1. Bloody Mary.
Since it was invented in the 1920s, Bloody Mary has been popular the world over. It contains vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire juice, spices, salt, and pepper. Widely considered as a hangover cure, it is a favourite among women. The various stories about the origin of this cocktail call for a separate tale. Watch this space.
2. The Old Fashioned
This is perhaps the most famous in the cocktail world.
Any spirit can work as a base for building the drink. Only that you need to add water, sugar, and bitters to it. But there are purists who insist on bourbon or rye whiskey to go with the customary sugar cube and Angosutra bitters.
Spurt a little orange, garnish it with maraschino cherries and the timeless Old fashioned is ready. You can also try it on the rocks.
3. Martini
For over a hundred years, cocktails enthusiasts have been fighting over the right amount of vermouth in their martini. Had it not been for that, Martini is simple - add sweet vermouth to gin, throw in a bit of Angosutra bitters, garnish it with olive or lemon. Drink it to your heart's content.
During the roaring 20s, the proportion of gin to vermouth was widely set at a ratio of 2:1. Over the years, the vermouth part of the cocktail dropped to such a level that Winston Churchill famously declared, you need only to look at a bottle of vermouth placed at the far corner of the room, to turn the gin you hold in your hand into a martini.
4. Daiquiri
While gin fanatics go for Martini, vodka-lovers find solace in Bloody Mary, rum lovers need a place to go. That is where Daiquiri comes.
The craft is simple. White rum, lime juice and sugar - you have created the magic, the original daiquiri. Or if you can't take it plain, add fruits or syrups for Daiquiri can stand a little bit of abuse. You may serve it in a chilled martini or margarita glass.
5. Screwdriver
Once again, something for the Vodka lovers.
Curious about the name? Well, many years ago, in the Persian Gulf, American oil workers used to find relief in a drink they made by discreetly adding vodka to orange juice. Since they didn't have a proper spoon, the workers had to use their screwdrivers to stir the mix. Hence the name, Screwdriver. Today in bars, they begin by putting some ice cubes into a tall glass. Then they pour the vodka in followed by orange juice. The screwdriver is ready.
Happy Easter.
(Manu Remakant is a freelance writer who also runs a video blog - A Cup of Kavitha - introducing world poetry to Malayalees. Views expressed here are personal)
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