Mix your favorite drinks like a pro with these bartending tips from “Food & Wine Cocktails 2009” ($14.95 at major bookstores).

Recently published, the book features more than 150 cocktail and party-food recipes.

• Always use fresh ice, and plenty of it.

• Never try to get juice from cold citrus. It will yield up to one-third less liquid than room-temperature fruit and require more effort. Let citrus sit at room temperature, or take cold fruits and soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before juicing. Juices are best the day they're squeezed, but orange and grapefruit juices can be refrigerated overnight.

• Drinks made with juices or egg whites require serious shaking. Vigorously shake for at least 10 seconds to make drinks frothy.

• Always refrigerate vermouth, sherry and other fortified wines. If left at room temperature, they might spoil.

• Chill pitcher drinks and punches with a large block of ice. Small ice cubes will melt too quickly and dilute the drink.

• Stir — don't shake — cocktails that look best when they're clear. Drinks that should be stirred are those made only with spirits, liqueurs, bitters and syrups. The goal is to chill and dilute the drink with as little agitation as possible to avoid creating air bubbles that can cloud the liquid.

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