The prospect of ordering a cocktail used to evoke a cold sense of dread from many of the ZOO team.

Often forced upon us during a "date night" with the missus, it'd lead to a slow retreat from the bar grasping a hot pink liquid and a memory we're desperate to forget.

However, since cult favourite Mad Men made its way across the pond, cocktails have been given a distinctly manly makeover.

To find out what all the fuss is about, we invited the team from Bacardi to convince us that we should trade in our usual beverages for a more adventurous tipple. Armed with their newly launched spiced rum, Bacardi Oakheart, we made sure we sampled the full menu (all in the name of investigative journalism, obviously). We can tell you now that they made a pretty persuasive argument.

We’ve put together a selection of our favourite cocktails for blokes below (don't worry, there’s not a paper umbrella in sight).

Bacardi Oakheart is available at all leading grocery stores, Yates, Scream Bars, Green Man Pubs and the Soho House venues. For more recipes check out www.bacardi.com