It’s that time of year again, kiddies of the legal-drinking-age persuasion. It’s time to mix up tall glasses of cold beverages with a kick. Here’s a few to get your juices going. We’ll start with a handful of spiked lemonades.

Pink Lemonade

In a tall glass, combine:
6 ice cubes
2-3 dashes Angostura or Peychaud’s bitters
8 oz. lemonade
1 jigger (1.5 oz) dry gin (Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire)
Club soda to fill

Stir to mix, garnish with a mint sprig.

Berry-ade

In a tall glass, place:
A generous layer of raspberries, sliced strawberries, or blackberries macerated overnight with sugar

In a cocktail shaker, shake with ice until cold:
10 oz. lemonade
2 oz vodka (citron or limon optional)
1 sprig of mint, bruised or torn

Pour, ice and all, over berries. Garnish with sugared lemon slice.

Cucumber Refresher

In a tall glass, muddle:
2-3 slices of cucumber
1 sprig of basil

In a cocktail shaker, shake with ice until cold:
10 oz. lemonade
2 oz. Hendrick’s gin

Pour iced liquid over cukes/basil. Garnish with cucumber slice.

Sunny-V-Lite

In a cocktail shaker, shake with ice:
6 oz. orange juice
4 oz. limeade
2 oz. citrus-flavored vodka

Serve in tall glass with an orange or tangerine wheel.

Who can forget the Gin and Tonic?

Place 3-4 ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass, add a jigger of dry gin (your preference). Squeeze in the juice from a small lime wedge, then toss the wedge in the glass. Top up with tonic water, stir, and sip. For a variation on the theme, use bitter lemon (tonic with lemon juice) instead of plain tonic water. Repeat as necessary.

And a simple, manly classic, the Whiskey Highball

Fill tall glass with ice, add 2 oz of your favorite American whiskey (bourbon, rye, Canadian blended if you must), top off with club soda, stir, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Enjoy!