Don't be shy; invent your own fruity cocktail

Fruity cocktail recipes have been around since Mr. Ngiam Tong Boon, chief bartender at Raffles Hotel in Singapore brought forth the Singapore Sling one momentous evening about a hundred years ago. He combined equal parts of cherry brandy, Benedictine and gin in a cocktail shaker, added a splash each of Angostura bitters, Grenadine, Cointreau and lime juice and presented it in a tall frosted glass garnished with a chunk of fresh pineapple. An immediate hit, this delectable drink has been served ever since to anyone who visits Raffles Long Bar - and if you listen well, you can hear Somerset Maugham and Ernest Hemingway talking quietly to each other while they enjoy their Singapore Slings. A cocktail is a beautiful thing - a tall, frosted glass, garnished with colorful fruits and a little umbrella, of course! But you don't need any special instructions to create your own signature fruity cocktail recipe - use what you have. You'll need a large jar with a well-fitting lid to start with. Pour a bottle of good quality vodka (the top shelf kind) into the jar and start adding whatever fresh fruit you have - strawberries, blackberries, mango, oranges, limes, an apple perhaps and some pineapple chunks. Place the jar in a cool dark place and leave it there for a month or so. While you're not watching, the fruits will soak in the vodka, imparting their own delicious flavors and hey presto, you now have your own unique fruity cocktail recipe as a base for inventive cocktails you can call your own. Unfortunately, most bartenders today don't use fresh fruits for their fruity cocktail recipes because it takes too long. They use canned fruits, which allow them to mix their drinks quickly and conveniently. But if you use fresh fruits in the manner described above, you'll find that your cocktails have all the flavors and perfumes of the fruits you've used without the preservatives and artificial flavors which canned fruits have. Your signature cocktails deserve the best ingredients you can provide - take the extra time and make your own fruity cocktail base for them. They'll be uniquely yours and you'll find that your friends will want to know how you mixed them - that'll be your secret! When garnishing your cocktails, use fresh fruits which match the flavors of the fruits you used when making your cocktail base - try freezing fresh raspberries in ice cubes to add to the drink and use orange wheels as a garnish on your frosted glasses. Fresh fruits add color and perfume to the drink and when your cocktails are presented, light a few scented candles and place them around the bar to set the scene.