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Alcoholic beverages are mixed and enjoyed by million of adults around the world, and the reason is no secret. They’re colorful, come in exotic flavors and, put simply, are fun! To mix them right, it’s important to have some basic skills and knowledge.

But, unless you are a professional bartender, you’re probably in the dark about the various types of mixed drinks. “Types” doesn’t refer to brandy drinks vs. vodka drinks, most people know these differences. But what if you are asked the difference between a fix and fizz? In part one of this article we covered four types of drink: cobblers, cocktails, crustas and flips.

Now let’s expand on those.

Cooler: Coolers are drinks made with liquor and a carbonated beverage and garnished with fruit. For a fresh taste at your next get together, try a Calypso Cooler. The recipe for a Calypso Cooler is: 1/2 oz spiced rum, 1/2 oz peach schnapps, 1/4 oz dark rum, 2 oz orange juice, 1 oz grenadine syrup, 1 oz lime juice, 2 oz lemon-lime soda. Add the rum, schnapps, orange juice, grenadine and lime juice to a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice cubes, and top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with an orange flag and serve.

Fix: Fixes are mixed drinks made with a combination of liquors, citrus and sugar. Here’s a fix recipe that is fun to try. Gin Fix: 1 tsp superfine sugar, 1 oz lemon juice, 2 tsp water, 2 oz gin, 1 maraschino cherry, 1 slice lemon. In a cocktail shaker filled half way with ice cubes, combine the sugar, lemon juice, and water and shake thoroughly. Strain this mixture into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Lastly add the gin and stir well. Garnish the drink with the cherry and lemon slice and serve.

Fizz: Fizzes are simply fixes with a carbonated beverage added. The above fix recipe can be turned into a fizz recipe with the addition of carbonated water. Gin Fizz recipe: 1 tsp superfine sugar, 1 oz lemon juice, 2 oz gin, 1 maraschino cherry, 1 slice lemon, carbonated water. In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, put the gin, sugar and lemon juice. Shake to blend. Strain into a highball glass with a couple of ice cubes. Fill with carbonated water and stir well. Garnish with the cherry and the lemon slice and serve.

Julep: A julep is a sweet mix of liquor and strong spices. Many are probably familiar with the most famous julep, the Mint Julep. To serve one at your next celebration, use this simple Mint Julep drink recipe: 4 fresh mint sprigs, 2 1/2 oz bourbon, 1 tsp superfine sugar, 2 tsp water. Muddle (crush against side of glass) mint leaves, sugar and water in a collins glass. Fill the glass with shaved (or crushed) ice and add bourbon. Add more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw.

So there you have them…four more types of mixed drinks. Your next social gathering will be a terrific success with the addition of these fun and flavorful drinks.