It's here folks. Sooner than one hoped for and in full swing. Summer! The mercury is rising inexorably and the afternoon sun has launched its blistering attack. Time then to don your sunglasses, a snazzy hat and go on a liquid diet. And what better way than with some really cool drink ideas.

And if the foul weather isn't reason enough, the wise words of Thomas Love Peacock should do the trick - 'There are two reasons for drinking: one is, when you are thirsty, to cure it; the other, when you are not thirsty, to prevent it!'

Throwing a cocktail party is probably the coolest thing to do this summer. Not your junta scene where drinking whisky and soda or a genteel glass of usually dead wine is considered cocktails. We're talking the real thing. You don't have to be a pro to get it right - just follow a few basic pointers and you're all set.

The key to success lies in stocking up loads of ice. The more rocks the merrier. We're talking about clean, reliable, safe and good looking 'tubes' and blocks of ice. If you can locate a ready supplier, save yourself the tedium of making your own ice.

Now that you've got the ice, it's time to fill up the glasses. That's the first lesson in mixing a drink. Ice in first, followed by spirit and everything else. The other integral elements are the bits and pieces that go in to elevate the most ordinary cocktail to great heights; like lemons, oranges, mint leaves, starfruit, pomelo, kiwi fruit and strawberries. Once you've got that right, let's mix some real snazzy drinks. Individual cocktails for big parties are a mistake. You spend all your time making them and have no energy for fun. It's easier making large bowls of your favourite cocktail recipe. Just bung in the ingredients, in multiples proportionate to the number of drinks the bowl or jug will hold over huge blocks of ice.

Experiment with summer fruit as they come along. Aam Panna (made from raw mango) with gin or vodka, frozen watermelon juice with white rum, frozen tadgolas with Malibu, frozen lychees with coconut water, the list is endless. Here are a few easy recipes that I have put together at my restaurant - Allspice Eatery & Drinkery - to get you started. I am sure you will ejoy them. And if you get stuck, come ask for a personal demo at our bar!

Have a ball!

Watermelon Shots
Glass: shot glass

Ingredients:
1/3 btl Smirnoff vanilla vodka, ½ a watermelon
sugar syrup or powdered sugar to taste

Method:
Scoop out the watermelon from the shell, de-seed and chop into small bits.
Wash out the watermelon shell with boiling water to kill any yeast or bacteria and then rinse in iced water.
Mix the prepared watermelon bits with the vodka and sugar and taste to adjust.
Keep to chill
Fill the watermelon shell with crushed ice.
Pour spiked & chilled watermelon into shot glasses and sit them in the crushed ice filled shell.

Brazilian Samba
Glass: Bavaria/Margarita glass

Ingredients:
45ml Diva cachaca (Brazilian cane spirit)
8 chunks of fresh pineapple
60ml pineapple juice
30ml Manama strawberry crush
15ml Malibu or coconut syrup
10ml lime juice
3-4 mint leaves
Desiccated coconut to rim glass
Garnish: slice of pineapple/leaf/cherry, coconut rimmed glass

Method:
Fill half the shaker with crushed ice.
Add all the ingredients (only half the strawberry crush) and blend to a slush using a hand blender or in a mixer jar.
Dip the rim of the glass into ready drink, then in a plate of desiccated coconut.
Pour the remaining strawberry crush into rimmed glass.
Pour drink gently into glass over the crush and garnish.

Tropical Float
Glass: Hawaii/tall glass

Ingredients:
45ml Skyy vodka/Seagrams gin
120ml Watermelon juice
120ml lychee juice
wedge of lime
splash of Sprite
Garnish: slice of watermelon

Method:
Fill glass with ice. Pour in the lychee juice.
Add vodka or gin, a wedge of lime squeezed and dropped in.
Add a splash of Sprite or soda to refresh the drink.
Float watermelon juice on top.
Garnish with a slice of watermelon.

Summer Spritzed Sangria
Glass: A.P.Wine glass

Ingredients:
Chopped fruits (seasonal)
60ml grape juice
Top with your favourite iced sparkling wine
Garnish: sprig of mint

Method:
Fill half glass with ice cubes.
Pour in the grape juice.
Add chopped fruits (mango, watermelon, apple, orange…).
Top it with cold sparkling wine.
Garnish.

Black Magic
Glass: Casablanca/tall glass

Ingredients:
30ml Jose Cuervo silver tequila
15ml lime juice
¼ spoon chaat masala/black salt
¼ spoon fresh black pepper & salt
Top with cola
Garnish: slit green chilli

Method:
Fill the glass with ice
Add tequila, lime juice and spices
Top with cola and stir.
Dust with a little freshly crushed pepper.
Serve with a slit green chilli.

Smirnoff Mule
Glass:copper mug/tall glass/beer mug

Ingredients:
45 ml Smirnoff
30ml ginger lime cordial
15ml lime juice
1 wedge of lime
soda/Sprite to top
Garnish: cucumber stick, fresh mint

Method:
Shake together Smirnoff, ginger lime and lime juice with ice cubes.
Pour into copper mug.
Squeeze in wedge of lime and top with soda/Sprite.
Garnish.

Wild Margarita
Glass: Margarita/Martini glass

Ingredients:
45ml Jose Cuervo silver tequila
60ml Aam panna concentrate
10ml limejuice (if required)
3 - 4 mint leaves, Chaat masala for rim
Garnish: slice of raw mango dipped in salt & red chilli, chaat masala rim

Method:
Make aam panna concentrate - boil 3 raw mangoes with 2 cups or more sugar.
Puree and mix and flavour with roasted jeera powder and salt.
Taste to adjust sugar. It should be as sweet as a syrup concentrate.
Fill half the shaker with crushed ice, add tequila, panna, mint leaves and blend to slush. Taste to adjust sweet and sour balance.
Dip the rim of the glass into ready drink, then in a plate of desiccated coconut.
Pour into glass and garnish.

Mango & Mint Daiquiri
Glass: Coupe/Martini glass

Ingredients:
45 ml Bacardi Limon
30ml mango crush
½ your favourite fresh mango
10-15ml lime juice
2-3 mint leaves
2 scoops crushed ice
Garnish: sprig of mint

Method:
Pour all ingredients into a mixer jar or into a shaker can with the crushed ice.
Blend till the drink slushes completely (using a mixer/ hand blender).
Pour into glass and garnish with a sprig of mint.