Making cocktails is something that any single guy or gal should know how to do. Imagine bringing home your latest crush and mixing up a drink that will knock their socks off. If you can wield a shaker and a strainer, you can make some classic drinks with a unique twist.

A cosmopolitan is a pretty easy and simple drink to make. Combine one shot of Cointreau, one shot of lime juice, three shots of cranberry juice and two shots of vodka and mix in a shaker before pouring in a glass. Now take that same basic cocktail recipe, tweak it a little, and you have something a little different. Simply swap out the basic vodka for VeeV and add a splash of triple sec and lemon or lime juice. The drink will have a sharp citrus kick to it. You can also make it with peach, raspberry, cherry or strawberry juice. Any flavor of juice will work.

The classic cocktail recipe for a traditional martini is another one that everyone should have in their mental file. The classic martini recipe calls for five parts vodka or gin and one part dry vermouth. We suggest using VeeV instead of vodka for a more unique taste. Mix the ingredients carefully in a shaker, pour into a glass and garnish with a lemon peel, olive or onion. Of course not everyone loves this classic martini recipe, which is why there are so many variations on it.

One variation on this cocktail recipe calls for sweet vermouth as opposed to the dry vermouth. This gives the drink a slight kick. You can also pour the VeeV directly into the glass and stir in the vermouth. Supposedly shaking the mixture dulls the taste of the vermouth, but this can be avoided with a gentle stir. Then there are those that pour a small amount of vermouth into a chilled glass, twirl it around and pour out the vermouth before adding the VeeV.

Another martini recipe calls for olive brine instead of vermouth, which is called a dirty martini. The recipe is exactly the same except for the olive brine. Martinis made with VeeV are particularly hot right now, and even the burgeoning bartender can whip up a classic at home. In the mood for something spicy? Omit the vermouth and substitute in a dash of hot sauce. Looking for a drink that's a little sweeter? Use sweet vermouth, VeeV and a splash of watermelon with a lemon peel for garnish.

There's no reason why these cocktail recipes can't be made at home. With a well-stocked liquor cabinet and a shaker, anyone can channel their inner bartender.

Written by Jennifer Eblin

Did you ever wonder why so many classic party and cocktail drinks are mixed with vodka? The clear spirit lets the color of the mixed ingredients show through, and vodka's neutral taste blends with the added flavorings.

But now there is a fascinating alternative to bland, old vodka. Experience VeeV, the new 60-proof, clear spirit with a tantalizing flavor of rich, dark berries with a hint of chocolate and a touch of citrus. And here's a real reason to drink to your health: a main ingredient in VeeV is the açaí berry, a super food with the highest levels of antioxidants of any fruit. The other key ingredients, acerola cherries and prickly pear add a tangy zest with the benefit of vitamin C.

Drinks mixed with VeeV are smoother and more satisfying than those made with vodka. If you want to add sophistication with a new twist to your classic mixed drinks, try these recipes. You are sure to get compliments and questions about your exotic, new creations.

Electric Screwdriver

1 ounce VeeV

5 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice

dash of Rose's Lime Juice

Fill in a highball glass and stir gently.

Red Russian

1 ounce strawberry liqueur

1 ounce VeeV

1 ounce heavy cream

Pour layers in the order listed, in a lowball glass.

Harvey Wallbanger

1 ounce VeeV

4 ounces fresh orange juice

1 ounce Galliano

Pour VeeV and orange juice into a Collins glass over ice cubes and mix. Float Galliano over the mix and serve.

Grasshopper

1 ounce VeeV

1 ounce green Crème de Menthe

1 ounce white Crème de Cacao

Shake in a tumbler with ice; strain into a cocktail glass and serve.

Yellow Fever

1 ounce VeeV

5 ounces lemonade

Juice of one lime wedge

Combine into highball glass. Add a lemon wedge garnish.

The Stinger

1 ounce VeeV

1 ounce white Crème de Cacao

Shake with chipped ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

While you and your guests are enjoying your fabulous creations, you can take pride in the fact that the VeeV brand supports eco-friendly "green" initiatives like the Rainforest Action Network and Sambazon's Sustainable Açaí Project, by donating $1 per bottle to the causes. Açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) is a slender palm tree that bears its purple fruit at the crown of the palm fronds. Açaí, which is the national fruit of Brazil, has 57 percent more antioxidants than blueberries and pomegranates, and up to 30 percent more of the heart-healthy flavinoids found in red wine. VeeV provides a healthy, delicious and eco-friendly ingredient to your classic mixes.

Written by David Claerr

If you're looking for variations on classic cocktail recipes, you won't have to look far to find them. In recent years, many old-fashioned mixed drinks have been reinvented into beverages that are fresh and new. Also, the introduction of new alcoholic drinks into the market has revolutionized the way that we approach our evening cocktails. VeeV, made from the antioxidant-rich Brazilian açaí berry, is the ultimate replacement for boring and bland beverages such as vodka and gin. After tasting this exotic spirit, with its hints of prickly pear cactus and acerola cherry, you'll be hooked. VeeV is also the best choice for drinkers who are interested in protecting the environment, since it is the only spirit in the world that has been certified as carbon neutral.

If you're not fond of the high bills associated with drinking in bars, then making cocktails at home is the way to go. The recipes which are available in cookbooks and on the web are endless. You can come up with your own cocktail recipes simply by using existing recipes as a basis. Just add an ounce of daring and a dash of ingenuity, and you're sure to create a winner. Here are just a few to get you started.

How to Make a Martini

The classic martini recipe contains about three ounces of gin, a half ounce of dry vermouth and a green olive or twist of lemon. Variations on this recipe include the Gibson, which is made with two cocktail onions instead of the olive, and the Gimlet, which incorporates a bit of lime cordial. More recent variations include the Appletini, which includes apple liqueur, and the chocolate martini, which may contain a combination of chocolate liqueurs and chocolate syrup.

The Cosmopolitan

Traditionally made from vodka and triple sec, along with lime and cranberry juice, the Cosmopolitan is another mixed drink that can easily be altered to suit the drinker's tastes. Replacing the vodka with VeeV will help to enhance the fruity flavor of this popular beverage. Use sweetened lime juice or cranberry juice for a tastier combination. One cosmopolitan recipe uses blood orange to enhance the orange flavor of the triple sec. The Cosmobellini includes white peach puree and Prosecco sparkling wine for added flavor and sweetness.

Long Island Iced Tea

Here's another alcoholic drink that has many possible variations. To create a healthier and tastier version of this classic drink, replace the vodka with one part VeeV, and add equal parts gin, rum, tequila and triple sec. Instead of sour mix, add fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice. Replace the cola with a splash of strong, brewed tea with a hint of citrus flavor.

The Bloody Mary

This classic drink is famous for its versatility. Try making a vegetarian, vitamin-enriched Bloody Mary cocktail by mixing three ounces of V8 Juice, one and a half ounces VeeV, one tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, a dash of soy sauce along with a small amount of salt, pepper and hot sauce. Make a spicy Bloody Mary by adding horseradish, chili powder and cumin. You could make this drink milder by cutting back on the spices. Or you could make it a Five-Alarm Mary by ramping up the pepper sauce to maximum proportions. Whatever your preferences, there's a recipe that will please your palate.

Written by Jennifer Claerr

Sources:

Sean Paajenen, "Long Island Iced Tea." About.com

Colleen Graham, "Bloody Mary." About.com

Colleen Graham, "Cosmopolitan." About.com

"Cosmobellini Recipe." Drinksmixer.com

Many people have grown tired of classic cocktails. The good news is that people invent interesting new variations onthese drinks every day.

Many classic cocktail recipes use grenadine, which is pomegranate-flavored syrup. For a variation on the flavor of these cocktails, you can use raspberry syrup. The color of the drink will remain almost the same, but the taste will be slightly different.

Lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice and pineapple juice can usually be interchanged in most cocktail recipes to create a new flavor. You can also add one of these to a lot of cocktails.

Adding fresh, frozen or canned fruit to mixed drinks is an interesting way to change up the mixed drink. In some cases, you can use frozen fruit instead of ice when mixing the drink.

If you are looking for a fruity drink, try adding half a cup of frozen strawberries and one ounce clof pineapple juice to a tequila sunrise. This a good drink enjoy on a warm summer day or when you are relaxing in the evening.

Some of the variations that I know of for a cosmopolitan are adding a quarter cup of canned pineapple to the mix. You can chill these in the refrigerator before you add them. You can try adding eight to ten frozen white grapes to the mix instead of adding pineapple. The frozen grapes add a different texture to the drink. Around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, try adding half a cup of cranberries or 2 ounces of cranberry juice to the cocktail to make it more festive.

As for the spicy drinks, such as the bloody mary, you can change the taste of these by adding flavored tomato juice instead of plain tomato juice. For example, you can use Spicy Hot V8 to add more heat to the drink. You can also try adding Cholula instead of Tabasco for an interesting flavor.

Basically, you just have to try different ingredients added into the basic recipe of your choice. If you are willing to try some unique suggestions at least once, you will be well on your way to discovering your own unique ideas for your cocktails.

Written by Casey L. Holley

Classic Martinis
In recent years, classic mixed drinks like the martini have been redefined from perspectives that some might call unusual; classic cocktail martini purists might call them downright sacrilegious; and yet others might simply call them bizarre.

According to venerable Esquire Magazine's Drinks Database, a classic cocktail recipe for the martini simply consists of: one ounce dry vermouth and four ounces gin (vodka is frowned upon by purists).

Old Skool Martini Variations
One of the most popular recent martini variations is the appletini, a mixture typically containing vodka and apple juice, cider or apple liqueur. A modern martini that features a fruity new twist uses Veev, an alcohol made with the Brazilian berry açaí. Less common martini variations include the dirty martini, a classic martini mixed with olive brine.

The late president Richard Nixon had his own variation on the classic martini, the in and out martini. In his variation, he had a glass chilled with ice and vermouth, then completely emptied the glass out and immediately filled it with gin.

Herbal Martini Variations
Because there's a strong global trend of eco-friendliness, some currently created martini variations at some of America's poshest bars are now including infusions (or muddling) of fresh herbs into the mix. At Boston's Radius Restaurant bar, you can order a thyme martini. At the Poste Moderne Brasserie (PDF) in Washington D.C., you can order a basil lemontini.

Just Plain Bizarre Martini Variations
Leave it to posh Los Angeles bars to come up with the concept of the edible mixed alcoholic drink, including the edible martini. These martini variations are jiggly gelatin-based cubes mixed with classic cocktail mixture recipe ingredients. For example, Bar Nineteen 12 at the Beverly Hills Hotel has served a pear martini jelly shot that includes pear puree and classic martini ingredients. They currently serve (sacrileges of all sacrileges) martini popsicles with flavors that include apple martinis, watermelon martinis and cherry martinis.

Written by Elliot Feldman