Holiday cocktail party planning can be a trickier needle to thread than regular cocktail party planning. Perhaps you have a range of ages attending or long-lost relatives who have very different sets of tastes. That uncle who has an annual rant that kale is still too new-fangled plus your niece who flew home from big-city life on the mainland? That adds up to a tough crowd for menu-planning purposes.

One good way to keep conversation going? Trying out a handful of lesser-known classic cocktails. While these recipes may not have the same notoriety as a Manhattan or Old Fashioned, they come preset with fun backstories, are relatively easy to make, and already taste great —they’re classics for a reason.

Below are three suggestions for drinks you may not already have in your repertoire plus recommendations for easy-to-make appetizers that pair nicely with each drink.

COSMOPOLITAN

Serves 1

If the last time you had a Cosmo was during the original Sex and the City era, it’s time to try the ’90s-era classic again. Created by bartending legend Toby Cecchini during his days at the Odeon in New York, the fun, fruity play on the Cape Cod has serious cocktail bonafides — and has the added bonus of being a delightful conversation starter. To truly get into the holiday spirit, sub pomegranate juice for the cranberry juice for a vibrantly red colored drink.

• 1 1⁄2 ounces citron vodka

• 3⁄4 ounce Cointreau

• 3⁄4 ounce lime juice

• 3⁄4 ounce cranberry cocktail, such as

  Ocean Spray

• Garnish: lemon twist

  Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

  Pair with: Baked goat cheese balls

  Why: Continue the ’90s theme with another recipe that’s been mistakenly left behind in the modern culinary world.

  LAST WORD

  Serves 1

  Born in the Prohibition era, most likely as a way to mask the taste of poor-quality alcohol, this citrusy boozy drink has been floating around the outskirts of fame for some time but has recently been popping up on cocktail menus across the country. Bonus: the recipe couldn’t be simpler to remember — equal parts everything — which makes your job as the bartender much easier.

  • 3⁄4 ounce gin
  • 3⁄4 ounce green Chartreuse
  • 3⁄4 ounce lime juice
  • 3⁄4 ounce maraschino liqueur • Garnish: brandied cherry

  Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

PAIR WITH: PROSCIUTTO AND OTHER SLICED DELI MEATS
Why: The rich texture of the meat will help cut the boozy cocktail.

REMEMBER THE MAINE

Serves: 1

The origins for this drink will likely please your History Channel-watching relatives but everyone else will appreciate the ingenious mixture of spicy rye and Cherry Heering. The name is thought to refer to the rallying cry, “Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain,” popularized after the Maine, a U.S. navy ship mysteriously sunk off the coast of Havana in 1898, which some journalists used to try and jumpstart the Spanish American war. But even that backstory is a little muddy: Cocktail journalist Charles H. Baker notched the first reference to the drink in 1939 after spending time in Cuba during the 1933 revolution. Whatever the true history, know that the drink is a close cousin of the Manhattan, which is sure to be a hit for all your brown- spirit loving guests. (And don’t forget to save that bottle of Cherry Heering for post-holiday Singapore Slings.)

• 2 ounces rye
• 3⁄4 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 teaspoons Cherry Heering • 1 dash absinthe
• Garnish: brandied cherry

In a chilled coupe glass, add a dash of absinthe. Roll around to coat the glass and discard. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into the prepared chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

PAIR WITH: SPICY PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS
Why: The sweet boozy drink makes a natural pairing with the spicy peppery — and easy to eat — chicken wings. Reprinted with permission from The Essential Bar Book, by Jennifer Fiedler, copyright 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House LLC.