Just as the name implies, mixed drinks are basically beverages that consist of two or more liquids blended together. Alcoholic mixed drinks contain at least one type of alcohol. According to wikipedia.com, there are several categories of mixed drinks such as cocktails, cobblers, coolers, fizzes, juleps and punches. Some examples of mixed drinks are typical beverages like beer cocktails, wine cocktails, mixed drink shooters, shots and flaming beverages.

The Sazerac Cocktail - Possibly The First Recipe Of Its Kind
Nowadays, the term cocktail broadly refers to any type of alcoholic mixed drink. The Sazerac Cocktail is considered to be the first recipe of its kind. It was invented by a New Orleans druggist named Antoine Amadie Peychaud, according to gumbopages.com.

This mixed drink recipe, which can be found at epicurious.com, contains the following ingredients:

1 cube or 1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 dashes Peychaud bitters

About 1/2 teaspoon water

2 ounces rye whiskey

1/2 teaspoon Herbsaint liqueur (or Pernod)

lemon peel

ice

How to Make The Sazerac Cocktail
To make one drink, you'll need to place ice in an old-fashioned glass. In a second glass, combine the sugar, bitters and the water; mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rye whiskey, then fill the glass with ice and stir well.

To finish this Sazerac Cocktail recipe, dump the ice out of the first glass. Put the Herbsaint or the Pernod in the glass. Turn the glass and tilt it until the liqueur coats the entire inside. Pour any remaining liqueur out. Then, strain the contents of the second glass into the chilled glass. Add a twist of lemon to the Sazerac Cocktail and serve.

The Sex on the Beach Mixed Drink Recipe
Another mixed drink recipe that's rather popular is called "Sex on the Beach." This cocktail is an alcoholic drink that has a strong fruity flavor.

The ingredients you'll need to make this alcoholic drink are:

1-1/2 ounces peach schnapps

1-1/2 ounces VeeV (Vodka has traditionally been used in this drink, but VeeV offers a more unique, flavorful twist.)

2 ounces cranberry juice

2 ounces orange juice

2 ounces pineapple juice

According to the recipe at www.drinknation.com, making cocktails like this one couldn't be any easier. To make a Sex on the Beach mixed drink, combine all the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain this cocktail into a highball glass filled with ice.

Tips How to Make Your Alcoholic Mixed Drinks Unique
According to www.drink-recipes.org.uk, there are a few simple things you can do when you're making mixed drinks recipes to make them stand out:

1. Use colorful cocktail sticks or toothpicks to twist or skewer slices of fruit before you add them to cocktail recipes.

2. Add colorful adornments such as swizzle sticks, tiny umbrellas and straws to your mixed drink recipes.

3. No matter if you're making cocktails or other alcohol drinks, serve them in oddly-shaped glasses. It will make the drinks more unique and attractive.

Written by Kassidy Emmerson

You don't have time to take a vacation to the Caribbean this year? No 

worries! Tropical mixed drinks are an excellent way to get the feel of a tropical beach without having to spend a few grand to make it happen.

A couple tiki torches, a package of paper umbrellas, a lounge chair or two added to the ingredients needed to make these tropical drink recipes at your home bar.

Tropical mixed drinks often include juice, fruit garnishes, amaretto, coconut, rum and lots of ice.

Nutty Colada

This tropical mixed drink is best served in a Collins glass with a funky straw and is sure to soothe your blues away. Combine three ounces of amaretto almond liqueur with three tablespoons of coconut milk. Then crush about three tablespoons of pineapple and blend everything together until smooth.

Tropical Breeze

The pinnacle of tropical mixed drinks, a "Tropical Breeze" should be served in a clear highball glass to show off its colors. Combine one shot of Bacardi, one shot of Curacao and one shot of coconut rum with two ounces of lime juice and three ounces of orange juice. Pour the mixture over a healthy dose of ice and stir with a straw. Voila! You have a tropical breeze, regardless of where you live.

Hawaiian King

You can have this drink even if you live in Alaska, and you'll feel like you've just been crowned on the beautiful beaches of Oahu. This is perfect for the drinking enthusiast who prefers to throw 'em back rather than sip. Simply drop half a shot of Crown Royal in a shot glass and follow with half a shot of pineapple liqueur.

Wave Rider

For the classier mixed drink occasion, the Wave Rider is served in a cocktail glass with your favorite fruit garnish. Simply combine two shots of Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay with two ounces of grapefruit juice and two ounces of pineapple juice. Pour over crushed ice in a cocktail glass and add a couple tablespoons of cranberry juice for good measure.

These tropical mixed drinks are all well and good, but I encourage you to experiment with your favorite alcohol. Mixed drinks are always more fun when you have concocted them yourself, and tropical beverages are as much about the garnishes and color as they are about taste!

My only advice: Make new tropical drink concoctions in small quantities first. If you try it and love it, invite your friends.

Written by Steve Thompson

VeeV, a new liqueur made from açaí fruit, is gaining popularity for both its fruity taste and eco-friendliness. Introducing a new liqueur into your cocktail-making repertoire can be a challenge, so here are some general tips and recipes to get you starte

VeeV can be substituted for vodka in any cocktail you currently make at home, especially if you prefer flavored vodka (like raspberry). To make basic cocktails using VeeV, try VeeV and tonic or VeeV and cranberry juice.

If you like to get fancy with your cocktails, you can substitute VeeV for the gin or vodka in a martini or substitute VeeV for the rum in a mojito. If blended frozen cocktails are more your style, mix VeeV, ice, limeade and a splash of lemon in the blender. Garnish with a paper umbrella for an instant vacation feel.

To really impress guests, break out the fresh fruit. The açaí flavor in VeeV mixes well with other berry flavors like blueberry and strawberry, as well as citrus and mint. It also makes a lovely compliment to champagne and club soda.

If you're still feeling a little lost, here are a couple of recipes to get you started:

Rainforest on the Rocks

Muddle eight sprigs of mint (preferably spearmint but peppermint will do) and a lime wedge in a mixing glass. If you've never "muddled" before, that basically means you mash the mint and the lime with a wooden utensil into the bottom of a glass. The purpose of muddling is to release the flavors in the fresh ingredients. After you muddle, add two ounces (a little more than a standard shot) of VeeV and one and a half ounces of watermelon juice. Toss a pinch of sugar and some ice in a cocktail shaker, shake and pour.

Veev Lemonade

Muddle four lemon wedges and four mint sprigs. Shake your fruity mess with ice and two ounces of VeeV in a cocktail shaker. Pour it into a glass with a little club soda on top. (Don't shake the club soda. That's messy.)

VeeV Açaí-tini

Shake two ounces of VeeV, an ounce of açaí juice and a liberal squeeze of fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker. If you can't find açaí juice at your local supermarket, you can substitute cherry or cranberry juice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and fill the rest of the glass with champagne. To impress friends, drop a raspberry or two into the glass for garnish.

Sources:
http://www.barnonedrinks.com/drinks/by_ingredient/v/veev-acai-spirit-9097.html
http://www.oodora.com/health-and-food/drinks/drink-for-a-good-cause-veev.html
http://www.novusvinum.com/spirits/veev.html

Written by Esther November