There's been quite a number of shake-ups in the lives of several famous / notorious characters these past couple of weeks. In the UK and USA, we have dear ol' Britney Spears and junkie Amy Winehouse stirring up a media storm with many a crazed act while in a dazed state. (The moral of the story is: Shaving your head bald or keeping a beehive mane huge enough to house real bees tends to paralyse one's celeral capailities.) Nearer home, Hon Kong star Edison Chen took the camera, er, cake, and stunned and stirred the (cyber)world with his impressive photo collections of female celebrities caught in scandalous situations. That chap really should have taken a leaf from Lust, Caution when he sent his personal computer for servicing. Luckily for Edison, the demise of comedienne Lydia Sum, after a two-year battle witn cancer, has diverted the attention of the public from his brouhaha for some time.

And in our very own backyard, 48-year-old Ah Meng also bade farewell; she passed away peacefully from old age at the zoo. the well-loved Orang Utan stirred up strong emotions in many Singaporeans who've grown up (not literally, of course, silly you!) with thia endearing national icon. No, I don't know about you, but all these izarre shake-ups and sad news exert the same effect on me like alcohol does - it saps the life out of me. Speaking of booze reminds me that I can actually lift my spirits up with a spirit or two. And since I'm on the topic of shaking and stirring, I though I'd share some tips on making cocktail connections so you could, like me, cook up an excuse to drink too.

A cocktail typically contains a mixture of ingredients like liquor, flavourings, fruit juices, sugar, honey, water, soda, milk, cream and even herbs. If you're thinking of rounding up some chums for a cocktail soiree, make sure you stock up your bar with these goodies first:

» Vodka - Smirnoff or Grey Goose are good all-rounders that go well with most liquids. Treat your friends to flavoured vodka (eg Vodka Vanilla) only if you are planning to serve it on its own. If not, plain vodka goes perfectly well with most juices and flavours.

» Rum - Bacardi is a popular choice for cocktails. You could do with other light-flavoured rums, or use spiced or dark varieties for mor intense tastes.

» Whiskey - Bourbon is a convenient option, but Jack Daniels can serve as an alternative. You can also try using Evan Williams or Jim Beam. If you're entertaining a more mature crowd, Canadian whiskey like Crown Royal or Scotch are also good choices.

» Gin - This drink doesn't seem to be as well recevied as its peers with the younger drinkers. Nonetheless, you could stock up on a bottle of Gordon's or Fleischman's just for the sake of providing variety.

» Tequila - Go for the Jose Cuervo; most of the other premium tequilas are best enjoyed on their own, and not so ideal for cocktail mixing.

» Mixers and flavourings like Grenadine, Blue Curacao and schnapps are excellent complements for classic cocktail recipes (Tequila Sunrise, Cosmopolitan, Blue Hawaiian, etc). If you want to treat your pals to martinis, make sure you have sweet and dry vermouths at hand.

» Juices serve as a base for cocktails. So get your fruity blends of peach, orange, cranberry, lemon and pineapple ready.

» Don't forget your sodas as well. Coke, lemon-lime, tonic water, and fruity delights like grapefruit and lemonade are great mixers with vodka or gin.

» Lastly, get plenty of juice and remember to use the right wares (with quantitative indicators) and kits (strainer shakers and jiggers) to avoid any alcoholic faux pas.

Meanwhile, excuse me while I resume my shaking and stirring routine, this might just help distract me from the Edison fracas for now...

u know what?? i was playing namie amuro's cant eat can't sleep i'm sick in my head ... and then i was thinking of u. and somehow ur new entry appeared in front of me. hehehhe.
» renaye on 2008-03-18 08:31:54

haha, good timing then. didn't know you were thinking of me when you were listening to NA... awww~ ~ ~
» PuNiaoPuNiao on 2008-03-18 08:37:33

remember to get that adorable toy for my bday yea.
» renaye on 2008-03-31 10:47:57

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