Enjoy variations of classic cocktails while learning the re-emerging art of muddling.

Gone are the days of powdered bar mix and maraschino cherries. Today’s ambitious bartenders squeeze only fresh juice and don’t garnish with manufactured fruit. They create delicious tasting and beautifully looking cocktails by muddling, a century-old technique whereby fresh fruit and herbs are mashed together to extract their truest flavour. Mojitos, Mint Juleps and Bellinis have all seen a renaissance of late, and for good reason. They’re simple cocktails with few ingredients that turn an ordinary summer afternoon into something memorable (we hope!), but that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with new versions of these classic cocktails.

An array of delicious beverages, all perfect for toasting Mom

Do you leave your favourite magazines open to the page of that new handbag you covet, or those throw pillows you want? Do you drop diamond-stud hints a month before your birthday? Is your Christmas wish list front-and-centre on the fridge? Then why should Mother’s Day be any different? Chances are you’ve already had a hand in designing the menu for your Sunday brunch, so why not impose your will a teensy-weensy bit further and choose the cocktails too? Seriously, what would they do without you?

These tasty drinks will help make your party a smash hit.

Stumped for a great bevy to serve at that cocktail party you’ve been too busy to plan? Or do you need a special drink to entice your guests’ palates on Christmas Eve? Try one of these classics; unlike that iPod case you got last year, these never go out of style.

Chances are you’re doing some entertaining over the next couple of weeks and it’s always a great idea to greet your guests with a house cocktail (at least to start the evening) rather than offering to cork a bottle of wine or pop a beer. Why not offer your guests a velvety smooth glass of homemade eggnog instead? And we’re not talking the store-bought kind with a jigger of rum added to it — though that also has its place.

We’re talking about whole eggs whisked into a frenzy with sugar and vanilla until they’re light and airy. Stirring in whole milk and heavy cream until the mixture is silken and heavenly. Then ratchet up the adult enjoyment factor by adding a boozy concoction of cognac, rum and rye (we’re good-ol’ Canadian boys after all). Chill until you’re ready to serve, then top each glass with that sweet peppery kick of freshly grated nutmeg.