Rum Drinks

• Because of rum's sugarcane-derived flavor and tropical origins, it's often used to make sweet, iced drinks during the summer. The mai tai is made with both dark and amber rum, combined with orange juice, triple sec, lime juice, sugar and grenadine, for a tangy, fruit-flavored cocktail. Similarly, the hurricane combines light and dark rum with passion fruit and lime juice. For frozen drinks such as the daiquiri, fresh fruits are mixed with light rum and crushed ice in a blender.

Vodka Drinks

• One of the most recognizable vodka drinks is the vodka martini, which contains ice-cold vodka and a splash of vermouth, served in a chilled cocktail glass and often garnished with an olive. For a three-olive martini, the garnish is tripled, while in a dirty martini, juice from the jar of olives is added to the drink. For simple two-part vodka cocktails, serve it over ice with a splash of soda or tonic water, or simply dilute it with water and serve with a lemon or lime garnish.

Drinks with Rum and Vodka

• Despite their separate, distinctive tastes, those in the mood for a stronger cocktail can combine the two spirits in a number of different cocktails. The Long Island iced tea is made with both light rum and vodka, in addition to gin, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, sugar and a splash of cola. This cocktail resembles tea more in appearance than taste, but it's similarly garnished with a lemon wedge. For a simpler combination of rum and vodka, there's the blue mountain cocktail, which also includes orange juice and Tia Maria liqueur.

Rum and Vodka Substitutions

• Vodka can be substituted for rum, or vice versa, in a number of cocktails. A substitution may necessitate a name change. A rum buck is made using rum, ginger syrup and soda water (or ginger beer). When you replace the rum with vodka, the drink becomes a vodka buck, or as it's more frequently known, a Moscow mule. This drink originated in the 1940s and is credited with introducing a number of Americans to vodka.