozen, prepared ahead in batches or steeped for days. If we haven’t convinced you to rediscover the world of citrus, don’t worry, there’s still hope. We’ve deconstructed some classic cocktails to help understand what makes a good citrus cocktail work. Take this power, use it wisely, we suggest experimentation, perhaps invent a new signature cocktail, then name it, (after yourself of course).