With the Year of the Dragon officially upon us, it's an auspicious time to try out some new drinks. Mixologists from Canada to Hong Kong have been shaking up dragon-themed drinks in honor of the new year. Here are a few you can make at home, and a bit of inspiration if you feel like experimenting.

Happy Dragon

This drink from Boulder Locavore tastes fresh and light, and converts easily to a non-alcoholic drink -- just leave out the vodka!

• 1 to 1 1/2 ounce of ginger-infused vodka
• Juice of 2 tangerines
• A splash of lychee fruit syrup
• Ginger ale

Fill an 8 ounce flute with ice. In a separate glass, mix the vodka, tangerine juice and lychee syrup. Pour into the flute, then fill to the top with ginger ale. Garnish with a lychee fruit on a skewer.

Rising Dragon

This fruity martini comes out light red, giving it the added benefit of warding off bad spirits.

• 1/2 ounce of passionfruit liqueur (such as Alizé)
• 1 1/2 ounces of organic vodka
• 2 lime wedges or 1/4 ounce of lime juice
• 1 ounce of cranberry juice

Shake all the ingredients with ice, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime or lemon wedge.

Green Dragon

There are plenty of drinks calling themselves the "green dragon," and you can certainly pick your poison. One Green Dragon recipe calls for Midori Sour and champagne; another is a mix of chartreuse and cognac. Here's a slightly more complex one with a cool flavor.

• 1/2 ounces of caraway liqueur
• 1/2 ounce of green crème de menthe
• 1 1/2 ounces of gin
• juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 4 dashes of orange bitters

Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Inspiration: The Nine Dragons

Aussie Mixologist Ben Davidson just created a series of nine dragon-themed cocktails for the InterContinental Hong Kong (three of which are pictured above). The ingredients are here, but you'll have to experiment with methods and mixes. Have fun, but please don't dragon and drive!

image: Intercontinental Hong Kong.