I enjoy a drink and I particularly like cocktails, though I've not made them for ages. Certainly not for 30 years!
What should I have in my kitchen cupboard to get me going again? I have nothing so grand as a cocktail cabinet, I'm afraid.
I have already this entirely random mixture of bottles (the spirits are all very ordinary, so very suitable for mixing into cocktails):
Whisky
Brandy
Gin
Bacardi
Grappa
Campari
Noilly Prat
Cinzano Extra Dry
Marsala wine
Fino sherry
Peroni beer
French cider
Ginger wine
Blue curaçao
Galliano
Cassis
Grenadine syrup
Tabasco
Celery salt
Also a bottle of Champagne (a present for my 65th birthday but not special)
And Jingjiu, a totally and I mean totally undrinkable spirit which I bought in China when I was working there!
I also have an electric juicer, which I hardly ever use but which works well, and an excellent open air market nearby where oranges, pineapples, red grapes, green grapes, mangoes, papaya, lemons, kiwi fruit, apples, grapefruit, pears etc etc are all very cheap and available.
And I have a cocktail shaker, a Christmas present from way back.
I particularly fancy fruit juice based cocktails, I love coconut, they'll be healthier, won't they (ha ha!) I love whisky sours. I can't stand even the smell of vodka, so please don't suggest Bloody Marys etc. despite me having celery salt in my cupboard.
The price of Angostura Bitters I noticed in my local large supermarket this evening is currently £6.49 a bottle! So I need to prioritise, so most important purchase first please!
The only cocktails I can spot lurking in the list of ingredients above are Whisky Mac (am drinking one now!), a classic Martini (which never really excites me) and/or Kir Royale (hmm, I prefer plain Champagne, who wouldn't!)
Over to you
i) what do I buy next to start me off
ii) which cocktails will I end up making (and loving!)
I know there are lots of websites out there dully listing cocktails, but its your personal knowledge and experience (that's what grans and gramps are good at isn't it?) that I'm after 
For extra special occasions, and when alternative transport is available for our pals, we have discovered a group-liking for:
a cube of brown sugar..soak with a few drops of Angostura Bitters...pour over a single measure of brandy and top with the nearest thing to Champagne that we can afford. 
Soop , you go girl !! 
Isthis. Blow me down with a feather duster , just scrolled back and read your drink list . 
Bet you know how to throw a good party !
Thanks for recipe for Mojito .
Cheers Nonu! Looks good doesn't it? Maybe one for the weekend, I love mint and the big pot of it on my balcony hasn't yet pegged out in the autumn cold
OOOHHH ! Dare we ???
No white rum. In fact, no rum!
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