WHEN the curtain rises on Breakfast At Tiffany’s and Anna Friel steps into the limelight as New York socialite Holly Golightly - so will that exquisite of drinks, the classic cocktail.

In the 1961 screen version starring Audrey Hepburn, Golightly’s favourite tipple was "One-half vodka, one-half gin, no vermouth."

"The Holly Golightly" is a slightly sweeter affair and premiered on September 29 at The Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Created by bartender Adam McGurk from Sosho Bar, his winning mixology in the "Hunt for Holly" cocktail competition stole the Chambord crown from six other finalists and to steal a quote from Golightly, "Oh, golly gee, damn!"

In other words darlings, it’s very good.

So, little black dresses a la Hepburn at the ready ... here’s the delicious infusion for you to try at home.

THE HOLLY GOLIGHTLY

2 orange slices

1 pink grapefruit slice

2 dashes of Fee Brothers grapefruit bitters

15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

15ml Earl Grey tea syrup

10ml sweet vermouth

25ml Chambord black raspberry liqueur

Place the orange, grapefruit slices, bitters, lemon juice and tea syrup in a mixing glass. Muddle ingredients to extract juices and oils from fruit to create a base sauce. Pour in sweet vermouth and Chambord. Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and fine strain into a chilled Martini glass. (Chambord, £16.45 70cl, Sainsbury’s and major retailers)

Talent spotters looking for an understudy to Chambord should try shaking with Croft Pink Port. The gorgeous raspberry, cherry, grapefruit and honey flavours make this an ideal base ingredient for enthusiastic beginners who want to create a lip-smacking cocktail.

SPICED PORTUGAL

Muddle some melon chunks with half a chilli (without seeds) to extract the juice and mix with a large measure of Croft Pink. Stir the cocktail with a few ice cubes and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a slice of melon. (Croft Premium Port, £9.99, Asda and major retailers)

Sophisticated mixologists won’t mind hanging up their evening gloves for the tall, dark and handsome Smirnoff Black.

Created to celebrate the Smirnoff Black Most Stylish Award given to David Walliams at the 2009 GQ Men of the Year Awards, this masculine cocktail has a hint of ginger and liquorice with a distinctively silky finish.

SMIRNOFF BLACK MOST STYLISH 40ml Smirnoff Black vodka

15ml Stones Green Ginger Wine

5ml Gomme

6 drops of Bob’s Liquorice Bitters

Stir down for a minute, then strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. (Smirnoff Black, £16.99 70cl, major retailers)

Cocktail connoisseurs won’t be surprised to hear that Tanqueray No Ten has a place of honour in the World Spirits Hall of Fame. Voted "Best White Spirit" three years in a row, it’s distilled four times to guarantee an unrivalled standard of smoothness. To add some gloss and sparkle to your martini, try this high roller.

PERFECT TANQUERAY NO.TEN MARTINI

60ml Tanqueray No.Ten gin

7.5 ml Noilly Prat Vermouth

Fill cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and stir in both liquids slowly for two minutes to ensure the martini is chilled and well diluted, double strain and serve in a frozen martini glass. Garnish with grapefruit peel.

Bang! Four sexy cocktails that are fresh, eye catching, and most importantly, mask the hidden dynamite.

Tiffany’s and pearls aside , there’s nothing quite so enjoyable as sipping on a cocktail.

BEST BUYS

I wannabe a rock star! Rock chicks can now go from catwalk to cocktail culture with the new leather and studs Absolut Rock Edition (£14.99, leading supermarkets). Part of their "In An ABSOLUT World, You Rock" campaign, this baby unzipped could be the closest thing many of us will get to ego-driven diva demands and outlandish behaviour!

Mouth-watering margaritas! To sip and savour the ultimate margarita, you need the finest tequila ... step in Mexico’s Don Julio. Made from the blue agave plant, this clear tequila has a distinctive, rich taste and as far as the cocktail revolution goes, it’s not just for shots. Don Julio Tequila Blanco (£31.99, www.whiskyexchange.com)

LIQUID NEWS

Material girls looking for their signature cocktail will be spoilt for choice when they flick through the saucy pages of "Cocktails & Rock Tales, 200 Drinks to Shake, Rattle & roll With" by Jane Rocca (published by Hardie Grant, £9.99, available October 5). Whatever your taste in music, rock journalist Rocca has created the ultimate guide to finding the right spirit for every soundtrack. From Pop goddess, to Punk rebel to sweet Country girl ... one of my favourite’s is Lady Killer which comes under the Soul playlist - here’s the tipple to try at home.

LADY KILLER

3 Strawberries

15ml vodka

15ml black raspberry liqueur

Dash of sugar syrup

Splash of prosecco

Muddle the strawberries in shaker. Add vodka, liqueur and sugar syrup and shake. Double-strain into a Champagne flute over prosecco.

Destination Demijohn! A quirky new liquid deli has arrived in York, much to the delight of local residents, tourists and the Lord Mayor who presided over the grand opening. Demijohn offers a journey of discovery for customers who can taste their delicious liqueurs and spirits (stored in huge, glass demijohns), making a visit to the shop better than going to your local bar. Selling predominantly British-made, I love the sound of Gooseberry Gin from Cheshire, Organic Elderflower Vodka from Somerset and Butterscotch Cream Liqueur from Devon. (Demijohn, 11 Museum Street, York, www.demijohn.co.uk).