Classic Summer Cocktails

For those who prefer a somewhat more demure (and gender-neutral) approach to summer party-throwing, Salvatore Calabrese (Classic Cocktails) offers Classic Summer Cocktails, a practical guide to those long, languorous and decorative drinks. In addition to recipes for recognizable classics like the Mint Julep, Mojito, Salty Dog and Screwdriver (created, Calabrese tells us, in the 1950s when an American oil man stationed in Iran allegedly stirred his vodka and juice with a screwdriver), he also offers recipes of his own, like the Velvet Rosa, named after his mother in Maori. The book also includes 15 equally sexy-looking nonalcoholic drinks that will delight children and abstemious adults alike, from the indulgent mango drink Allegria (which means ""happiness"" in Italian) to the healthy Ginger Alert. The sensuous photos of these brightly colored, lavishly garnished and carefully chilled drinks should inspire potential hosts of all stripes to roll out the bar and start composing their guest lists. ( June)