After all, you’ve been looking forward to an occasion to show off your sparkly new holiday dress. And the shoes, tights, belt and accessories you picked up to go with it. But remember that New Year’s Eve is notorious, no matter where you are, for record breaking injury, crime and carelessness. Take some time a few days in advance to prepare and ensure you have a blast.

After all, who wants to start off 2010 in detox, jail or the hospital?

1) Make a plan. NYE is not the night to bar-hop. With ridiculous cover charges, overpriced drinks and drunk drivers on the roads, it’s best to pick a place, get all of your buds to head there and rock the night away.

This also decreases the chance of getting split up. With the disorienting effects of alcohol you want to keep your crew intact to minimize the odds of anyone stumbling into a sticky situation solo.

2) Transportation is HUGE: no drinking and driving. If you all must drink you all must stay put. Period. Do some research: many cities offer free buses and cab rides on NYE. There are also services that will pick you up and drive your car home for you. Find those companies now and store their numbers in your phone just in case you need them. Or, load some pillows and blankets into your trunk and crash with a local friend.

3) To avoid ringing in the New Year with the toilet bowl, remember to eat something. Some munchies will help to line your stomach and decrease the risk of vomiting come morning. Also, stick to the drinks you know. Don’t go slamming jell-o shots or champagne if you’re not used to the effects. And remember: a) carbonation in your mixed drinks speeds absorption and b) sugary mixers like soda or juice can make it difficult to gauge how strong your drink is.

4) Bring condoms. Even if you’re not the “one night stand” type of girl, it’s better to be safe than a momma in 2010. And if you don’t need them, someone else will, and they’ll be ever so grateful they found you fixing your hair in the bathroom at 12:15.

Most importantly, look out for one another. This is the time to celebrate, so enjoy the quality time with your crew. Happy New Year!

At some point during my college career, I discovered that wine is stronger than beer and more consistent than mixed drinks, which are super weak at many stingy bars.

Wine became my go-to drink.

When I moved into an apartment with a fellow wino, we quickly realized that even 1.5 liter bottles of wine went too quickly, so to save gas on packy runs, we became avid boxers.

Boxed wine is completely underrated by many collegiates across the country. In the wine world, Franzia may have a bad rap, but come on; we’re college students. We have no money. We drink a lot. And we aren’t opposed to drinking Dubra when times are tight, so why exclude boxed wine from our list of libations?

In many states, wine comes in 5-liter boxes. That’s FIVE LITERS of booze for about $15. Depending on how much (or how little) you drink, that can easily be split throughout the night between you and your five closest friends, or you can suck it down yourself and not worry about another liquor run for a week or two. If you can’t find a 5-liter box, you’ll still be set with the “smaller” size box, which contains three liters of fermented grapes.

Heaven.

Instead of filling a water bottle with Captain and Coke and hoping the rum-soda ratio is strong enough to give you a buzz, but not so hard you black out after three sips, fill a bottle or two with boxed wine! It’s easy to transport, and you won’t have to shell out extra money for mixers. (On a side note, Chardonnay is the strongest white wine, so if you are looking for a party, skip the Sunset Blush.)

Even if you forego the ghetto water bottles and just lug the box around all night, it’s got a handle, and the box will get significantly lighter as the evening progresses. Just ask my roommate, who took a full 5-liter box of Sangria to a party and proceeded to drink it dry in one night (and lived to tell the tale).

The best part about boxed wine is that, like beer, it has inspired a plethora of party games. You can take the plastic bag of vino out of the box and have someone hold it for you and twist the spout for an insta-wine funnel. A variation of this sport is “Slapping the Bag,” in which you (or your friend) repeatedly – you guessed it – slaps the bag while you chug. This sounds odd, to say the least, but it’s so popular that the term “slap the bag” has become synonymous with the action of drinking wine in a box.

Cheap, portable and tasty? Maybe you should give boxed wine a try.

Maybe it’s the fact that it’s finally warm enough in the summertime to step outside and feel the breeze without wincing, or maybe the wind really does smell sweeter, but either way, there is definitely something fun and breezy about summer. There is something light and bubbly about this season and there are a wide array of drinks out there to accompany such a bohemian sensation.

Why do I feel more comfortable drinking in the afternoon in the summertime than I do in the winter? Is it the dazzling sunlight that beckons me to the outdoor seating of bars, whispering, “It’s vacation weather. Drink up…”? Is that what does it? Who knows. Regardless, here is my personal list of summertime beverages that I know I won’t be going without this year.

WINE SPRITZERS

I may easily be an old cougar at a country club despite the fact that I’m a 24 year old girl in the big city…I don’t care. I like wine spritzers. They’re so bubbly and delicious and easy to make on your own. Wine+Sprite+Ice+decorative lemon= BOOYAH, a tasty wine spritzer. I used to always drink these with red wines, but I’ve moved on to the lighter white wines these days and I love it.

CORONA

It’s the commercials, I think. Advertising is a bitch and it f*cking works. I can’t help it. If someone hands me a corona in the summertime, I might as well be laying on a Mexican beach silently with a hot guy. Because that’s how I feel. Stupid? Yes. Irrelevant? Yes. Bad beer? Nope. It’s good. Very good.

NEW ZEALAND WHAT?

Who knows what this drink is called, but my roomie who spent some time in New Zealand learned this trashy trick of the cheap alcohol trade there and I really do sorta LOVE it. It’s Coors Light mixed with Smirnoff. Sound disgusting? Yeah, you’re right, it does.

I actually only tried it to begin with because it sounded like puke and I was SURE that she was going to be dead wrong about it being tasty. Low and behold, I was the wrong one. This drink is better than you’d expect and if you’re at all repulsed by the idea of it, then I encourage you to try it even more so. It’s surprisingly good. And refreshing.

There are plenty of other summery drinks where these came from. Who’s got recommendations?

Billionaire Margarita             Bloody Maria             Jalisco Express             Caipri-Julio

       DJ’s Delight         La Paloma Suprema       Top Shelf Long Island         Morning Breeze

We’ve all been there… sworn off drinking tequila ever again after a hard night out and a few too many peer-pressure-induced shots of Cuervo Gold. But the truth is, it’s not tequila’s fault. It’s Jose’s.

For years Cuervo has been literally shoving Gold Mixto down our throats and calling it tequila. A true tequila is made from 100% agave and often aged. A gold mixto tequila is usually made with less than 50% agave, blended with sugar water, non-aged and colored with caramel. It is the mixto that will make your throat squelch and mouth water with only a wiff.

Today there are a more than a handful of 100% agave tequilas on the market that aim to remove the stigma that has followed tequila around like an annoying little step-brother. Brands like Patron, Casa Noble and Don Julio (yes, Cuervo does too) offer incredibly smooth and flavorful Blanco, Anejo and Reposado- 100% agave tequilas.

Whether you sip it, shoot it, or mix it… it’s time to give tequila another chance. Here are 8 cool ways you have most certainly never had tequila before. (Click on a drink above to see how it’s made)