From blackberry mojitos to açaí-infused martinis, here are some of the most requested bar drinks at venues across the country:

Cucumber Mint Martinis

Cocktail aficionados are sure to do a double take with this cool and refreshing twist on mixed drinks. The cucumber and mint martini is the perfect match for those hot summer nights mingling on the patio; it's typically made with fresh cucumbers, spearmint leaves and a hint of lime.

Blackberry Mojitos

Nobody really knows where this twist on the classic lime mojito came from, but blackberry adds depth and flavor to the ever-popular summer drink. Mixology experts are taking things up a notch with blackberry-flavored rum, blackberry juice and even dropping fresh blackberries into the bottom of the drink for a dense flavor.

Açaí Berry Martinis

Whether you enjoy your martini straight up or on the rocks, açaí-berry infused drinks are spilling into bars everywhere and spicing things up for the conventional-martini lover. Using VeeV, an açaí-based alcohol, instead of vodka adds a natural hint of sweetness to any beverage, the clean and crisp flavor for a satisfying finish to any classic martini.

Lemon Gimlets

Forgo the classic lime gimlet in favor of the lemon or 'fuzzy' gimlet made with a carbonated lemon-lime beverage, gin, lime and lemon juice and enjoy a taste of summer any time of year. This one can also be made with white tequila for your Mexico-inspired night.

Iced Chocolate Martini

Throw a party for your inner chocoholic with an ice-cold chocolate martini on the rocks. This dessert-like beverage is made with chocolate liqueur, VeeV (instead of vodka) and fresh cream and can be served straight up in a chilled martini glass for a tasty treat.

Written by Sabah Karimi

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

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

Cosmopolitan, manhattan, martini... you'll hear these names frivolously thrown around any upscale bar or club.

Intoday's world, we aren't as frivolous with our clothes, our food or our cleaning products. The world is becoming eco-conscious, and consumers are searching for eco-friendly products to help them go green. Why stop when you order a drink at the bar? Eco-friendly cocktails are the newest trend for the environmentally conscious consumer.

Organic Beer and Wine
MSNBC recently reported on this growing trend in the United States and commented that organic beer and wine are the first eco-friendly alcoholic drinks that many consumers encounter. For a beer or wine to be classified as organic, like Peak Organic Beer and products from The Organic Wine Company, the beverages need to meet the standards set by the USDA's National Organic Program. By doing so, they can be considered organic, and consumers can be sure they are helping the environment with their beer or wine choice.

Organic Juice, Fruit and Vegetables
If you can't go without your favorite alcoholic cocktail at a party, consider adding to it with organic fruit and vegetables. Making a mimosa? Be sure to add Tropicana's organic orange juice. If you want a martini, add a Rawganique organic olive to your drink. Even if the alcohol itself isn't eco-friendly, there's no reason not to spice it up with a green mixer or garnish. Many cocktails have started adding organic tea as a mixer. What will they think of next?

Green Business Habits
Another way to go green with your cocktail choice is to select beverages whose companies have environmentally friendly practices. The açaí berries used in VeeV, for example, are not only harvested from sustainable forests, but the company donates $1 for every bottle purchased back to the Brazilian rainforest. Seek out companies like VeeV, who make the word "eco-conscious" part of their business practice.

Eco-friendly cocktails are the newest trend for the environmentally conscious consumer. From organic beer, wine, mixers and garnishes to companies that make going green part of their business plan, selecting eco-friendly drinks is a lifestyle change you won't have to suffer through. The options for green cocktails are limitless if you open up your mind when ordering at the bar.

Sources:

MSNBC; Organic Booze Becomes Cocktail Trend at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25098479/

Peak Organic Beer at http://www.peakbrewing.com/

Organic Wine Company at http://www.theorganicwinecompany.com/

Rawganique at http://www.rawganique.com/Food-raw-organic-olives.htm

SmartsCo at http://www.smartsco.com/content/view/108/66/

Veev at http://www.veevlife.com/

Written by Kelly Herdrich

VeeV

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

At the end of a busy day in "America's Finest City," which is of course San Diego, evenings spent at the right local bar can be consummate. There are a couple of popular local bars where you can enjoy drinks but a favorite stands out with Epazote's Z Ocean Bar in Del Mar.

Here happy hour is from 3 to 7 p.m. seven days a week. This is a great bar for appetizers and excellent bar drinks. For $5, patrons can select from among five bar drinks including well drinks, a cabernet, a chardonnay, a margarita shaker, several different martinis and five choices of appetizers designated from the bar's menu.

Expect a crowd age 21 and up as Epazote's overlooks the beach where volleyball and other sports go on for hours. The crowd is energetic and the beachfront scenery is amazing. Epazote's takes happy hour to a different level on Tuesday when patrons enjoy happy hour and bar drinks until last call. This is one of the best deals in the area, possibly the country, as it is situated on some of the richest real estate in America. Epazote's Z Ocean Bar in Del Mar is located at 1555 Camino Del Mar. Stop by and you are sure to be impressed.

Written by J. Rica Middlebrooks

The Balcony Bar is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. and serves finger foods as well as beer, wine, liquor and a good assortment of mixed drinks. In addition to traditional cocktails the Balcony Bar offers a number of martini-style drinks. These include both a refreshing apple martini that avoids the cliched and not very good sour apple mix, a pomegranate martini that looks like a cosmopolitan but is considerably more bitter and a blueberry martini made with lillet. Their traditional mojitos are also quite good, although the sangria leaves a lot to be desired. Cocktails run about $10.

The Balcony Bar is a decidedly romantic spot with low lighting and live classical music. What makes it a great choice is that it's as casual or as fancy as you'd like, with patrons showing up in everything from jeans to elegant dresses before a night on the town. It definitely makes a great first stop of the night.

Other bar options at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are the Rooftop Bar and Cafe, which is only open weather permitting. In addition to fruity martinis and finger food, the Rooftop Bar also offers a selection of frozen drinks and is a more appropriate venue for a group of friends than the Balcony Bar, which isn't good for groups both due to space limitations and atmosphere.

Finally, the Petrie Court Cafe and Wine Bar offers a full menu in addition to elegant snack foods and desserts and boasts an extensive wine list both by the glass and the bottle. While mixed drinks are available here, they are not featured, so don't expect anything unique. The bar is open until 10:30 p.m., but the last seating for dinner is at 8:30.

For information on all the drinking and dining options at the museum, visit their Web site.

Written by Racheline Maltese

Home to some of the world's trendiest clubs, upscale bars and lounges, Miami boasts a round-the-clock party scene with plenty of opportunities to sample unique concoctions from professional mixologists. Local bars fill up well before happy hour to toast the day with bar drinks you won't find anywhere on the coast. Be prepared for a lineup of tempting martini recipes, fresh flavor infusions and classic drinks made with a twist of exotic fruit; the latest trends from the local mixology scene include eco-friendly alcohols, organic liquors and specialty beers from around the globe.

Mixologists at local bars in Miami have become cocktail designers extraordinaire with their lineup of exotic bar drinks infused with fresh flavors from the tropics. Head over to venues like Sushi Samba Dromo on Lincoln Road to try the samba dragon, a mango rum, guarana and ginger cocktail that will take you on a brief trip to the far east. Or, try your luck at the M-Bar on Brickell Key Drive to pick out one of hundreds of martinis from this signature martini bar. This place hits the spot with creative cocktails fit for a king (or queen). From the sunrise martini to the chocolate raspberry dessert-like 'tini,' you'll have plenty of ways to experience the best of Biscayne Bay.

If it's a poolside experience you're after, the Bahia at the Four Seasons will give you plenty of reasons to toast to the sunset. The venue serves up exotic mojitos and martinis by the pool after 5 p.m. And when the night calls for a glamorous bar-hop, don't miss the Opium Garden and Prive lounge on your route. The Asian-inspired club and modern lounge feature some of the best bar drinks in the city. Make table reservations for signature mixed drinks, bottles of champagne and liquor brands from around the world.

Local mixology trends in Miami go one step further with eco drinks and green cocktails for a fresh spin on the classics. Make your way to the Rose Bar inside the The Delano hotel where they serve Veev, the first eco-friendly liquor. It is made from the Brazilian açaí berry and rich in antioxidants. Ask for a cosmopolitan - or nearly any other cocktail - to be made with it and you'll be plesantly surprised with the unique flavor you discover.

The Miami Vice cocktail isn't the only drink you'll want to track down at the nearest bar. South Beach is home to dozens of tropical concoctions that make partying in the city an extraordinary experience!

Written by Sabah Karimi

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

Going green gets even better when cocktail parties and special toasts are enhanced with some eco-friendly drinks; isn't it high time you enjoyed some cocktails with a conscience?

When you've made a commitment to live life on the greener side, it's easier than you think to mix up a lineup of green drinks that wow the crowds and the planet. Eco-friendly beverages can include açaí berry martinis, fresh fruit mojitos and cucumber cocktails made with a planet-friendly alcohol for the base.

Using fresh fruit and organic juice as a flavoring and then garnishing the cocktail with wedges of lime or lemon is all you need to put together a few eco drinks that support your green living habits.

A few eco drink recipes to try this season:

Açaí Berry Martinis
The Brazilian açaí berry has been deemed one of the world's superfoods and is chock full of heart-healthy compounds. Using Veev, an alcohol made with the açaí berry, will enhance the flavor of any martini, and it will be beautiful when garnished with fresh berries. Try this one straight up for a 'healthy-tini' that is sure to become a crowd favorite.

Cucumber Spritzers
Cucumber adds a crisp and cool flavor to drinks on the rocks, and a spritzer made with a few slices of fresh cucmber and lime delivers an invigorating surprise. Fresh cucumber-infused cocktails are leading the eco drinks menus at dozens of bars and restaurants across the country.

Berry Mojitos
From blackberries to strawberries, the classic mojito goes green with fresh fruit infusions - and it will have you convinced you're sipping on a tasty fruit punch. Just add a sprig or two of fresh mint and sugar to the bottom of the glass, then load up on fruit for an intense tropical flavor.

Pomegranate Veev Cosmopolitan
Pomegranate goes mainstream with the Veev cosmopolitan, the perfect way to kick off a night of revelry. Fresh pomegranate juice can be mixed with Veev and the cosmo is finished off with a wedge of lime or a handful of fresh berries.

Passion Fruit Punch
If the night calls for entertaining a large crowd, an eco-friendly punch is sure to impress even the most discerning cocktail critic. Mix together fresh passion fruit juice, rum, organic strawberries, pineapple and oranges for a tasty addition to the drinks table.

Written by Sabah Karimi