It's a fact, proven by the sea of hot-pink Cosmopolitans ordered at bars from coast to coast: women are now bona-fide drink trendsetters, and they drink differently than men. This lively look at female cocktail culture, packed with dozens of recipes for all manner of mixed drinks, can easily become a girl's best friend-especially if she's got a cocktail shaker and a handful of pals nearby to sip her snazzy libations while dishing some juicy dirt. But The Cocktail Jungle has so much more to offer. In fact, it's a veritable primer of different bar situations and styles, with humorous guides to the features, behaviors, and drinks one can expect to find in each. From the Singapore Slings and Zombies typical of karaoke bars, to classics like sidecars and gimlets, best ordered in sophisticated hotel lounges, this is an essential guide to modern cocktail culture. Nicole Beland, a former senior editor at Cosmopolitan and Mademoiselle magazines, lives in Brooklyn, New York.