Alrighty folks. I was never a big drinker before I turned 21 and I’m not particularly one now, either (its been a couple of years now). One big effect of not drinking too much in college is: I don’t know very many drink recipes or names!
So I appeal to my fellow Dopers: What are your favorite mixed drinks, and how do you make them? Even ones you just made up randomly… those are great too. Cold, hot, whatever is fair game.
Share, share! 
I don’t know of any off the top of my head, but I do know that you can subscribe to an e-mail list at crazydrinks.com, which will make you the recipient of some of the most unusual drink recipes imaginable.
Well, there’s beer, there’s shots, and there’s highballs. Heh. Highball = a shot or two plus some mixer to kill the taste. That’s my college experience.
I prefer the “red Russian”
it was discovered when I had no milk for a white russian.
White russian is:
vodka
kalua
milk
over ice.
I substitute Strawberry Yoo-Hoo for milk now.
Welcome to the wonderful world of alcohol.
My personal drink is Gin & tonic.
[ul]
[li]One oz. of gin (preferably Tanqueray).[/li][li]Six oz. of tonic water.[/li][li]Twist of lime.[/li][/ul]
Just make sure you don’t get sugar free tonic water eyuck!
And the ultimate bachelor party drink.
[ul]
[li]Four shots of everclear.[/li][li]Two shots of schnapps.[/li][/ul]Warning ice cubes will sink in this one.
Second on the gin and tonic. Simple, easy, and delicious – though the lime is absolutely essential.
I also like whiskey sours and margaritas, though I cheat and use mix. Margaritas are best with a salted rim, BTW.
Back in my college days, the fraternity where I ate used to make up dynamite Tequilla sunrises:
1 shot tequilla
1 shot gin
1 shot vodka (optional)
Orange juice to fill glass
A tablespoon or so of Grenedine syrup
Not exactly a mixed drink, but straight Russian vodka (no other nationality), well chilled, is quite an experience, especially if you drink it like the Russians do – in a water glass, and gulping, not sipping. Ab Fab was on to something. 
My favorite drink would be The Cabbage:
3 oz Irish Whiskey
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
Dash Orange Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
(Drink courtesy of Ukulele Ike).
If you’re interested in mixed drink terminology, you couldn’t do better than going to Gaudere’s mailbag answer on What’s the origin of “cocktail”? or the Comments on Mailbag Answers thread it spawned. (Oh, and Surgo, I’d recommend checking out these links before quickly dashing off a definition of a mixed drink type. There’s some mighty big fish in these waters.)
My strong drinking advice is to keep to one or two simple mixed drinks. In general, I’ll stick to beer or wine, but when I go mixed I’m a fan of the gin and tonic or scotch and water. Those wierd mixed drinks with large numbers of ingredients (particularly the sweet ones) are guaranteed to get you seriously fouled up and give you a lousy tomorrow.
Umm… I call mine rum and coke. I drink it waaaaay too often.
1oz Bacardi 151
12oz Diet Coke
Pour 151 in tall glass, add Diet Coke briskly so it mixes. Drink no more then 4 and 2 beers in 4 hour time period.
Bloody Mary, made easy:
1 shot pepper vodka (Gordon’s Pepper, Stoli Pertsovka, or Absolut Peppar)
Dash celery salt
Tomato juice to fill
If you can’t find pepper vodka:
1 shot vodka
Dash celery salt
1-3 splashes Tabasco Sauce
Tomato juice to fill
Table salt can be substituted for the celery salt. Don’t leave it out, though, it helps blend the tomato and pepper flavors.
Vera
My SO loves Midori Sours
Midori Liquor
Sweet and Sour
Sprite
Ice
A Glass
Fill glass with ice, add about an inch of Midori, then fill up to three-quaters of an inch from the top with Sweet and Sour, add Sprite.
Mine is a Gimlet
Vodka
Sweet Rose’s Lime Juice
Ice
Glass
Martini Shaker
Add Vodka and Sweet Rose’s (it MUST be Sweet Rose’s Lime juice) in a 2/3 proportion into a Martini shaker, add ice, and skae like HELL. Enjoy
-N
Scotch and water. But, it has to be at least a 12-year single malt (for me). The recipe is self-explanatory.
You add water to a single-malt!!! Pardon me, but I think I need to kick your ass now…
My favorites are:
Gibson:
Gin and a drop of vermouth (opt.) shaken with rocks , then strained into a cocktail glass. Serve with cocktail onions on a skewer as a garnish.
Gin and Tonic:
As described above.
Single-malt Highland or Islay scotch, neat:
Just an ounce or two in a glass is enough to make me happy.
Haha! Yes, I do add water - not always. I like what I like. Hey - I have seen people throw fine scotch in with coke. I will draw the line somewhere.
::shudder:: oh, the humanity!
I cannot be too snooty; I drink (cheap) scotch and OJ, which is a pretty hideous combination, I must admit. But it’s a family tradition, darnit; since I was a tot I remember the adults smuggling in empty mayo containers of scotch to mix with their OJ at 7 in the morn for our family picnics. (Alcohol was supposedly not allowed at the park, so various conatiners were utilized to get it in; one day I added a dollop from the “half-and-half” container to my coffee, only to find myself pouring a healthy shot of vodka in. MMM, good. )
I like Wild Turkey on the rocks. The ingredients are Wild Turkey and ice. The ice goes in first. The martini is a great drink as well, especially with Bombay Sapphire gin. I like them about 4:1, shaken, with two olives.
As for the matter of single-malt scotch, I have only managed to get a drink of one once (Glenlivet 12), and had it on the rocks, as that’s the way I usually drink my liquor. I soon realized the error of my ways. Straight up is the only way to go.
Wow…I think that’s as angry as I’ve ever seen Gaudy get!
Not that I don’t agree with her completely…but it’s good to see what really gets under her skin.
I dont know if it has a name, but a friend of mine introduced me to:
a shot of vodka
a dash of blackcurrant syrup
Sprite to the top of the glass
Ive heard that the way to tell if an Irish bar is truly an Irish bar is if they know what youre talking about if you ask for a snakebite and black:
1/2 lager
1/2 cider
topped with blackcurrant
I have yet to try one, but Im told it looks and tastes like a pink lollipop, and that you dont notice how much alcohol it contains until youve had number seven and you throw up through your nose. Thanks, I’ll take your word on that.
The best Whiskey Sour:
1 part sugar syrup ( which is 1 part sugar, 1 part water, boil for 5 minutes )
1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 part Canadian or American Whiskey
Add to shaker filled with ice. Shake, pour over ice. Add 1 maraschino cherry. Drink. Repeat.
Trust me, the sugar syrup is worth making and keeping in the fridge. You can make a bunch at a time and keep it for a long time.
I’d have to second the people who are calling for gin & tonics. They’re also very yummy.
And, of course, the all time best summer beer in existence: Left Hand Weiss. Add a slice of lemon if you’re feeling giddy.