Gin

Gin is a distilled alcoholic beverage that has it's origin in medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe. The historical Gin producing regions are Southern France, Flanders and Netherlands. Gin was originally created to provide aqua vitae from grape and grain distillates.

During the Middle ages, the newly found substance Ethanol was considered by Alchemists to be the water of life, and an aqueous solution of ethanol was in use all over Europe and had different names and is literally the origin of many spirits like Whisky ( from the Gaelic uisce beatha for water of life ). Today Gin is produces from a wide range of ingredients, which gave rise to numerous distinct styles and brands. The predominant flavour of Gin is from the Juniper berries and then each different distillery flavours it further with an assortment of botanicas or herbs, spices, floral and fruit flavours, in different combinations. Gin is commonly drank mixed with Tonic water but it is also often used as a base spirit for many gin based flavoured liqueurs like Sloe Gin.

Bacardi

Bacardi 151 is a discontinued brand of highly alcoholic Rum made by Bacardi Limited of Bermuda. It is has alcohol concentration level of 151 US Proof or has 75.5% alcohol by volume. Way higher than a regular 35% - 40% ABV of a standard Rum. Bacardi discontinued the 151 in 2016.

Because of it's high alcohol concentration a 151 Proof Rum is highly inflammable and is thus used in making stunning flaming shots. Bacardi probably discontinued the Bacardi 151 after a few lawsuits, but there are other brands of 151 Proof or overproof Rum available in the market

Bacardi Limon Rum is a Citrus Rum, Bacardi introduced it in 1995 and Bacardi Limon Original Citrus Rum is their first ever flavoured Rum. Bacardi Limon is a blend of Bacardi White Rum infused with a delectable combination of natural lemon, lime and grapefruit, the name Limon is the French for Lemon.

People often confuse it with a flavoured Vodka, but it's pure Rum.

Bacardi O is an orange flavoured Rum, created by infusing Bacardi White Rum with the essence of Mandarin Oranges from Sicily, Valencia Oranges from Florida and Dancy Tangerines from Brazil, Florida and Israel.

Bacardi O is 35% ABV.

Breezer is an alcoholic fruit flavoured beverage made by Bacardi. Breezer comes in a variety of fruit flavours and are available in lemon, peach, apple, pineapple, lime, orange, ruby grapefruit, blackberry, watermelon, cranberry, coconut, raspberry, blueberry, pomegranate, mango and strawberry flavours. Breezer is popular in India, Europe, Israel, Australia and Canada and is available in China too. A Breezer in reality is not a real fruit leverage, it is a wine cooler, which is an alcoholic beverage made from wine and fruit juice, often carbonated beverage and sugar is added to it.

Vodka

Vodka is an European clear distilled alcoholic drink that has been one of the most popular drinks across the world .

You'll find it to be the most popular spirit in drink making because of it's neutral taste and absence of flavour and colour.

Vodka often replaces Gin in many traditional cocktails

Vodka is known to be good for the heart, and if consumed in moderation, can prove to be good for cardiovascular health

Note that these days there are flavoured Vodka available in the market too, and some cocktails do make use of them.

Blue Curacao

Curaçao is a liqueur flavored with the dried peel of the bitter orange laraha. It's been a popular liqueur for more than 150 years, the Dutch East India Company created this orange liqueurs by steeping orange peels in alcohol from the island of Curaçao and called it Curaçao liquor, unlike Triple Sec, Curacao has added spices and herbs to the orange and Curaçao comes in a variety of colours such as clear, orange or blue.

Blue Curaçao being the most used of them, in cocktails. Although Curacao is an orange tinted liquor, Blue Curacao is a regular Curacao dyed bright blue to give it a striking appearance, and thus is a very popular cocktail mixer, whenever a striking colour is desired.

Blue Curacao is usually around 25% ABV.

Blue Curacao is essentially Orange Liqueur tinted Blue, the colour doesn't influence the taste and thus Orange Curacao is interchangeable with Blue Curacao in recipes, if the colour is not important in the appearance.

NOTE: Blue Curacao being an Orange Flavoured Blue Liqueur, it's primary purpose in a cocktail is introducing the Orange flavour and the striking sky blue to the drink, so, if a bottle of Blue Curacao liqueur is something you are not planning to buy right now, you can manage with the Blue Curacao Syrup.
It would add the same flavour and colour profile to the cocktail, all we need to do is simply count for the alcohol absent in the syrup and account for it.

Advocaat

Advocaat is a traditional Dutch alcoholic beverage made from eggs, sugar and brandy, with a rich custard like consistency, with about 14% to 20% ABV. Advocaat or Advocatenborrel is usually made from a blend of egg yolks, aromatic spirits, honey, brandy, vanilla and cream.

The origin can be traced back to an indigenous Brazilian drink name abacate, made from Avocado, introduced in Europe by the Dutch colonialists in Brazil. Since Avocado didn't grow in Northern Europe the drink doesn't have any Avocado any more but the name remained.

Lemonade to Top up

This sweetened lemon flavoured beverage is an eternal popular throughout the world and there are varieties of homemade lemonades found everywhere. In North Africa and South Asia, cloudy lemonade dominates, be sure if your cocktail requires a clear lemonade or a cloudy one, which is indication of fruit pulp presence in the mix.

Ice

Ice is so obvious in most drinks, be it a straight drink or a mixed drink, that we often forget it's importance or even reason behind using a crystal clear good quality ice in a glass of whisky, or crushed ice in a tall glass to enjoy a cocktail.

Ice tempers a hard liquor, and as is in the case of whisky for example, if you prefer the flavours of whisky reach your nose without the hard note of spirit lingering around, or want to avoid the mild sting of a neat whisky, a cube of ice mellows the strength down a little and as it melts slowly, the aroma and flavour is released from the whisky slowly and makes whisky progressively weak, lingering and palatable.

Ice in Vodka helps release the little flavour a Vodka has, slowly, instead of letting the Vodka hit your nose all at once,

In mixed drinks, ice plays an important role in creating the perfect temperature a certain drink requires and bartenders use ice in several different ways, crushed ice for long drinks that will allow the cocktail to slowly water down like a Mint Julep, Moscow Mule, Rum Swizzle, Sherry Cobbler and other Tiki drinks, a large block or cubes of ice for drinks that are spirit heavy, such as the Old Fashioned, Negroni, and Manhattan