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.

Rum

Rum is a liqour that originated in the West indies and is made by fermenting then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate is usually a clear liquid and is then aged in oak barrels.

Most Rums are produced in the Caribbeans and American countries, but are now produced in other sugar producing countries like PHilippines and Taiwan.

The first recorded mention of Rum comes from Barbados, in about 1650. They were originally called "kill-devil" or "rumbullion" and later on, simply Rum.

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.

Triple Sec

Triple-Sec is an Orange flavoured liqueur from France. It is made by macerating sun dried orange peel in alcohol for a day or more before a three step distillation. Triple Sec has a 15% to 40% ABV.

The Triple Sec name refers to the process of distillation. Sec in French means dry or distilled and triple refers to the triple distillation process.

It's been a popular liqueur for more than 150 years, the Dutch East India Company created orange liqueurs by steeping orange peels in alcohol from the island of Curaçao and called it Curaçao liquor, and unlike Triple Sec, the Dutch 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. Triple Sec is made from neutral spirits and the Orange peel used is harvested from oranges that have the skin still green, so that the essential oils are still in the skin and has not been absorbed into the flesh. This gives Triple Sec the intense flavour.

Midori Melon Liqueur

A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage made mostly from rectified neutral spirits flavoured with sugar, fruits, herbs and spices. Liqueurs are often served as aperitif or digestif or used as bitters, and some are ceremonial or have regional cultural significance.
Most liqueur recipes that date back to the medieval or early modern era tend to have secret recipes and legends following them trough centuries. Liqueurs mostly began in the laboratories of pharmacists as medicines or at homes as ways of preserving seasonal fruits, or were created by monks in their monasteries. and then took off as fragrant, flavourful liqueurs, either filtered to be clear or cloudy.
Liqueurs are created by infusing or macerating fruits and herbs in neutral grain spirit, brandy base like cognac, rum, vodka or even whisky and then filtering the infused alcohol to produce the unique sweet beverage.

Blue Curacao Liqueur

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.

Chambord Raspberry Liqueur

Raspberry Liqueur is what a liqueur is, a neutral liquor, wine or gin with added flavours and sweetness from fruits, herbs and other ingredients.

In Raspeberry Liqueur, raspberries are macerated with sugar in vodka, and vanilla pods are often added for a wider flavour profile, alcohol and sugar draw out the fruit's natural juices and essential oils into the spirit.

Few popular raspberry liqueur brands would be

• 1. Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur.
• 2. Bols Black Raspberry Liqueur.
• 3. Giffard Framboise Liqueur.
• 4. St George's Raspberry Liqueur.
• 5. Mathilde Framboise Liqueur.

Sweet And Sour Mix

Sweet and Sour Mix, also Whiskey Sour Mix or Margarita Mix or Daiquiri Mix is a versatile mix in many cocktails.
This is a yellowish-green coloured concoction, with equal portion of lemon or lime juice with a simple syrup. When this mix is shaken vigorously with ice it produces a pearly-white liquid mixture ready for your cocktail.

Coca Cola

Cola in general is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with vanilla,cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus oils and other flavourings and has been popular ever since it's invention by Pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886.

Cola gets it's name from the Kola Nut from which a Cola gets it's caffeine, the original recipe of Pemberton contained cocaine from coca leaves too, and was an non-alcoholic wine. Since it's invention the recipe has been closely guarded and yet replicated by many other brands of which, Pepsi Cola remain to be the major competition of Coca Cola invented and trade marked by Pemberton.

Cola being sweet and having a refreshing flavour profile that includes vanilla on top to a citrus taste with complex flavours of nutmeg, cinnamon and other very oriental herbs, it in itself is a great mixer for so many spirits. Best of course is the neutral Vodka but who doesn't want a Rom and Coca Cola? and have not heard the Andrew Sister's Song Rum and Coca Cola

Note: If you are one of those that are clinically dependent on Coca Cola or Cola in general and drink litres of Cola per day, the SodaStream Diet Cola will be a great alternative for you. It has less sugar and uses sucralose instead of aspartame used in Diet Cola. Each bottle makes 9 litres of Cola. Note that you need the Sodastream Sparkling Water Maker for this. But it's worth the money.