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