Long Island Iced Tea Recipe

This is a classic mixed drink that should be in everyone's drink repertoire. An easy way to remember how to make a Long Island is to think of a small shot of 5 white spirits (gin, tequila, light rum, vodka, triple sec), shot of sour mix, fill with cola. It's really easy if you break it down, but it is also just as easy to drink too many. The 1970's credit for this potent and alluring concoction could go to Robert Bott, a bartender from Long Island, or to Charles Bishop, a 1930's moonshiner in (then dry) Tennessee. Or was it T.G.I. Friday's? The LIIT has also inspired many variations which are below the recipe.

ingredients
1/2 oz triple sec
1/2 oz light rum
1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz tequila
1 oz sour mix cola
lemon wedge for garnish

Method
Pour the spirits and sour mix into a collins glass with ice.
Stir well or shake with tin over top of the glass.
Top the glass off with cola.
Garnish with the lemon wedge.

variations
Long Beach Iced Tea – cranberry juice
Miami Iced Tea – cranberry juice, lemon-lime soda, peach schnapps for tequila
Electric Iced Tea – blue curacao and lemon lime soda
Hawaiian Iced Tea – pineapple juice Raspberry
Long Island Iced Tea – raspberry vodka and rum (possible with any infused spirits)
Texas Tea – add bourbon
Touchdown Tea – Gatorade for sour mix

Source: By Colleen Graham, About.com

Frozen Margarita

Ingredients

• 1 cup of ice
• 1 1/2 oz tequila
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 3 oz sour mix
• lime wedge for garnish
• salt for rimming glass (optional)

Method

• Pour the ingredients into a blender.
• Blend until smooth.
• If desired, salt the rim of a chilled margarita glass.
• Pour contents into the glass.
• Garnish with the lime wedge.

By Colleen Graham, About.com

Margarita

Everyone knows the Margarita, that refreshing drink that can be made in so many ways, take on many personalities and the must have summer cocktail. The Margarita is one of the most popular cocktails in North America and shows no signs of slowing down. There are a number of variations to the Margarita, so you're sure to find one that is just right for you. There are three basic ways you can serve this cocktail: neat (as in this recipe), on the rocks, or frozen. The next question is, salt, sugar or nothing on the rim of your glass. The possibilities really are endless.

Recipe of Margarita

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz tequila
• 1/2 oz triple sec
• dash of lemon or lime juice
• 3 oz Sour Mix
• lime wedge for garnish
• salt to rim the glass (optional)

Method

• Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
• Shake well.
• If desired, salt the rim of a chilled margarita glass.
• Pour contents, with ice, into the glass.
• Garnish with the lime wedge.

By Colleen Graham, About.com

Gimlet - Gin based Cocktail

Ingredients :

60 ml gin
1 tsp lime juice
Crushed Ice

Method :

Mix Gin and lime juice in a glass with crushed ice.
Strain and serve with twist of orange peel.

Source: www.recipejunction.in

Tom Collins - Gin Based Cocktail

Ingredients :

60 ml gin
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp powdered sugar
carbonated water

Method :

Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over a teaspoonful of powdered sugar in a 12 ounce glass.
Add gin and several ice cubes.
Fill glass with carbonated water and stir well.
Drop in a cherry and slice of lemon, cut half a slice of orange over the brim of the glass and serve with straws

Source: http://www.recipejunction.in/

Manhattan Cocktail Recipe

One of the finest and oldest cocktails. The Manhattan was the first cocktail that used vermouth as a modifier. As with a Martini, there are slight variations of the drink that are a matter of preference (see the list below). I had been under the impression for the longest time that a Manhattan used Canadian whiskey (as I'm told many others are) but after a few traditionalist Manhattanite's comments and a couple of drinks I'm convinced that rye whiskey makes the best Manhattan. After all, it was the original whiskey used for the drink.

Ingredients:
2 oz rye whiskey
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:
Pour the ingedients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
Stir well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with the cherry.

Variations on the Manhattan:
Dry Manhattan- Use a dash of dry vermouth and garnish with a lemon twist.
Perfect Manhattan- Equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Brandy Manhattan- Replace whiskey with brandy.
Scotch Manhattan- Replace whiskey with Scotch.
Southern Comfort Manhattan- Replace whiskey with Southern Comfort.

By Colleen Graham, About.com