Cocktails are usually served as appetizers or aperitifs, before a meal. Such cocktails should therefore be tart or 'dry' to stimulate appetite.

Being mostly liquor with only a small part of flavoring or sweetening, such cocktails are of course more potent. There are times when sweeter cocktails are suitable: when your guests are not regular drinkers there should be more emphasis on fruit juices and sweetening.

Any cocktail recipe can be modified to suit your taste and that of your guests.

Sophisticated drinkers, as suggested above, like a lot of liquor and only a touch of flavoring; unsophisticated drinkers the other way around.

Most cocktails are at their best ice-cold: they should be shaken or stirred vigorously with ice-cubes (cracked or shaved ice is even better) and served promptly in thin, clean, stemmed glasses. Chilled glasses are an added refinement. Cocktails like Martinis and Manhattans which contain only liquors, may be stirred vigorously with a rod or long spoon. Cocktails which contain fruit juices or eggs should be shaken in a cocktail shaker.

Vodka may be substituted for gin in any recipe.

Cocktails should not be made in advance if you can help yourself. If all your ingredients are lined up beforehand, the actual making is a very quick - and pleasantly social - process.