Mixing drinks is an art that can be mastered if you pay attention to a few important details. Here are some steps that will help you become a master cocktail maker:

Start with perfectly clean glassware. Choose the correct size and shape of glass for the drink. Hand washing and drying them with a clean, lint-free towel gives the most sparkling results.

Use the highest-quality liquor you can afford without going into premium brands that are best sipped alone.

Use fresh lemons, limes and other fruit for mixing and garnishes.

Use bottled water for mixing and making ice if your tap water doesn't taste good.

Chill glasses well, either by placing it in the refrigerator until cold or by filling glasses with crushed ice while mixing the drink.

Don't splash more alcohol into a drink than the formula calls for - it may throw off the taste.

Blend, Shake, Layer or Stir

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker or mixer in this order: fruit juices, liquor followed by other ingredients. Always use a jigger to measure liquor.

Shake or stir the drink, then pour it into a cocktail glass to serve "straight up."

Add ice, then liquor, then mixer when using a blender. The alcohol melts the ice, making it easier to blend.

It is good to add ice if a frozen drink is too thin or mixer if it's too thick. Use cracked or cubed for stirred or shaken drinks; crushed or shaved for frozen drinks.

Shake 4 to 5 times when using crushed ice and 8 to 10 times when using cracked ice. (Avoid over shaking as it melts the ice too much and waters down your drinks.)

Make sure to garnish while serving

Use orange slice and a cherry to make a flag. Cut fruit slices about 1/4-inch thick with a slit cut toward the center so the slice can rest on the rim of the glass (use fresh or refrigerated fruits for this).

Make a twist by slicing only the colored part of the rind of a lemon, lime or orange.

Pour drinks as soon as you make them. At the end of the party, it is advisable to add a little lemon juice to the water when washing glasses, to help keep spotting to a minimum. Dry glasses as soon as you wash them.
Warning: When consuming alcohol, be restrained. Do not drink and drive.