Funky cocktails.

• Position: What's New?

We admit it. We're not so keen on summer--with one notable exception. We just love the exotic, tasty, and thoroughly refreshing lineup of funky drinks that inevitably make an appearance as soon as the days grow longer and the thermometer shoots upward. Of course, with vodka being the top-selling alcoholic beverage in America, that's a good place to start. Van Gogh Vodka, from Luctor International, Reno, Nev., has a new line of Coconut, Pineapple, and Melon vodkas that are sure to be a hit at barbecues and cocktail bashes. The makers of Van Gogh maintain, with more than a little justification, that it "is the ultimate ... choice for martinis because the flavors are blended early in the distillation process, creating a highly refined vodka with smooth, bold, and true fruit tastes." They also make vodka-based liqueurs produced from the same fruit- and alcohol-based ingredients as the vodkas, allowing you to create stylish and delicious martinis with just two ingredients. Our two favorites from Van Gogh's drink menu: the Coco Almond Joy and Pineapple White Cosmopolitan martinis. Of a more traditional bent is the Pernod Richard USA-imported Wyborowa Single Estate, which is encased in an extraordinary bottle designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Although commonly associated with Russia, vodka was first produced in 14th-century Polish monasteries. (Wyborowa means "exquisite vodka" in Polish.) During the 19th century--1823 to be exact--a new form of distillation...