Off the menu, into your glass

Tired of your usual drink? Order one of these international standard drinks. Good bartenders should know how to make them, even though, and especially when, they are not on the menu.
A Mochito, or Mojito, is made from mint leaves, orange or lime juice, Jamaican dark rum, club soda, brown sugar and Angostura bitters -- a highly concentrated food and beverage flavoring that is able to mix different aromas and improve appetite. The mint leaves are mashed for a fresh and soothing effect.

A White Russian is served in a highball. It is made from vodka, coffee liqueur and light cream. The vodka and coffee liqueur are poured over ice cubes and the light cream is then added. The drink's name is said to have a connection with the 1917 Russian revolution, when tsarist sympathizers on the White Army's side fought against the Bolshevik Red Army and the Green Army.

A Bloody Mary is made by mixing vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce -- a widely used fermented liquid for flavoring of food and drink -- and Tobasco sauce. All ingredients are shaken with ice and poured into a highball. The drink is believed to have been created by an Englishman named George Jessel in 1939. The drink is served with a wedge of lime.

A Dirty Martini is made from gin, dry vermouth, olive juice and a garnishing of olives. Ice cubes and a small amount of water are mixed into a martini glass. The glass is chilled, sometimes in a refrigerator, for a few minutes. All other ingredients, including the olive garnishing, are filled into a mixer and are stirred or shaken for three or four times before it is served.

A Whiskey Sour is made by blending whiskey, lemon juice and powdered sugar with ice. It is shaken and served over ice in a tumbler. Sometimes a dash of egg white is also used to enhance the taste. The drink is then decorated with half a lemon slice and topped with a cherry before it is served.(lva)