Today in Cocktail Corner, we explore an exciting kitchen appliance known as The Blender. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s usually used to make smoothies and milkshakes. But why not put alcohol in your blender? There are no compelling reasons to avoid putting alcohol in your blender. It opens up a world of possibility in your exploration of the lands of liquor and liqueur (there’s a difference, dammit). Even if you don’t have a blender, a quick search on Amazon yields models priced around 20 bucks—a great investment for the young, wannabe imitators of Jay Gatsby or Mrs. Dalloway, two master party planners. And to think, they didn’t even have blenders in their days.

We’ll begin our blend-venture with a couple of basic tropical drinks that can be made simply with store-bought drink mix, ice and liquor. The margarita is traditionally made with tequila.

Remember, when you’re mixing, always cut costs by purchasing the cheapest available. If you want to be especially fancy, you can salt the rims. Margarita mix comes in many flavors, and I encourage you to try them all. Daiquiris are also great, and again, store-bought drink mix is best here. Just add cost-effective rum and ice, and you have a party. You can garnish the glass with fresh fruit in lieu of a salted rim. The strawberry daiquiri is a Caribbean classic that is extremely popular on American shores.

Next, it’s time for a game-changer: ice cream! Adding ice cream to your blended alcoholic drinks makes them more like milkshakes in texture. And, everyone loves milkshakes. Why not have the best of both worlds? One great ice cream infusion drink is a twist on a classic drink made famous by a classic movie: the White Russian. The drink of choice of The Dude (from “The Big Lebowski,” but I shouldn’t have to tell you that), a White Russian, is traditionally made with vodka, coffee liqueur and cream. We’re throwing out normal cream and using ice cream instead! Put two shots of vodka, 2.5 shots of Kahlúa and two scoops of ice cream into a blender. Then, blend and serve. If you make it with light rum instead of vodka, you’ve just made a Hummer.

Happy drinking!