• Start with perfectly clean glassware. Choose the correct size and shape of glass for the drink. Hand washing and drying them with a clean, lint-free towel gives the most sparkling results.
  
  
• Use the highest-quality liquor you can afford without going into premium brands that are best sipped alone.
  
  
• Use fresh lemons, limes and other fruit for mixing and garnishes.
  
  
• Use bottled water for mixing and making ice if your tap water doesn't taste good.
  
  
• Chill glasses well, either by placing it in the refrigerator until cold or by filling glasses with crushed ice while mixing the drink.
  
  
• Don't splash more alcohol into a drink than the formula calls for - it may throw off the taste.
  
  Blend, Shake, Layer or Stir
  
• Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker or mixer in this order: fruit juices, liquor followed by other ingredients. Always use a jigger to measure liquor.
  
  
• Shake or stir the drink, then pour it into a cocktail glass to serve "straight up."
  
• Add ice, then liquor, then mixer when using a blender. The alcohol melts the ice, making it easier to blend.
  
  
• It is good to add ice if a frozen drink is too thin or mixer if it's too thick. Use cracked or cubed for stirred or shaken drinks; crushed or shaved for frozen drinks.
  
  
• Shake 4 to 5 times when using crushed ice and 8 to 10 times when using cracked ice. (Avoid over shaking as it melts the ice too much and waters down your drinks.)
  
  Make sure to garnish while serving
  
• Use orange slice and a cherry to make a flag. Cut fruit slices about 1/4-inch thick with a slit cut toward the center so the slice can rest on the rim of the glass (use fresh or refrigerated fruits for this).
  
  
• Make a twist by slicing only the colored part of the rind of a lemon, lime or orange.
  
  
• Pour drinks as soon as you make them. At the end of the party, it is advisable to add a little lemon juice to the water when washing glasses, to help keep spotting to a minimum. Dry glasses as soon as you wash them.

Warning: When consuming alcohol, be restrained. Do not drink and drive.

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