A cocktail is a style of mixed drink. However, not all mixed drinks are cocktails. A cocktail usually contains one or more types of liquor and flavorings and one or more liqueurs, fruit juices, sauces, honey, milk, cream or spices, etc. The cocktail became popular with Prohibition in the United States. During Prohibition the art of mixing drinks became more and more important to mask the taste of bootlegged alcohol. The bartenders at a speakeasy would mix it with other ingredients, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. After the repeal of Prohibition, the skills developed in illegal bars became widespread and heralded the golden era of the cocktail, the 1930s. One of the oldest known cocktails, the Cognac-based Sazerac, dates from 1850s New Orleans, as many as 70 years prior to Prohibition.Until the 1970s, cocktails were made predominantly with gin, whiskey or rum, and less commonly vodka. From the 1970s on, the popularity of vodka increased dramatically, and by the 1980s it was the predominant base for mixed drinks. Many cocktails traditionally made with gin, such as the gimlet, or the martini, may now be served by default with vodka.

A few weeks ago I helped my girlfriend host a girls-only birthday party. Instead of serving a full dinner we did appetizers, wine, and a vodka cocktail. The cocktail — with a rosy-pink hue — was a definite crowd pleaser. I doubled the recipe, made the mixture in a pitcher, and shook two servings over ice.

Ashtyn Evans' recipe for that fluffy, pink, Jell-o, Cottage Cheese Salad her mom always makes at the holidays.

Great gifts for the vegetarian - Fiestaware Mugs, pink salt, bamboo boards, natural cleaning products, books, and a Patricia Wells vegetarian recipe: Asparagus Braised with Fresh Rosemary and Bay Leaves.

Aunt Brenda shares some of her good ole' homemade cake recipes that are perfect for your little girl's Easy Bake Oven. Try this Pretty Pink Princess cake and frosting and watch your young one smile with delight. Other recipes are also featured on AuntBytes.com

Made from organic fruit juices, X-Rated® Fusion is a blend of yummy flavors – mangos, passion fruits, blood oranges – not to mention French vodka. There are tons of different drinks to concoct, and the website is stocked with recipes and pictures of some of the pinkest drinks around.