To see if the drinks that sounded good also tasted good, I put together and sampled about fifteen in my home. I then tried an almost equal number in a friendly area pub over the course of about a week. Interestingly, every drink that sounded good tasted good; every one, without exception. But, these five really stood out.

I found the Rasmopolitan at http://www.liclubs.com. It's a combination of 1 ounce of Stoli, a half ounce of Triple Sec, a half ounce of lime juice, and enough cranberry juice to fill a tall glass. Just mix it, strain it if you wish, and garnish with a lime wedge.

It turned out that liclubs.com also provided another of my favorites, a drink named Sex on the Beach (your guess is as good as mine). This great warm weather drink is made with pineapple juice (1 ounce), cranberry juice (1 ounce), vodka (1/2 ounce), and peach schnapps (1/2 ounce). I put everything into a shaker with a few cubes of ice and liked it enough to immediately make another.

Then there's the aptly named Creamy Root Beer I found at dreamsmixer.com. To make this simple but delicious drink, fill a frosted mug with ice cubes, pour in two ounces of Dr. Mcgillicuddy's Vanilla Schnapps, and fill to almost the top with root beer, before finishing with a teaspoon of cream.

It must be apparent by now that I'm not a beer and shot kind of guy. In fact, I'm not much of a drinker at all, but I really enjoyed the Strawberry Colada a local bartender fixed for me, following the recipe I found at frontgate.com; one and a quarter ounce of light rum, an ounce of pina colada mix, an ounce of strawberry daiquiri mix, and 1/4 of an ounce of pineapple juice. After blending and pouring, an orange slice and a cherry make an attractive, great tasting garnish.

No party or event is complete without a great alcohol free alternative, and here it is, courtesy of recipelink.com. Freeze a bowl, a 16 ounce glass, and a Butterfinger candy bar for at least 30 minutes (longer is probably better). When ready to serve, crush the candy bar into pieces and put it aside...you'll use 2/3 of it in a minute. Mix two cups of vanilla ice cream and 1/4 cup of milk in the frozen bowl until it is creamy and stir in the Butterfinger pieces. Pour the mixture into the frozen glass and serve with a spoon.

I would be very surprised if you and your family or guests don't enjoy these drinks as much as I and those who joined me in my taste tests did. If I'm wrong, I can promise you'll find lots of alternatives to suit all tastes on the internet.