Cocktails Flashcards
Ancestral Cocktails
Mostly, the first cocktails
Composed of a spirit, sugars, bitters, and water (ice) — such as Sazerac or Old Fashioned
This family is based on structure, not origin/history. These are ancestors because they are the foundation for others
Spirit-Forward Cocktails
Have an ancestral base and include vermouth.
Ex - Manhattan, Martini, Negroni, Bijou
Spirit-Forward Cocktails with Juice
Incorporate a non-sour juice without a sugar syrup to balance it (ex. Blood and Sand).
Orange Juice is common. Pineapple juice cocktails usually are better classified as tropical.
Sours
Cocktails that rely on the balance of lemon and/or lime juice with a sugar syrup.
Ex. Daiquiri, Margarita, Corpse Reviver #2, Last Word
Sours are some of the oldest cocktails — even predating the ancestral family.
Key to these is balance between sweet and tart which can be achieved through sugar/citrus balance sometimes the a spirit is used in addition to the sugar portion to balance.
Duos and Trios
Spirit and Liqueur based cocktails.
Ex. Godfather, Rusty Nail
What makes a duo into a trio cocktail?
The addition of milk, cream, or a cream liqueur
Ex. Alexander, White Russian
Sparkling Wine Cocktails
Incorporate a Sparkling Wine
Ex. Bellini, Champagne Cocktail, Old Cuban, French 75
Highballs, Fizzes, and the Collins
Ex. Presbyterian, Dark and Stormy, Harvey Walbanger, Long Island Ice Tea
Juleps and Smashes
Cocktails that combine mint, spirit, and sugar with a large amount of ice.
Citrus is often prohibited, so the modern recipe for a Whiskey Smash will be classified as a sour.
Hot Drinks
Ex. Hot Toddy, Tom and Jerry, and Irish Coffee
Flips and Nogs
Cocktails with whole egg (flip) milk or cream (nog)
What differentiates a flip from a nog?
Flips contain whole egg, while nogs add milk or cream.
What is often prohibited within the Smash/Julep category?
Citrus
Tropical Cocktails
Cocktails featuring tropical ingredients
Ex. everything tiki, Algonquin, Singapore Sling
Pousse-Cafe
Generally any layered cocktail.
In the 19th century, these were proprietary concoctions; today, the only well-known ones are the sweet shots of the disco era
History of Pousse-Café
Translates to coffee pusher
Traditionally consumed after a coffee like an amaro, but now is represented mostly by the sweet shots of the disco era
Cobblers
The adult snow cones
Defined as a base spirit/fortified wine with sugar served in a glass packed with crushed (cobbled) ice
Ex. Absinthe Frappé
Cobbler garnish
Originally simple pieces of fruit, but are now usually fruit syrups/mixtures at the bottom and on top of the cocktail
Bloody(s)
Bloody Mary and all of its variations, Bull Shot
Beer- and Cider- Based Cocktails
Ex. Black Velvet, Cold Duck, Shandy
Wine-Based Cocktails
Ex. Sangria (table wine)
Bamboo, Adonis (Fortified wine)
Milk-Based Cocktails
Milk + Liqueur
Ex. Grasshopper
Difference between a Trio and a Milk-Based Cocktail
Trio contains a spirit while Milk-Based uses a liqueur only
Americano (Specs)
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
Soda Water
Serve over ice
Glass depends on amount of soda water
Garnish with Orange Slice
Americano (History)
First served at Caffé Campari in the 1860s under the name Milano-Torino (to identify the origin of the Campari and sweet vermouth).
Renamed Americano for Primo Carnera, the Italian boxer who was the first non-American to win the US heavyweight boxing championship
Original Vermouth in an Americano?
Punt y Mes (originally made in Turin by the Carpano family, but was purchased by Fernet Branca in 2001)
How much soda is used in an Americano?
Can be a splash or can be built more long. Based on guest preference.
Old Fashioned (Specs)
2 oz Spirit (Typically American Whiskey)
2 Dashes of Bitters
1 Sugar Cube
Add enough water to sugar cube to dissolve with muddling. Add bitters and spirits, stir with ice, and strain over fresh ice.
Glass - Thick bottom Old Fashioned Glass
Garnish - Orange Swatch
Old Fashioned (History)
Old Fashioned and bitters themselves are considered by many to be the origin of the cocktail in America.
Sometimes it was referred to as a toddy or a bitter sling.
Always began with a sugar cube and a healthy amount of water to dissolve the sugar, but base spirit wasn’t always whiskey (Gin, Rum, Brandy were also common)
Bitters, classically
Were more of proprietary recipes. Akin to what is now known as decanter bitters.
They were a secret mix of spices and botanicals that had been steeped in rum.
Bitters would be topped off with additional spirits/bitter-ing agents in an almost solera method
Rumored origin of more modern Old Fashioned
In the 1930s, it was rumored there was a misprint in a cocktail book, which resulted in a different cocktails garnish being printed under an Old Fashioned. Thus the iteration using orange wedges, maraschino cherries, and ginger ale began.
This variation remained popular through the 20th century.
Examples of Ancestral cocktails
Americano
Old Fashioned
Pink Gin
Sazerac
Pink Gin (Specs)
2 oz Plymouth Gin
3-4 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Garnish - Lemon twist (optional)
Pink Gin (History)
Generally considered to have been created by members of the British Royal Navy in the middle of the 19th century.
By the 1870s, it became a popular cocktail throughout the UK
Sazerac (Specs)
2 oz Sazerac Rye Whiskey
5 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Splash of Absinthe
Half of a Sugar Cube
Chill the low ball glass with ice water. Muddle the sugar cube and a splash of water in a mixing glass. Empty low ball and rinse with absinthe. (Residual water in glass should cause the absinthe to loosh and become more aromatic). Add whiskey, bitters, and the lemon peel to the mixing glass with the muddled sugar and bitters and stir with ice to chill. Strain into the absinthe rinsed lowball glass.
Glass - Lowball
Sazerac (History)
1850 - Sewell Taylor sold his Merchant Exchange Coffee House to Aaron Bird so that he could begin an import business. One of Taylor’s imported products was Sazerac de Forge et Fils Cognac. Bird purchased bitters from Antopin Peychaud’s apothecary, and Cognac from Taylor and served the Sazerac in his newly re-named Sazerac Coffee House.
Originally made with Cognac, it transitioned to Rye Whiskey in 1870 after Thomas Handy purchased the Sazerac Coffee House. Originally a split base of Cognac-Rye, it shortly became one of Rye and Absinthe.
What cocktail is known as the first branded cocktail?
Sazerac
Taylor’s Sazerac de Forge et Fils Cognac + Antopin Peychaud’s bitters + Aaron Bird’s Sazerac Coffee House (originally Merchant Exchange Coffee House) = Sazerac
What caused the transition from Cognac to Rye in the Sazerac?
Phylloxera was an epidemic in France, and the Cognac prices were rising. Originally, the cocktail became a split base of Cognac and Rye before becoming one of Rye and Absinthe.
What changed about the Sazerac in 1912?
1912 brought the US Absinthe ban, so it was replaced by anise flavored liqueurs.
Evolution of the Sazerac
Cognac, Peychaud’s
Cognac, Rye, Peychaud’s,
Rye, Absinthe, Peychaud’s
Rye, Anise Liqueur, Peychaud’s
(Originally called for water when muddling the sugar cube, but today many bartenders utilize the bitters instead)
Lemon peel is used as a garnish or as an ingredient when stirring
Examples of Beer and Cider based cocktails
Black and Tan
Black Velvet
Shandy
Black and Tan (Specs)
Layered Pale Beer (usually Pale Ale) and a dark beer (usually a Stout) in a Pint Glass
What is a Black and Tan called in Ireland? Why?
Half and Half
Black and Tan is the nickname of the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force that were sent into Ireland in the early 1920s during the Irish War of Independence. This resulted in violent outbreaks between the forces and the Irish people.
Black and Tan (History)
Likely originated in England, where customers have been blending beers since at least the 17th century.
“Three-threads” or “Five-threads” where each thread was a beer type that was blended into the drink.
The tradition of blending beers began as a way for ale houses to turn a profit as stronger beers were taxed at a higher rate. So these stronger beers were mixed with others that were taxed at a lower-rate.
Black Velvet (Specs)
Blend of Champagne and Guinness Irish Stout.
Champagne is poured first, then topped with Guinness.
Served in a Champagne flute or a coupe
(Cider being substituted for Champagne has become popular)
Black Velvet (History)
Was Created in response to the 1861 death of Prince Albert (husband/consort of Queen Victoria of Britain)
“Even the Champagne should be in mourning, dressed in all black.”
Shandy (Specs)
Half Beer/Cider mixed with a lemon or lemon-lime flavored beverage which may or may not be carbonated
In the UK, it is either ordered as a bitter shandy (50/50 bitter beer and fizzy lemonade) or a lager shandy (Lager and fizzy lemonade)
Radner
50/50 mix of Beer and a lemon flavored soda like Sprite
Bloody Mary (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Vodka
4 oz Tomato Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
3 dashes Tabasco
3 dashes Worcestershire
Salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste
Celery salt, to taste
Build the drink in a mixing glass and roll with ice to mix and chill
Glass - Highball Glass
Garnish - Celery stick (mandatory, but other optional garnishes are possible)
This recipe lists the most common components, variations are common with everyone making it differently.
Bloody Mary (History)
A few differed people claim to have developed this cocktail. Fernando Petiot originally claimed to have created it in 1921 at the New York Bar in Paris (before it became Harry’s New York Bar)
According to the St. Regis Hotel in New York where he later bartended, he merely initiated the modern Bloody Mary. The simple vodka and tomato juice mixture was already a known drink served at the 21 club.
Bull Shot (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Vodka
3 oz Beef broth
1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt, to taste
Build the drink in an ice-filled glass. Stir gently
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Lime Wedge
Variations exist — some add Worcestershire and Tabasco, black pepper, celery salt, and even tomato juice, making the cocktail more akin to the Bloody Mary.
Bull Shot (History)
Also known as the Bloody Bull Shot, Smirnoff claims to be the creator. Appeared sometime between 1949 and 1956
Examples of Cobblers
Absinthe Frappé
Sherry Cobbler
Absinthe Frappé (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Absinthe
1/2 oz Sugar syrup
6-8 mint leaves
Muddle mint at the bottom of the glass, add absinthe and sugar syrup on top, and pack full with crushed ice
Glass - Frappé, absinthe, or Old Fashioned glass
Garnish - Mint and a Straw
Absinthe Frappé (History)
Created and first served at the Old Absinthe House in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1874. The Old Absinthe house was patronized by the likes of Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, and General Robert E Lee.
Prepared as a cobbler, it was essentially a riff on the traditional absinthe serve of 4 parts water to one part absinthe.
Sherry Cobbler (Specs)
3 1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry
1/2 tbsp sugar
2-3 orange slices
Muddle the orange slices and sugar at the bottom of the serving glass. Add the sherry on top and cover with crushed (cobbled) ice
Glass - Cobbler or Old Fashioned
Garnish - Various citrus fruits and berries. Always serve with a straw
Endless variations with different fruits, blends of sherrys, bitters, vermouths, liqueurs that can be added.
Shaking is not recommended as you’ll water down the sherry.
Straw is essential so the cocktail can be enjoyed in layers from the bottom up.
Examples of Duos and Trios
Alexander Cocktail
Black Russian
Corn ‘n’ Oil
God Mother
God Father
Rusty Nail
Stinger
Alexander Cocktail (Specs)
3/4 oz VS Cognac
3/4 oz White Crème de Cacao
3/4 oz Cream
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Garnish - Grated nutmeg
Alexander Cocktail (History)
First documentation was in 1910. Originally called for 3 parts rye and one part Benedictine served over one ice cube.
Variations of the Alexander Cocktail
No 1 - 2 parts gin and one part each of crème de cacao and cream
No 2 (Brandy Alexander) - equal parts VS Cognac, white crème de cacao, and cream
Alexander’s Sister - equal parts gin, crème de menthe and cream (Not likely garnished with Nutmeg)
Black Russian (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Vodka
3/4 oz Kahlùa liqueur
Pour ingredients over ice
Glass - Lowball
Black Russian (History)
Born in Belgium at the Hotel Monopole in Brussels. Allegedly created for the American ambassador to Luxembourg.
Variations of Black Russian
Dirty, Tall, or Australian - adds Cola in a highball glass
Black Magic - adds squeeze and twist of lemon
Black Irish Russian - Adds a head of Guinness
White Russian - Adds cream or milk
Different coffee liqueurs or flavored vodkas are also possible
Corn ‘n’ Oil (Specs)
2 oz Blackstrap rum (such as Cruzan)
1/2 oz Velvet falernum
1/4 oz lime juice
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
Build over ice
Glass - Old Fashioned
Garnish - Lime wedge
Rum substitutions are difficult to find one that performs the same.
Cruzan’s blackstrap is made by using a 2 year old light rum with dark molasses added
Not meant to be shaken, meant to be enjoyed like an Old Fashioned
God Mother (Specs)
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Amaretto liqueur
Pour over ice and stir briefly to mix the two ingredients
Glass - Double rocks glass
Variations on a God Father
God Father (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Scotch whisky
3/4 oz amaretto
Pour ingredients over ice and stir gently to mix
Glass - Old Fashioned
Can be made sweeter by making cocktail equal parts instead
God Father (History)
Unknown, but Disaronno claims it was the favorite cocktail of Marlon Brando. First appeared as the Tiki era ended and the Disco era began.
God Father Variations
God Mother - Vodka is substituted for Scotch
French Connection - Cognac is substituted
Rusty Nail (Specs)
2 oz Blended Scotch Whisky
1 oz Drambuie
Stir with ice and strain into and ice-filled glass
Glass - Old Fashioned
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Stinger (Specs)
2 oz Brandy
1 oz White Créme de menthe
Stir with ice in a mixing glass and strain
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Stinger (History)
Thought to be derived from a cocktail known as The Judge (Brandy, simple syrup and crème de menthe). Was a popular upper class cocktail from the 1890s through the 1970s.
Stinger Variations
Occasionally swapped to equal parts brandy and white crème de menthe
Amaretto stinger - Brandy is replaced by Amaretto
Mexican stinger - Brandy is replaced by Tequila
White Spider - More mint forward drink based on vodka and crème de menthe
Examples of Flips and Nogs
Egg Nog
Rum Flip
Examples of Highballs, Fizzes, and Collins
Collins
Dark ‘n’ Stormy
Gin Fizz
Gin Mule
Gin Rickey
Greyhound
Harvey Wallbanger
Horse’s Neck
Long Island Iced Tea
Madras
Moscow Mule
Paloma
Pimm’s Cup
Presbyterian
Ramos Gin Fizz
Screwdriver
Sea Breeze
Collins (Specs)
2 oz Bourbon or Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Chilled club soda
Shake the spirit, lemon juice, and syrup with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with club soda.
Glass - Highball or Collins
Garnish - Orange slice or cherry
Collins (Variations )
John Collins is often served with bourbon or another American whiskey
Tom Collins - original recipe used Genever so when Old Tom Gin was introduced the Tom Collins was born.
It is technically correct for a Tom Collins to be made with only Old Tom gin and all variations of other gins or whiskeys to be called a John Collins.
Dark ‘n’ Stormy
2 oz Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
1/2 oz lime juice (optional)
Ginger beer
Build the drink over ice
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Garnish with lime wedge
Dark ‘n’ Stormy (History)
Registered trademark of the Goslings Brothers since 1991. Notably the trademark only specifies one apostrophe in front of the n (‘n) so bars/restaurants will use ‘n’ to get around that. Goslings asserts the drink was created soon after WWI in Bermuda.
Dark ‘n’ Stormy Variations
Safe Harbor (identical, but used to get around copyrights)
Ginger beer type can drastically vary the drink. Goslings makes its own.
Gin Fizz (Specs)
2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Lemon juice
3/4 oz Simple syrup
Soda Water
Combine the gin, lemon, and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass, without ice. Top with soda water
Glass - Collins (historically this type of drink was enjoyed in the morning, so a smaller Collins glass would be appropriate)
What is the difference between a Collins and a fizz?
Ice usage. Fizz - No Ice. Collins - Yes Ice. Additionally, a Collins is built directly in the glass, while the fizz is shaken.
Gin Fizz Variations
Silver Fizz - Egg white added
Golden Fizz - Egg yolk added
Royal Fizz - Whole egg used
Diamond Fizz - Sparkling wine instead of soda water
Gin Mule
1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin
1/2 oz Simple syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
Ginger beer
10 mint leaves
Lightly muddle the mint in the base of a shaker. Add all of the liquid ingredients except the ginger beer. Add ice, shake, and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with ginger beer.
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Mint sprig, lime wedge, or slice of candied ginger
Sometimes ginger juice or purée may be added in addition to topping with ginger beer.
Gin Rickey
2 oz London Dry Gin
1 oz Lime Juice
Soda Water
Build the ingredients in an ice-filled glass
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Lime Rind
Gin Rickey (History)
Originally created in the 1880s at Shoomaker’s Saloon by bartender George Williamson, in collaboration with lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey. Original version was made with bourbon, but didn’t become popular until it was made with gin a decade later.
Gin Rickey (Variations)
Gin can be swapped for another spirit
Some recipes call for a dash of Angostura on top
Recipe is based on the juice of one lime, but can be adjusted
Lime Rickey (NA) was popular at soda fountains on the East Coast
Greyhound (Specs)
1.5 oz Gin/Vodka
5 oz Grapefruit Juice
Serve over ice
Glass - Highball
Harvey Wallbanger (Specs)
1 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Galliano
4 oz Orange Juice
Pour vodka and orange juice into an ice-filled glass. Float Galliano on top.
Horse’s Neck (Specs)
2 oz Bourbon
2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Ginger Ale
Build the ingredients in an ice-filled glass
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Lemon Twist (This is the defining characteristic — it is usually an extra long lemon twist where a portion peeks out of the glass)
Originally intended to be a NA beverage, but gets its name from the bourbon.
Long Island Iced Tea (Specs)
1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz White Rum
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
1 oz Coca-Cola
Stir all ingredients with ice
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Madras (Specs)
2 oz Vodka
2 oz Cranberry
2 oz Orange Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass filled with ice
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Orange Slice
Moscow Mule (Specs)
2 oz Vodka (originally Smirnoff)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
4 oz Ginger Beer
Pour vodka and lime juice into ice-filled mug and top with ginger beer
Glass - Copper Mug
Garnish - Lime Wedge
(Original brand of ginger beer was Cock n’ Bull)
Paloma (Specs)
2 oz Tequila
One-half Lime
Chilled Grapefruit Soda
Muddle lime in Highball glass. Rim with salt and add ice. Build the drink over the ice and stir gently.
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Lime Wedge
Pimm’s Cup (Specs)
2 oz Pimm’s No 1
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Gin
Soda Water
Muddle Cucumber and simple syrup in tin. Add remaining ingredients, shake with ice, and fine-strain into a glass. Top with soda
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Cucumber slice, mint sprig
(This is the classic version, although different fruits/veg/herbs/mixers can be substituted)
Presbyterian (Specs)
2 oz Scotch Whisky
Ginger Ale
Soda Water
Pour Scotch over ice and fill with equal parts ginger ale and soda water
Glass - Highball
Presbyterian (History)
Many believe this was originally made with French Brandy. Phylloxera changed this. Once Scotch was used as a supplement, the official denomination of Christianity became the name of the drink too.
Ramos Gin Fizz (Specs)
1.5 oz Dry Gin
5 drops Orange Flower Water
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 Egg White
1 oz Heavy Cream
1 oz Simple Syrup
Soda Water
2 drops Vanilla Extract (optional)
Vigorously shake all ingredients except soda water and strain into glass without ice. Top with soda water.
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Grated nutmeg
(Use a bar spoon to add soda water)
Screwdriver (Specs)
2 oz Vodka
4 oz Orange Juice
Serve over ice
Glass - Highball
Garnish - Orange Slice
Sea Breeze (specs)
2 oz Vodka
4 oz Cranberry
2 oz Grapefruit Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass filled with ice
Glass - Highball glass
Garnish - Lime
(Bay breeze is variation with pineapple instead of grapefruit)
Most bartenders will build this drink, but shaking helps to incorporate all ingredients and create a lighter texture
Examples of Hot Drinks
Toddy
Irish Coffee
Tom and Jerry
Toddy (Specs)
Scotch Whisky
Water
Lump of Sugar
Serve warm or cold. This is a cocktail meant to be modified.
Glass - Mug or glass with a handle if served hot, old fashioned glass if served at room temperature
Today, it is common that a hot toddy when ordered might include cloves, lemon, spices, honey, and can be made with whiskey or brandy
Toddy (History)
Toddy (originally Whisky Toddy)
Toddy the word came from UK through trade with India where it was a customary pine-sap fermented beverage. It then became where you’d add a sweet ‘sap’ to a spirit (originally scotch).
By the 1830s the Toddy approach was in the US and applied to many spirits (Gin, Apple Brandy, and American/Canadian Whiskey)
By the Civil War, the Toddy was either served with hot water to dilute the sugar or the original way with one ice cube.
Irish Coffee (Specs)
1.5 oz Irish Whiskey
1 tsp Brown Sugar
6 oz Hot Coffee
Heavy Cream
Add whiskey coffee and sugar to the mug. Top with cold cream
Glass - Coffee mug
To allow for layering cream can be lightly whipped in a cocktail strainer.
Modern variation includes Baileys and occasionally Green Creme de Menthe without the addition of the Brown Sugar and with a true whipped cream.
Tom and Jerry (Specs)
12 eggs
3 oz over proof Jamaican Rum
1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp Ground All Spice
Granulated Sugar
Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the whites stiff, and the yolks until watery. Combine the yolks and whites and mix thoroughly while adding all of the spices and rum. Then while mixing add sugar until the mixture achieves a batter like texture. The base will keep well refrigerated as it is full of sugar and alcohol.
To serve - take 1 tablespoon of the batter, add 2 oz brandy and stir in boiling water to desired dilution based on taste. Serve with a spoon in a mug.
To
Tom and Jerry (History)
While Jerry ‘The Professor’ Thomas is always associated with this drink, its original form was created by an 1820s British journalist named Pierce Egan.
Variation of an egg nog, originally called for whipped eggs, brandy, spices, and sugar to be cut with hot water rather than be diluted shaking with ice.
Modern variations replace water with hot milk or hot cocoa
Mint Julep (Specs)
2 oz Bourbon
10-12 Mint Leaves
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Add syrup and mint leaves to the base of the glass and muddle. Add crushed ice and 1 oz of the bourbon to the glass and mix with a bar spoon. Add more crushed ice and the rest of the bourbon to the glass, mixing again. Cap with crushed ice and garnish with two mint sprigs. Arrange the straws next to the mint sprigs.
Glass - Silver or Pewter Julep Mug
Garnish - 2 Mint Sprigs
Grasshopper (Specs)
1 oz Green Crème de Menthe
1 oz White Crème de Cacao
1 oz Cream
Shake all ingredients over ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Examples of Pousse-Café
B-52
Buttery Nipple
Fuzzy Navel
Poussin Café
B 52 (Specs)
Layered shot of Coffee Liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and Grand Marnier. (Around 1/3 oz each)
Coffee Liqueur is poured first. Baileys is layered next. Grand Marnier is floated on top.
Liqueurs are usually poured down a bar spoon
Buttery Nipple (Specs)
1 oz Butterscotch schnapps
1/2 oz Irish cream liquor
Butterscotch schnapps is poured first, with Irish cream layered carefully on top.
Pousse Café (Specs)
1 oz Cognac
1 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1 oz Curaçao
Recommended to pour the ingredients on top of each other from another glass and not from a bottle or to utilize the back of a bar spoon.
Should start with the Maraschino, then the Curaçao, and then the Cognac
Glass - Small Fluted Cordial Glass
Pousse Café (Variations)
(Important to note that 19th century versions of some liqueurs had more color than they do today)
Parisian Pousse - Curaçao, Kirchwasser, and Chartreuse
Faivre’s Pousse - Parisian Pousse (mini) plus an added full layer each of Curaçao and Kirchwasser.
Saratoga Pousse - Curaçao, Benedictine, Raspberry Syrup, and Cognac with a thin bar spoon layer of vanilla cordial to top it off
Examples of Sours
Abbey Cocktail
Antibes
Aviation
Bee’s Knees
Boston Cocktail
Caipirinha
Champs Elysées
Clover Club
Corpse Reviver No. 2
Cosmopolitan
Daiquiri
Fallen Angel
Gimlet
Hemingway Daiquiri
Jack Rose
Kamikaze
Last Word
Margarita
Mojito
Naked and Famous
New York Sour
Paper Plane
Pegu Club
Pisco Sour
Red Lion
Scofflaw
South side
The Bramble
Ward 8
Whiskey Sour
White Lady
Abbey Cocktail (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Orange Juice
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dashes bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Garnish - Cherry
Abbey Cocktail (History)
First documented in the original printing of The Savory Cocktail Book in 1930. Origin is unknown, but believed to have been created during Prohibition.
Original recipe called for Kina Lillet, which incorporated quinine. This is no longer available. Cocchi Americano is used in its place, although Lillet Blanc or any other dry vermouth can also be used.
Antibes (Specs)
2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Bénédictine
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass
Glass - Old Fashioned
Garnish - Orange Slice
(Milder version calls for simple syrup in place of Bénédictine and is served up like a Daiquiri, garnished with a sprig of mint)
Antibes (History)
Antibes, a town between Cannes and Nice along the French Riviera, was briefly home for F. Scott Fitzgerald and his family. Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso were among his many guests there.
Some say this is a drink that Hemingway put together when he wanted a daiquiri but didn’t have rum.
Aviation (Specs)
1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dashes Maraschino liqueur
2 dashes Crème Yvette
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - cherry or lemon peel
Aviation Variations
Aviation No 1 - With Crème Yvette or Violet Liqueur
Aviation No 2 - Without Violet Liqueur or Crème Yvette
Blue Moon - No Maraschino
Moonlight - Lemon/Maraschino replaced by Lime/Cointreau
Casino - Crème Yvette replaced by a few dashes of Orange bitters
Bee’s Knees (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Honey
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Twist of lemon
Honey will not incorporate if added alone and undiluted. Honey syrup should be kept chilled.
Bee’s Knees (History)
Born out of necessity during the Prohibition to cover the off-flavors/aromas from bathtub gin.
No specific origin noted.
Boston Cocktail (Specs)
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Apricot Brandy
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Grenadine
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Garnish - Lemon twist
(This is the original recipe, but the yield would be small. Doubling the recipe is suitable)
Grenadine refers to a pomegranate and pomegranate molasses reduction not Rose’s grenadine
Caipirinha (Specs)
2 oz Cachaça
Juice of 2 lime quarters
2 tsp sugar
Muddle sugar and lime quarters until sugar is dissolved. Add crushed ice and cachaça.
Glass - Lowball
Garnish - Lime wedge
Champs Elysées (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Cognac
1/2 oz Lemon juice
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Dash of Angostura bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lemon twist
(Original recipe was for a 6-person cocktail, but is converted here to a single serving)
Clover Club (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Raspberry Syrup
1 Egg White
Shake and strain into the glass. Double shaking or a dry shake may be used to create a better texture
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Variations may sub white vermouth for lemon or to use grenadine, créme de cassis, or Chambord for Raspberry syrup
Clover Club (History)
Named for the Philadelphia gentleman’s club of the same name, which et at the Bellevue-Strafford Hotel. Club was founded in 1882. Cocktail was first mentioned in 1897 with the recipe first appearing in 1917
Corpse Reviver No. 2 (Specs)
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
3/4 oz Lemon juice
1 dash absinthe
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into the glass
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Cherry (Absinthe can be withheld and used to rinse glass)
Corpse Reviver No 2 (History)
Corpse Reviver originally referred to a dram of mixed spirits meant as a hangover cure
Cosmopolitan (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lime twist
Daiquiri (Specs)
2 oz Rum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lime wedge/wheel
May be adjusted based on desired sweetness/rum used. Equal parts citrus and sugar generally will create a balanced cocktail.
Daiquiri (History)
Originally, often served in tall glasses packed with ice. Sugar was poured on top of ice followed by juice of one or two limes and a healthy portion of rum. Drink was stirred with a long spoon until the glass frosted.
Gets its name from its birthplace - Daiquiri Beach, Cuba (One of the first landing sites for American businesses after the Spanish-American War in 1898)
Daiquiri Variations
Daiguiri - Lime juice, Grenadine, Rum
Hemingway - White rum, grapefruit, Maraschino, and lime
Floridita - Maraschino as well as sugar, no grapefruit
Fallen Angel (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Gin
1 tsp Crème de menthe (white)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 dash of Angostura
Shake all ingredients and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Cherry
(Juice of 1 lemon or 1/2 a lime, can also be garnished with a mint leaf)
Gimlet (Specs)
2 oz Plymouth Gin
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Wedge of lime
Gimlet Variations
Classically made with Gin, but Vodka may be substituted
Original version was equal parts gin and lime juice, with a more modern Gin and rose’s lime juice cordial. Version today has dialed back the acid
Bennet - addition of 2 dashes of Angostura
Hemingway Daiquiri (Specs)
2 oz White Rum
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Lime Wedge/Wheel
Hemingway Daiquiri (History)
Created for Hemingway by Constantino Ribalaigua Vert (bartender at La Floridita Bar in Havana).
Tale is he tried the Floridita which is a regular daiquiri plus Maraschino, and said “That’s good but I prefer mine with twice as much rum and no sugar”
It evolved into what it is today.
Jack Rose (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Applejack or Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Grenadine
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Garnish - Lime wedge/wheel
Apple brandy must be at least 40% ABV
Will not work with Rose’s grenadine
Jack Rose (History)
First mentioned in an article in 1905 in New Jersey.
Name origin possibilities: Bald Jack Rose (famous gambler in Atlantic City), Jacquemont/Jacques Rose (naturally pink close of the household red rose), or just the fact that it was a rose colored drink that featured Applejack
Kamikaze (Specs)
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Triple Sec
1 oz Lime Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lime Slice
Last Word (Specs)
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Cherry
Margarita (Specs)
2 oz Tequila
3/4 oz Cointreau (or Combier)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
Simple Syrup to taste (optional)
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into salt-rimmed glass, with or without ice
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Lime Wedge
Mojito (Specs)
1.5 oz White Rum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2 tsp Sugar
8 - 10 Mint Leaves
Soda Water
Muddle mint, lime, and sugar, add ice and rum. Shake briefly and pour into a fresh glass. Top with fresh ice before adding the soda water
Glass - Lowball or Highball Glass
Garnish - Mint Sprig
Mojito (History)
May have the oldest origin of any modern cocktail (though not under its current name)
16th century Havana Cuba — a cocktail known as El Draque was consumed by many sailors and originally by the crew of Sir Francis Drake’s fleet after their raid at Cartegna de Indias in 1586.
El Draque was prescribed to prevent scurvy and consisted of Aguardente de Caña (fire water from sugar cane), lime juice, sugar cane juice, and mint.
In the 1650s tafia (an un-aged harsh rum) and rum where available to the British, and the mixture followed
A contending story says that African slaves working on Cuban sugarcane fields created the drink during the 1800s.
Naked and Famous (Specs)
3/4 oz Mezcal
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lime Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Lemon Twist (optional)
Mezcal choice is an important consideration
Naked and Famous (History)
Mezcal-fueled, modern day variation of a Last Word created by Joaquín Simó while at Death & Co in New York
New York Sour (Specs)
2 oz Rye or Bourbon
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
One Egg White
1 oz Red Wine (fruit-driven)
Shake all ingredients except for the wine vigorously and strain into an ice filled glass
Glass - Old Fashioned Glass
Garnish - Use the back of a bar spoon to gently layer the red wine on top of the drink. Garnish with a flag (orange/lemon slice with a cherry)
Egg white inclusion is optional, although it makes for a more textural cocktail and allows the red wine to float
New York Sour (History)
Cocktail was first served as a Continental Sour in Chicago in the 1870s. When it became popular in the South, it was known as the Southern Whiskey Sour. Once it made its way up the east coast and to New York, the name New York Sour stuck.
Paper Plane (Specs)
3/4 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
Combine in a shaker with ice. Chill and double strain.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Pegu Club (Specs)
2 oz London Dry Gin
1/2 oz Curaçao
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lime Wedge
Pegu Club (History)
Namesake of the world famous club that opened in 1885 just outside of Rangoon. Named for the Pegu River that runs past it, the Pegu Club was built to serve the British Military officers and Civilian Administrators after the UK annexation of Upper Burma.
Cocktail recipe was first documented in 1927
Pisco Sour (Specs)
2 oz Pisco
1 oz Lime or Lemon Juice (or combination of both)
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Shake all ingredients except bitters with ice and strain into the glass.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Dash of bitters
Red Lion (Specs)
1 oz Gin
1 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orange Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Sugar crusted rim
Grenadine has often been added, and rim is optional.
London Dry is the appropriate gin, not any of the sweeter styles like Plymouth
Red Lion (History)
First appeared in 1937, and was created for a cocktail competition in 1933.
Originally called for the use of Booth’s Gin, and then was upgraded to Booth’s and Grand Marnier.
Name comes from the original distillery of Booth’s in Clerkenwell, England
Scofflaw (Specs)
1 oz Canadian or Rye Whiskey
1 oz Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 barspoon Grenadine
1 dash Orange Bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Orange Peel
Scofflaw (History)
Cocktail first appeared at Harry’s bar in Paris in 1924.
Scofflaw - person who drank illegally made or acquired spirits during prohibition
Classically used Canadian whiskey, as American whiskey was not available in Paris during Prohibition
Southside (Specs)
2 oz Dry Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
10 Mint Leaves
Muddle the mint in a shaker with the liquid ingredients. Add ice and shake, strain.
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Mint Sprig
Southside (History)
Two possible origins - Long Island or Chicago. Both stories point to one person and spirit of origin - Al Capone. His brand of gin during Prohibition was rougher, and most likely more adulterated than the gin of the North Side of Chicago, and thus needed more sweetening to be palatable.
Made by almost every speakeasy during Prohibition
Southside Variations
Southside Fizz - lengthened the cocktail with soda and ice
Modern variations often switch lemon out for lime juice
The Bramble (Specs)
2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
3/4 oz Creme de Mure (float)
Combine all ingredients (except Creme de Mure) in a tin. Shake and strain over a crushed ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. Top with 3/4 oz Creme de Mure float (blackberry liqueur)
Glass - Old Fashioned Glass
Garnish - Lemon Wedge (Blackberry is optional)
Ward 8 (Specs)
2 oz Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1/4 oz Grenadine
Shake and Strain into an ice-filled glass
Glass - Old Fashioned Glass
Garnish - Cherry
Whiskey Sour (Specs)
2 oz Bourbon or Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Shake and strain into an ice filled glass
Glass - Old fashioned Glass
Garnish - Half Orange Wheel
Can be smoothed out with an egg white (although use bitters or a bit of citrus peel on the egg to take away aroma) — in this case serve in cocktail glass
White Lady (Specs)
1 oz Gin
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Lemon Juice
Shake all ingredients and strain
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Cherry
(Some variations add egg white)
Examples of Sparkling Cocktails
Bellini
Champagne Cocktail
Death in the Afternoon
French 75
Mimosa
Old Cuban
Russian Spring Punch
Bellini (Specs)
2 parts Prosecco
1 part White Peach Purée
Dash Raspberry Purée
Pour prosecco over purées in glass. Stir gently
Glass - Champagne Glass
Bellini (History)
Bellini was created by Giuseppe Cipriani at his original Cipriani’s in Venice, Italy sometime before the beginning of WWII but after the bar’s opening in 1934.
Name is said to come from the color being a match to that of a saint’s toga in a 15th century paiting by Giovanni Bellini.
Both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Wells were known to enjoy these.
Bellini Variations
Peach component varies from peach schnapps to artificial syrups, juices, nectar, and frozen purée. Rarely made with a truly fresh peach purée.
Original was white peach, but yellow peaches are also used
Rossini - Strawberry purée
Tintoretto - Pomegranate juice
Puccini - Half peach purée and half mandarin juice
Champagne Cocktail (Specs)
Champagne or other sparkling wine
Angostura bitters
Sugar Cube
Liberally apply bitters to sugar cube, then top with dry sparkling wine.
Glass - Champagne Flute
Garnish - Expressed lemon peel (discarded)
To avoid a mess in the glass — bitter the sugar cube on a beverage nap then fold and drop in glass
Death in the Afternoon (Specs)
Desired serving of Absinthe
Ice-cold Champagne
Add enough Champagne to the Absinthe that the drink turns cloudy
Glass - Champagne flute, or preferred vessel
(Some add sugar and bitters to the drink)
Death in the Afternoon (History)
Dates back to So the Red Nose, or Breathe in the Afternoon — a 1935 collection of cocktail recipes from 30 prominent authors. This one came from Ernest Hemingway who recommended to “Drink 3 to 5 of these slowly”
He said the cocktail was created along with three officers of the HMS Danae after he spent hours helping them get the captain’s fishing boat back to safety
French 75 (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Champagne
Shake gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass or chilled flute. Top with Champagne
Glass - Highball glass or flute
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Original version was identical to a Tom Collins except for the use of Champagne instead of Soda water — thus the argument for a highball/collins glass as most traditional and for serving the drink on the rocks
French 75 (History)
Said to be named for the 75 mm French field gun used during WWI
First appeared in print in 1919
Mimosa (Specs)
4 oz Brut Champagne
2 oz Orange Juice
1 barspoon Grand Marnier (optional)
Build all ingredients in the glass
Glass - Champagne Flute
Old Cuban (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Aged Rum
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
6 - 8 Mint Leaves
2 oz Sparkling Wine
Shake all but the sparkling wine with ice and strain. Top with sparkling wine.
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Mint sprigs and/or lime wheel
Sparkling wine profile can drastically change presentation of the drink
Old Cuban (History)
Originally a riff on a Mojito called El Cubano (originally just substituting soda water for sparkling wine). Once the rum switched to one of an aged variety — it became the Old Cuban.
It is offered as a memory of the times during prohibition when those who could, flew to Cuba to drink above ground.
Russian Spring Punch (Specs)
1 oz Vodka
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Crème de Cassis
Sparkling Wine
Combine vodka, lemon, and simple in a shaker. Fill with ice and shake. Strain over fresh ice in a highball. Top with bubbles and add the crème de cassis last to create a cascade effect.
Glass - Highball Glass
Can be served over regular ice or crushed ice. Crème de cassis can be poured over the top or mixed in initially.
Garnish - Lemon Slice (Seasonal Fresh Berries are optional)
Examples of Spirit Forward Cocktails
Bijou
Bobby Burns
Boothby Cocktail
Boulevardier
Brooklyn Cocktail
Corpse Reviver No 1
Delmonico
Dempsey Cocktail
Du bonnet Cocktail
El Presidente
4th Regiment
Gibson
Manhattan
Martinez
Martini
Napoleon Cocktail
Negroni
Old Pal
Parisienne
Pink Lady
Rob Roy
Tipperary
Vesper
Vieux Carré
Bijou (Specs)
1 oz Gin
1 oz Green Charteuse
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
Dash Orange Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Garnish - Twist of lemon
Gin (Diamond), Chartreuse (Emerald), and Vermouth (Ruby) are traditionally stirred. When kept separate and layered to show their colors — the cocktail is called an Amber Dream.
Bijou (History)
Bijou is the French word for Jewel.
1890s recipe
Gin represents a Diamond
Chartreuse represents an Emerald
Vermouth represents a Ruby
Bobby Burns (Specs)
1 1/4 oz blended Scotch whisky
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 dash Orange bitters
1 dash of absinthe
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Boothby Cocktail (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Whiskey (Bourbon or Rye)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura’s bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
1 oz Champagne
Stir everything but the Champagne into the glass and top with Champagne.
Glass - Champagne Coupe
Garnish - Orange Peel
Boothby Cocktail (History)
Boothby Cocktail is a Manhattan variant (sometimes called the Boothby Manhattan)
Cocktail’s namesake is William Boothby, an iconic San Francisco bartender that wrote a bartending manual. A reprint included this cocktail (which never was in any of his publications)
Boulevardier (Specs)
1 oz Bourbon
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Campari
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Orange Twist
Negroni Riff
Brooklyn Cocktail (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey
1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
Dash Maraschino Liqueur
Dash Amer Picon Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain
Served either up or on the rocks (glassware accordingly)
Garnish - Lemon or orange twist or both
Brooklyn Cocktail ingredient - Amer Picon
Difficult to acquire outside of Europe it is a French bitter based on orange peel, gentian root, quinine, and sugar syrup
Some bartenders will make an orange tincture, while others will mix 2 parts Ramazzotti with one part Combier, one part orange bitters, and orange peels
Torani Amer is a San Francisco based replacement
Corpse Reviver No 1 (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Cognac
3/4 oz Calvados or Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Delmonico (Specs)
3/4 oz Gin
1/2 oz Cognac
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Dempsey Cocktail (Specs)
1 oz Gin
1 oz Apple Brandy
2 dashes of grenadine
2 dashes of absinthe
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
A sweeter version omits absinthe and increases the amount of grenadine
Dempsey Cocktail (History)
Prohibition era cocktail named for Jack Dempsey (world heavyweight boxing champion from 1919 to 1926). He opened a namesake restaurant in 1935 in New York after his boxing career ended. He previously managed an underground casino and bar financed by Al Capone in the final years of Prohibition. The cocktail is said to have originated from that time.
Dubonnet Cocktail (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Gin
1 1/2 oz Dubonnet Rouge
Dash of Bitters
Stir all the ingredients together with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Dubonnet Cocktail (History)
Dubonnet was created in an 1846 competition launched by the French Government that sought to persuade members of the French Foreign Legion in North American to drink Quinine.
It was also famously enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth
El Presidente (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Rum
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Curaçao liqueur
1 barspoon Grenadine
Stir with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Orange Peel
El Presidente (History)
Cocktail gained popularity in Cuba as Americans visited during Prohibition.
Named for one of the Cuban presidents of the time.
Rise in popularity was likely due to it being served on Pan American flights to Cuba after they were given exclusive rights to the Florida-Havana Route
4th Regiment (Specs)
1 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 dash each Orange Bitters, Peychaud’s Bitters, and Celery Bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Lemon peel
While instructions say shake, today most bartenders would stir this cocktail
Gibson (Specs)
2 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Pearl Onion
Gibson (History)
Began as a take on the classic Martini (it differed because the original Gibson was equal parts gin and vermouth. Also bitters were a late 19th century and Prohibition additive to a martini)
The cocktail onion didn’t even come around for decades after the cocktail became popular. The original cocktail was more about not using bitters than the onion.
Manhattan (Specs)
2 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Cherry
Original recipe often included the addition of simple syrup as the mix of Italian Vermouth/Whiskey wasn’t always as sweet as it is today.
Bitters used would vary — originally the popular choice was orange sometimes blended with Angostura.
Manhattan Variations
During Prohibition - Canadian Whiskey became popular
Manhattan No 2 - Irish Whiskey
Black Manhattan - Averna in place of Sweet Vermouth
Martinez (Specs)
1.5 oz Old Tom Gin
1.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
.25 oz Maraschino Liqueur
2 dashes Orange Bitters (or Boker’s)
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Twist of Lemon and Orange
Martinez (History)
Generally credited as the forerunner to the dry martini.
In the 1880s, Genever was the prevalent gin and likely the one used in the original 1884 recipe. That recipe substituted Curacoa for Maraschino
Martini (Specs)
2.5 oz Gin
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Olives or Lemon Peel
Napoleon Cocktail (Specs)
2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Dubonnet Blanc
Dash Curaçao
Dash Fernet Branca
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Napoleon Cocktail (History)
Napoleon was not known to drink much, but when he did it was typically cognac and sometimes included the sweetening addition of Curaçao
Thus a second recipe for the Napoleon includes a sugar cube dipped in curaçao and 1/2 oz cognac to be placed in a champagne filled flute.
Negroni (Specs)
1 oz Gin
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Campari
Stir ingredients together with ice.
Glass - Old Fashioned Glass
Garnish - Orange Peel
Some build the cocktail in the glass it’ll be served in and stir, while others build in a mixing glass.
Negroni (History)
Many believe was first served in Florence at the Caffè Casoni in 1919. The idea was that Count Camilo Negroni asked for his favorite cocktail to be strengthened by adding Gin to an Americano instead of its usual Seltzer.
Negroni Sbagliato
Common variation of a Negroni that exchanges Gin for 3-4 oz of Prosecco
Old Pal (Specs)
1 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Dry Vermouth
1 oz Campari
Stir the ingredients over ice. Strain
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Lemon Twist
Bit firmer than its counterpart the Boulevardier which uses Boubon and sweet vermouth
Parisienne (Specs)
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Noilly Prat
2 dashes Crème de Cassis
Stir ingredients with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Lemon Peel (Can be flamed)
Other recipes call for equal parts of gin, vermouth, and crème de cassis
Pink Lady (Specs)
1.5 oz London Dry Gin
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 Egg White
Dry shake all ingredients first, then shake with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Cherry
Addition of lemon juice is popular, but acid addition changes the cocktail drastically. Apple brandy is another common addition instead of gin. (Many believe this was the original base)
Pink Lady (History)
Precise origin unknown, but many point to it being created before prohibition.
Elisa de Wolfe (prominent architect and designer) is often credited with naming the cocktail after a 1911 broadway musical of the same name featuring Hazel Dawn aka The Pink Lady
Cocktail grew in popularity during the 1950s when sweetened cream was added in place of the egg white to make this a dessert cocktail
Rob Roy (Specs)
2 oz Blended Scotch Whisky
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Cherry
Tipperary (Specs)
1 oz Irish Whiskey
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Green Chartreuse
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Cherry
Tipperary Variations
No 1 - Irish, Sweet Vermouth, Chartreuse
No 2 - Gin (1oz), Dry Vermouth (1oz), Grenadine and Orange Juice (0.5 oz each) to be shaken with 2 sprigs of mint
Vesper (Specs)
3 measures London Dry Gin
1 measure Vodka (preferably grain)
1/2 measure Lillet Blanc
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Lemon Peel
Vieux Carré (Specs)
1 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Cognac
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Bénédictine
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Old Fashioned Glass
Garnish - Lemon Peel
Vieux Carrè (History)
Created by Walter Bergeron at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans in 1938.
The name translates to “Old Square” a reference to the city’s French Quarter where the Hotel is.
Examples of Spirit Forward Cocktails with Juice
Blood and Sand
Bronx Cocktail
Golden Dawn
Monkey Gland
Satan’s Whiskers
Blood and Sand (Specs)
3/4 oz Scotch Whisky
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
3/4 oz Orange Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Orange twist (flamed)
Blood and Sand (History)
First appeared in print in The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) and is said to be named for the 1922 Rudolph Valentino silent film Blood and Sand, which is about Spanish bullfighting
Bronx Cocktail (Specs)
1 oz Gin
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Orange Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Glass
Garnish - Orange Slice (Optional)
Bronx Cocktail (Variations)
Dry Bronx - Muddle 3 slices of orange and one slice of pineapple in the shaker. Add one part each gin and French vermouth and shake with ice.
Gold Bronx - same as Bronx with egg white
Golden Dawn (Specs)
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Apricot Brandy
3/4 oz Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Orange Juice
Dash Grenadine
Add dash of grenadine to the bottom of the glass. Shake all other ingredients with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Cherry
Some recipes switch out the apple brandy for whiskey, and others replace the Grenadine with raspberry syrup or crème de cassis.
Golden Dawn (History)
Prohibition-era cocktail named for the Roger’s and Hammerstein operetta that debuted in 1927.
Monkey Gland (Specs)
1.5 oz Gin
1/2 oz Orange Juice
3 dashes of Grenadine
3 dashes of Absinthe
Combine all ingredients and shake with ice.
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Orange Twist
Monkey Gland (History)
Created in the 1920s by Harry MacElhone at Harry’s New York bar in Paris, France. Harry is credited for the creation of the Boulevardier, the Bloody Mary, the French 75, and many other standards.
Name is after the pseudo-scientific idea hatched by Russian doctor, Serge Voronoff, that grafting tissue from a male monkey’s genitalia to humans would help people live longer.
Satan’s Whiskers (Specs)
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
3/4 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1 dash of Orange Bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain.
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Satan’s Whiskers variation
Straight Whiskers - Grand Marnier
Curled Whiskers - Curaçao
Examples of Tropical Cocktails
Algonquin
Fog Cutter
French Martini
Hurricane
Mai Tai
Painkiller
Piña Colada
Sex on the Beach
Singapore Sling
Tequila Sunrise
Zombie
Algonquin (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Rye
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters (Optional)
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Bitters can be incorporated or reserved to garnish
Algonquin (History)
Named for the Algonquin Hotel on 44th street in Manhattan which was a meeting place for the cultural icons of the Prohibition era
It was a dry hotel, however it was the meeting place for the self-proclaimed Vicious Group from 1919 to 1929 (Harpo Marx, Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woollcott, Charles MacArthur, Art Samuels) that enjoyed a few flasks of Gin Martinis.
Fog Cutter (Specs)
2 oz White Rum
1 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Gin
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat Syrup
Cream Sherry Float
Shake ingredients with ice and strain. Float cream Sherry on top of the drink.
Glass - Tiki mug or highball glass
Garnish - Mint Sprig
Fog Cutter (History)
One of the classics from the beginning of the Tiki era.
Thought to be one of the first cocktails to prescribe a mug as the serving vessel.
Original called for specifically Puerto Rican rum.
French Martini (Specs)
2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Chambord
2 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Glass - Cocktail glass
Garnish - Lemon twist
Hurricane (Specs)
2 oz Dark Jamaican Rum
2 oz White Rum
1/2 oz Overproof Rum
2 oz Lemon Juice
2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
Shake with ice and pour without straining.
Glass - Hurricane glass
Garnish - Lemon wheel
Rums, juices, and syrups are all changed often to find the cheapest way to execute this Bourbon Street favorite.
Hurricane (History)
First home is the New Orleans bar (and one time speakeasy) - Mr. O’Brien’s Club Tipperary where the password for entry was “Storm’s Brewing”.
Created in the 1940s when O’Brien needed to get rid of some unpopular rums he was forced to buy.
Mai Tai (Specs)
1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum
1 oz Amber Martinique Rum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Curaçao Liqueur
1/4 oz Orgeat Syrup
Shake with ice and strain
Glass - Old fashioned Glass filled with crushed ice
Garnish - Can include mint, limes, pineapples, and umbrellas
Mai Tai (History)
Two possible origins - Don the Beachcomber in 1933 or Trader Vic in 1944.
Name is thought to be from the Tahitian word for good
Pain Killer (Specs)
2 oz Pusser’s Navy Strength Rum
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Coco Lopez
1 oz Orange Juice
May be shaken and served over crushed ice, or blended to be served frozen
Garnish - Grated Nutmeg and a Pineapple Wedge
Pain Killer (History)
Trademarked by Pusser’s Rum and is their official cocktail since the 1970s
Created in the heart of the tiki era at the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands by bartender Daphne Henderson.
Piña Colada (Specs)
1 oz White Rum
1 oz Cream of Coconut
3 oz Pineapple Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice or blend until smooth
Glass - If blended (Hurricane glass), if shaken (crushed ice filled mug or old fashioned glass)
Garnish - often includes an umbrella, but varies otherwise
Piña Colada (History)
Earliest mention of a drink made with white rum, coconut, and pineapple references the cocktail that the 19th century Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresi would give his crew to lift spirits.
The cocktail reappeared in 1954, and became the national drink of Puerto Rico.
Sex on the Beach (Specs)
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Peach Schnapps
1 oz Chambord
2 oz Pineapple Juice
Dash Cranberry Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass filled with ice.
Glass - Highball Glass
Garnish - Lime Wedge
Singapore Sling (Specs)
2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
2 tsp Benedictine
2 tsp Cointreau
2 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2 dashes Grenadine
1 dash Angostura
Soda Water
Shake all ingredients except soda water with ice and strain into glass filled with ice. Top with Soda Water
Glass - Hurricane Glass
Garnish - Cherry, Pineapple Slice, and Orange
Tequila Sunrise (Specs)
1.5 oz Tequila
3 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
Pour tequila and orange juice into an ice-filled glass. Add grenadine but do not stir to create the “sunrise” effect.
Glass - Highball Glass
Garnish - Orange Slice and Cherry
Zombie (Specs)
1.5 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum
1.5 oz Aged Jamaican Rum
1 oz Lemon Hart 151
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Don’s mix*
1/2 oz Falernum
1 tsp Grenadine
1 dash Pernod
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into an ice filled glass. Crushed ice may be used
Glass - Highball glass or decorative zombie mug
Garnish - fruit, umbrellas, sparklers, or anything else that makes sense for the mood
*Don’s Mix: Two parts white grapefruit juice, combined with one part cinnamon infused syrup
Zombie (History)
Donn Beach first created the Zombie in 1934 at his Don the Beachcomber’s restaurant in Hollywood. It is thought to originally be a hangover cure.
Examples of Wine Based Cocktails
Adonis
Bamboo
Adonis (Specs)
2 oz Fino Sherry
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
Stir all ingredients briefly in a mixing glass with ice and strain
Glass - Cocktail Coupe
Garnish - Orange Twist
Adonis (History)
Named for the burlesque show Adonis (1884), considered the first Broadway musical. Created at the Waldorf Astoria, it is the sweet vermouth counterpart to the Bamboo
Bamboo (Specs)
1 1/2 oz Fino Sherry
1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice briefly, to chill. Strain into glass.
Glass - Cocktail coupe
Garnish - Orange and/or lemon twist
Important not to over-stir this cocktail. Should be cold not diluted
Bamboo (History)
Created in the late 1800s in Yokohama, Japan at the Grand Hotel. Eventually spread to the US in 1901
Cocktail Eras
Pre-Prohibition
Prohibition
Tiki
Disco
Modern Age
What years are covered by the Pre-Prohibition Cocktail Era?
1860s to 1920
Pre-Prohibition Cocktail Era Changes
Industrial Revolution brought broader access to global ingredients.
Italian and French Vermouth met American Whiskey, Gin arrived stateside,and Rum found its way to North America more regularly, and then to Europe.
What years are covered by the Prohibition Era of cocktails?
1920 - 1933
Changes during the Prohibition Era of Cocktails
Constraints of this time prompted the rapid rise in Cuban-American tourism, the relocation of American bartenders to European cities, and the need to make adulterated and compromised spirits potable.
When was the Tiki era of cocktails?
1933ish to 1960s
