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Pina colada, what's that?

The Pina Colada is a much maligned cocktail in need of good PR. It got rather caught up in previous cocktail revivals and tends to induce a sneer when ordered.

Take a shot and half of light rum, add ½ a shot of dark, six measures of pineapple juice, some pineapple chunks and a tablespoon of coconut cream. Also include a splash of fresh cream. Blend all this with crushed ice in a blender.

Daiquiri

The Daiquiri was born at the Daiquiri iron mines in Cuba around the turn of the century when American engineers drank a mixture of light rum, lime juice and sugar to ward off tropical fever. Evidently, it did keep fever down-and spirits up - and a local preventive became a world-wide pleasure.

For a basic Daiquiri, combine two teaspoons of fresh lime juice, one-half teaspoon superfine sugar, two ounces light rum and three ice cubes in a shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into a well-chilled glass. For a frozen Daiquiri, place ingredients and blend until it has the consistency of snow. For a banana Daiquiri, add half a sliced banana.

Gin and Tonic on a Lazy Afternoon

The source of Gin and Tonic is the British Army in the 1800-s. Place: Far East. Impetus: Malaria. In an age when the only remedy was quinine, gin helped the bitter medicine go down. In time, carbonated water, citric fruit and sugar was mixed with quinine and called quinine water or tonic. By the 1920s, quinine was out and gin was in. Gin and Tonic became one of the world's most popular cocktails.

In a glass, add ice cubes, two ounces gin and a wedge of lemon or lime. Fill the glass to the top with 6 ounces of chilled tonic water.

Zippy Tom collins

The Tom Collins is the tallest cocktail, a kind of long lemonade with a zip.

Tom Collins was first made in the late 1800s with sweetened gin. It must have been named so after the gin's brand, Old Tom. The preparation of Tom Collins has undergone a lot of changes with the passage of time. Today, Tom Collins is strictly a dry gin drink - never mind that it is also made with sugar.

Place five ice cubes in a tall glass. Add three ounces of gin, the juice of one large lemon and one tablespoon sugar. Fill the glass with club soda and stir.