As we get set to ring in 2012, Lei Chic is taking a look back into our archives and bringing you some of the best stories we published during 2011. Enjoy and see you next year!

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Originally published January 14, 2011

Shaken not stirred. Vodka soda, light on soda, with a lemon and a lime, please. Margarita, on the rocks, extra salt on the rim.

Your last party was spent almost entirely behind your makeshift bar, desperately trying to keep the drinks (and the fun) flowing.

Worst of all, your amateur – and wildly uneven – pouring skills resulted in half the party getting tanked, while the other half were still awkwardly sober.

So drink to this booze news: A new cocktail catering company takes all the dirty (martini) work out of throwing your own soirée. Started by a couple of Honolulu’s top-shelf mixologists, Imbibe Hawaii will handle everything sip-related – leaving you free to enjoy your made-to-order mango mojito.

Or try a raspberry collins. Or maybe a caviar dream, which mixes champagne with spherified crème de violette liqueur. Partners Maria Burke and Kyle Reutner specialize in crafting unique signature cocktails based on an event’s theme or menu. Plus, every one of their staff bartenders are certified by the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild, an elite certification program. And, they’ll guide you through the process of ordering all your own liquor, ensuring quantity, quality and, best of all, letting you keep the leftovers.

With just a week’s notice, they’ll plan your cocktail menu, order glassware, set up a bar in your house and serve all evening – ensuring every cocktail is pour-worthy. And they’ll work for any size party, from an intimate sit-down dinner to an 800-seat gala.

So you can spend your time as host being bubbly, not pouring it.

For more info, call Imbibe Hawaii at 808.428.6472, or email them at info@imbibehawaii.com.

Photo: Rae Huo