Variations on Classic Cocktails

Question 1

Aviation

Answer 1

Tom's:
2 oz gin
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz maraschino
¼ oz simple syrup
scant teaspoon creme de violette 
cherry for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice. Shake for 8-10 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the cherry.

Ace’s:
Same as above but sub 1/4 oz of bitter truth violet liqueur for the teaspoon of creme de violette

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 2

Bee’s Knees

Answer 2

Tom's:
2 oz gin
¾ oz lemon juice
¾ oz honey syrup
​
Shake and serve straight up. 

Ace’s:
Same except double strain

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 3

Bramble

Answer 3

Tom's:
2 oz gin
¾ oz lemon juice
¾ oz simple syrup
¼ oz creme de mure
blackberries for garnish

Combine the gin, lemon and simple syrup in a frozen rocks glass. Fill with crushed ice and stir, or just plunge the spoon to the bottom of the glass 5 or 6 times while twisting it. It doesn’t need much. Top with a little more crushed ice. Pour the mure into a jiggle and slowly pour it around the top of the drink, covering as much ground as possible. Let the mure trickle down on it’s own, don’t mix it in. Garnish with the blackberries and a straw.

Ace’s:
Same except only 1/2 oz of simple, a lemon slice garnish rather than blackberries, funky highball rather than rocks glass, and without the fine technique

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 4

Brown Derby

Answer 4

Tom’s:
2 oz bourbon whiskey
1 oz grapefruit juice
½ oz honey syrup
½ teaspoon lemon juice - not traditional but helps with balance.
grapefruit peel for garnish - also not traditional, but good.

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake for 8-10 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Express the oils from the grapefruit peel and add it into the glass.

Ace’s:
3/4 oz of honey rather than the 1/2 oz of honey syrup, no lemon juice, double strain, and grapefruit twist rather than peel

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 5

Cosmopolitan

Answer 5

Tom’s:
2 oz citrus vodka or traditional vodka
¾ oz Cointreau
¾ oz lime juice
¾ oz cranberry juice (such as Ocean Spray)
¼ oz cane syrup (or 2 teaspoons simple syrup)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Fill with ice, shake for 6-8 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Express the oils from the orange peel, stir with the peel, and garnish.

Ace’s:
1 1/2 oz vodka, only 1/2 oz cranberry juice, 1/4 oz simple

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 6

Caipirinha

Answer 6

Tom’s:
2 oz cachaça
¾ oz simple syrup
half a lime cut into quarters

In a sturdy rocks glass, muddle the limes in the simple syrup. Don’t worry about extracting every drop of juice, just be sure hit each piece at least once.
Fill the glass with ice, preferably use cubes on the smaller side. You may even want to crack one or two of them.
Add the cachaça and briskly stir until everything is well integrated.

Ace’s:
Rather than simple syrup, two heaping bar spoons of raw sugar that is muddled as above with the limes. Ace adds the cachaça first then the ice. And don’t build in the glass but rather roll several times to aerate then pour into a funky rocks glass. Says no garnish.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 7

Clover Club

Answer 7

Tom's:
1 ½ oz gin
½ oz dry vermouth
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz raspberry syrup or 3 raspberries plus ½ oz simple syrup, or to taste.
½ oz egg white (about ½ an egg white )

​
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, if using fresh raspberries muddle them first with the simple syrup. “Dry shake” without ice first for about 6 seconds. Then add ice and shake again very hard for 8-10 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, using a fine strainer if you muddled raspberries. Garnish with a raspberry.

You can skip the dry shake step if you have decent sized ice cubes - around 1 x 1 inches or from a common ice cube tray - and you shake like your life depends on it.​

Ace’s:
2 oz gin rather than 1 1/2, 3/4 lemon rather than 1/2, 1/2 raspberry syrup which is the same but no option for muddled raspberries and simple. Egg white dry shaken but no specified amount, and no further commentary, not even about garnish.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 8

Corpse Reviver #2

Answer 8

Tom's:
¾ oz gin
¾ oz lemon juice
¾ oz Cointreau
¾ oz Lillet Blanc, Cocchi Americano or a 50:50 split of each
1 dash absinthe
cherry for garnish, optional

Combine ingredients in a shaker. Fill with ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe or stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry, if desired.

Ace’s:
No option for Lillet Blanc, no mention of the cherry garnish, double strain, and the absinthe is not shaken with the drink but is spritzed in the coupe before pouring the drink into it.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 9

Daiquiri

Answer 9

Tom's:
2 oz white rum
¾ oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
lime disc with some flesh on it (optional) - here's an example

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, except for the lime disc. Fill with ice, shake for 8-10 seconds and fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express the oils of the disc and any juice over the top (shouldn’t be more 4-6 drops), swirl the disc in the disc in the glass once to integrate and discard.

Ace’s:
Only differences, lime wheel rather than lime disc and no expression of oils or swirling

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 10

French 75

Answer 10

Tom's:
1 oz gin
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
2-3 oz chilled Brut Champagne or another dry sparkling wine.
lemon peel for garnish.
​
Combine gin, lemon and simple syrup in a shaker, fill with ice.  Shake for 6-8 seconds and strain into a champagne flute.  Top with the Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with the expressed lemon peel.

Ace’s:
Allows for cognac. Ace specs say coupe rather than flute and lemon twist rather than lemon peel.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 11

Gimlet

Answer 11

Tom's:
2 oz gin
½ oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
2 lime "eighths" (¼ of a lime cut in half)

In a shaker, muddle the lime wedges in simple syrup. Add gin, lime juice, and fill with ice. Shake for 8-10 seconds and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Or serve up if you prefer. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Ace’s:
Allows for vodka. 3/4 lime juice rather than split between juice and eighths. Coupe rather than rocks glass.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 12

Hemingway Daiquiri

Answer 12

Tom's:
2 oz white rum
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz grapefruit juice
½ oz maraschino
¼ oz cane syrup (or 2 teaspoons simple syrup)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, if using raw sugar stir it with the citrus juice for 30 seconds first. Fill with ice and shake for 8-10 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express the oils from a grapefruit peel, stir in with peel, and discard.

Ace’s:
type of rum not specified. omits sugar/syrup. lime wheel garnish rather than grapefruit peel.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 13

Hot Toddy

Answer 13

Tom's:
2 oz bourbon
½ oz cinnamon syrup - optional
heaping teaspoon honey - increase to 1 tablespoon if  not using cinnamon syrup
scant ½ oz lemon juice
1 dash Angostura bitters - optional
4 oz water
orange peel, lemon wheel and cloves for garnish - optional

Combine all ingredients in a mug and microwave for 90 seconds or so. Express the oils from the orange peel and discard, if using. Garnish with a clove-spiked lemon wheel, again, if you like. Or combine all ingredients in a small pot, cover, and heat on the stove until bubbling. Pour into a mug and garnish. Or combine bourbon, lemon juice and syrups in a mug and top with boiling water. Garnish.

Ace’s:
1.5 amber rum, irish whiskey, or scotch rather than bourbon because heating it supposedly gives off an unpleasant vegetal quality. 1/4 demerara rather than cinnamon syrup. does not allow for a combination of sugars but allows honey to sub for demerara. allows for ginger. lemon peel the only garnish. amount of water not specified.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 14

Jack Rose

Answer 14

Tom's:
2 oz apple brandy (preferably Laird's 100 proof)
scant ½ oz lemon juice
scant ½ oz lime juice
¾ oz grenadine

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake for about 8 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.

Ace’s:
Says applejack with no preference. 3/4 lemon juice and no lime, double strain into coupe.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 15

Mint Julep

Answer 15

Tom's:
2½ oz bourbon
½ oz simple syrup or scant ½ oz demerara syrup
10-12 mint leaves - no stems
2 mint sprigs for garnish

In a julep cup or rocks glass, muddle the mint leaves with the simple syrup and whiskey - be careful not to “over-muddle”. Fill 3/4 of the way with crushed ice, or the smallest ice cubes you have.
Stir/swizzle for about one whole minute. The goal is to melt the ice as much as possible while keeping the mint at the bottom. Continue to add more ice as along the way as needed. When finished, top with more crushed ice so it forms a mound above the cup/glass. Garnish with the mint sprigs and serve with short straws.

Ace’s:
only 2 oz of bourbon, only allows for simple, only 5-7 mint leaves, calls for a tin, no muddling just slapping and stirring, and less of the stirring, no option for swizzling, slap the mint garnish as well.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 16

Last Word

Answer 16

Tom's:
1 oz gin
1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz maraschino
½ oz lime juice
½ oz lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice. Shake for 12 seconds (a bit longer than normal) and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry, if desired.

Ace’s:
only 3/4 from each spirit. 3/4 lime juice and no option for lemon. double strain. no mention of garnish.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 17

Last Word

Answer 17

Tom's:
1 oz gin
1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz maraschino
½ oz lime juice
½ oz lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice. Shake for 12 seconds (a bit longer than normal) and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry, if desired.

Ace’s:
3/4 oz of everything and no lemon juice. Double strain.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 18

Long Island Ice Tea

Answer 18

Ace only:
3/4 oz vodka
3/4 oz rum
3/4 oz gin
3/4 oz triple sec/combier
3/4 oz lemon
3/4 oz simple

Shake, strain over rocks in a collins glass, top with a splash of coca cola for color. Lemon wheel garnish. Funky High Ball.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 19

Mai Tai

Answer 19

Tom’s:
1 ½ oz aged Jamaican rum (2 oz if not using Smith & Cross)
½ oz Smith & Cross rum
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz orange curaçao
½ oz Orgeat Works Latitude 29 Orgeat - or another orgeat

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Fill with ice. Shake for 6-8 seconds, or so, and strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig. Additional tiki flair optional, but encouraged.

Ace’s:
Only 1 oz of aged Jamaican. No mention of Smith and Cross. 1 oz of White Martinique Rhum Agricole. A full 1 oz of lime. dry curaçao specifically. Double strain.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 20

Manhattan

Answer 20

Tom’s:
2 ½ oz rye whiskey - or bourbon
1 oz sweet vermouth - ¾ oz for bourbon
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass. Fill with ice, stir for 18-25 seconds. Then strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a cherry, if you have one.
A Manhattan is also mighty fine served on the rocks.

Ace’s:
Only two ounces of whiskey and doesn’t specify which type of so also doesn’t say more or less sweet vermouth for bourbon or rye respectively. No mention of on the rocks.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 21

Margarita

Answer 21

Tom's:
2 oz blanco tequila
1 oz Cointreau
¾ oz fresh lime juice
scant ½ oz simple syrup - or to taste
salt for rim, optional

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice. Shake for 8-10 seconds and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice that has been rimmed with salt (optional), or serve straight up if you prefer. No garnish necessary, though a lime wheel or wedge is common.

Ace’s:
Doesn’t specify kind of tequila. Only 3/4 combier. 1/4 simple. No ice in glass. Salt isn’t optional here.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 22

Martinez

Answer 22

Tom's:
2 oz aged old tom gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
teaspoon Maraschino
dash Angostura bitters
dash orange bitters
lemon peel for garnish
​
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass.  Fill with ice, stir for 18-25 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with an expressed lemon peel (an orange peel is nice too).

Ace’s:
1.5 of Old Tom. 1.5 of sweet vermouth. full 1/4 of maraschino. 2 dashes of angostura. orange twist only garnish option.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 23

Martini

Answer 23

Tom’s:
2½ oz gin
¾-1 oz dry vermouth
1 dash orange bitters - optional, but highly recommended.
For a Vodka Martini….
Simply replace gin with vodka, decrease the vermouth to ½ oz, and forgo the orange bitters.
For dry/extra dry:
2½ oz gin or vodka
¼ oz - ½ oz dry vermouth
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass. Fill with ice, stir for 18-30 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with an expressed lemon peel (my preference) or an olive(s).
For a dirty martini: take the classic recipe above, use less vermouth if you like, and add the following to taste:
1/4 oz - slightly dirty
½ oz - “classic” dirty
3/4 oz and up - very dirty to filthy

Ace's:
1 1/2 gin
1 1/2 dry vermouth
2 dashes of orange bitters
Dry/Extra Dry:
2 1/2 gin 
1/2 dry vermouth
2 dashes of orange bitters
lemon twist garnish
no allowance for vodka

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 24

Mojito

Answer 24

Tom's:
2 oz white rum
¾ oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
10-12 mint leaves - picked off the stem
chilled soda water
mint sprigs for garnish

In a shaker, muddle the mint leaves in the simple syrup. Add the rum, lime juice and fill with ice. Shake for 8-10 seconds and strain into a highball or collins glass over cracked ice (with one or two full sized cubes). top with 1-2 oz soda water. Briefly stir with a straw to mix. Garnish with the mint springs.

Ace’s:
6-8 mint leaves. slap rather than muddle the mint. Crushed ice.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 25

Moscow Mule

Answer 25

Tom’s:
2 oz vodka
chilled 4-5 oz ginger beer
two lime wedges

In a rocks glass or copper mug, add the vodka and fill with ice. Squeeze in the juice of the two lime wedges and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wheel and ginger candy (if you happen to have them on hand).

With Homemade Ginger Syrup
2 oz vodka
¾ oz ginger syrup
½ oz fresh lime juice
2 lime wedges
chilled soda water

Combine vodka, ginger syrup and lime juice in a shaker and squeeze in one of the limes wedges. Fill with ice, shake for 6-8 seconds and strain into a rocks glass or copper mug over fresh ice. Squeeze in the second lime wedge and top with 1½-2 ounces of soda water.

Ace’s (in contrast to the ginger syrup version):
1 1/2 vodka. 3/4 lime. Build in the glass, fill with ice, top with soda, stir gently, copper mug.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 26

Negroni

Answer 26

Tom’s:
1½ oz gin - I recommend Tanqueray
1 oz sweet vermouth - I recommend Cinzano
1 oz Campari
orange peel - for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass. Fill with ice, stir for 18-25 seconds and strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice - preferably one large cube. Express the oils of the orange peel and add it into the glass.
Or you can prepare it right in the rocks glass you’ll be drinking from. Just combine all the ingredients, add the ice, and stir.
For a Mezcal Negroni, sub 1 oz of mezcal for the 1 1/2 gin.

Ace’s:
only 1 oz of gin no recommended brands. no recommended sweet. Build in rocks glass. orange twist rather than peel. One large cube of ice also preferred like Tom.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 27

Oaxacan Old Fashioned

Answer 27

Tom's:
The Oaxacan (wa-HOCK- ahn) Old Fashioned is a smokier version of a Tequila Old Fashioned and the premier gateway mezcal cocktail.  It was created by Phil Ward when he was working at Death & Co.   

1½ oz reposado tequila - añejo tequila works too
½ oz mezcal
½ teaspoon agave nectar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1-2 dashes mole bitters - optional
orange peel for garnish

In a chilled mixing glass, combine the spirits, nectar, and bitters. Fill it with ice and stir for 18-25 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a chilled rocks glass over ice - preferably one large cube. Express the oils of the orange peel and add it into the glass.
Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a rocks glass. Stir them with ice, garnish and serve.

Ace’s:
1 oz tequila. 1 oz mezcal. heaping barspoon of demerara, no agave nectar. no angostura. 2 dashes of mole bitters. orange peel also.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 28

Old Fashioned

Answer 28

Tom's:
2 oz rye, rum, or bourbon
teaspoon demerara syrup - or another sugar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters (optional)
4-5 drops baking spice bitters (optional)
lemon and orange peel for garnish
(uses lime instead of lemon for rum)

In a chilled mixing glass, combine the whiskey, sugar, and bitters. Fill it with ice and stir for 18-25 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a chilled rocks glass over ice - preferably one large cube. Express the oils of the lemon and orange peels and add them into the glass.
Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a rocks glass. Stir them with ice, garnish and serve.

Ace’s:
1/4 oz of rich simple or demerara. 3 dashes of angostura. No baking spice bitters. Build in glass only. Orange twist the only garnish. No change in garnish for rum.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 29

Paloma

Answer 29

Tom’s:
2 oz blanco tequila
5 oz Q Grapefruit Soda (or another grapefruit soda)
scant ½ oz simple syrup - omit if using another grapefruit soda
2 lime wedges
pinch of salt (about ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon)
In a collins glass add the tequila, simple syrup, and fill with ice. Add the pinch of salt, squeeze in the juice from the first lime wedge. Gently fill with the grapefruit soda. Briefly stir to integrate. Squeeze in the second lime wedge. I like to add a final sprinkling of salt, but that’s optional. I like it salty.

Ace’s:
1 1/2 oz tequila. no lime wedges. 1/2 oz lime juice. top with Jarrito’s, alternatively mix 1/2 oz grapefruit, 1/2 oz simple, and top with soda. grapefruit peel and salt (on the top of the drink I guess) garnish.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 30

Pimm’s Cup

Answer 30

Tom’s:
1½ oz Pimm’s
½ oz gin
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
3 cucumber discs - or ¼ oz cucumber juice, see below
1½ oz chilled soda water - or so
In a shaker or mixing glass, muddle the cucumber slices with the simple syrup.
Add the Pimm’s, lemon juice, gin and fill with ice. Stir (yes, stir this one) and fine strain into a wine or highball glass over fresh ice.
Top with the soda water and briefly stir to integrate.
Garnish with a cucumber slice, mint sprig and whatever else you feel like - strawberries, orange slices, lemon wheels, assorted berries, what have you.

Ace’s:
2 oz Pimm’s. No gin. 3/4 oz simple. 3/4 oz lemon. no muddling just one cucumber wheel thrown into the tin, shake, strain (doesn’t mention fine straining), top with soda then gently stir. cucumber wheel the only garnish.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 31

Pisco Sour

Answer 31

Tom’s:
2 oz pisco
¾ oz lemon juice (lime works too, or a combination of both)
¾ oz simple syrup
½ oz egg white (about ½ an egg white )
5-6 drops Angostura bitters - for garnish
Combine all ingredients except the bitters in a shaker. Fill with ice and shake as hard as you possibly can for 8-10 seconds. To maximize foam, reverse dry shake then use a Hawthorne strainer to smooth the bubbles out. Keep the gate partially open so as not to hold back too much foam. The slower you pour the better. At the end, you may want to jiggle the shaker the get the last few dollops of foam out, those will be the thickest. Strain into a chilled coupe or stemmed cocktail glass. Let it sit for 5-6 seconds so the egg white can set a bit. Then lightly dash the bitters on top. Do so as ornately or haphazardly as you desire.

Ace’s:
1 1/2 pisco. 3/4 lime (no allowance for lemon). full egg white. dry shake first. Double strain. Garnish with angostura drops.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 32

Ramos Gin Fizz

Answer 32

(Ace only)
2 oz gin
1 oz cream
1 oz simple
1/2 oz lemon
1/2 oz lime
5 drops orange flower water
egg white
(notes that there are several ways to make this cocktail)
vigorously dry shake egg white with citrus for 20 seconds then add all ingredients (except cream) and two cubes of cold draft ice. Shake for 1 minute. Ad cream and shake for 1 minute with one cube. When you can't hear the ice anymore, stop. Add 2 oz soda into chilled collins glass. Slowly strain ramos into collins and stop halfway to the top. Allow to sit for 20 seconds for head to solidify. then add remaining mix to glass until head sits above rim. If necessary pout 1/2-1 oz of soda into tin and restrain into collins but do not free-pour.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 33

Rusty Nail

Answer 33

(Ace only)
2 oz scotch
1/2 oz drambuie
stir with ice, strain over kold draft
orange twist expressed and discarded

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 34

Sazerac

Answer 34

Tom’s:
2 oz rye whiskey (or 1½ oz rye and ½ oz cognac)
teaspoon demerara syrup or ¼ oz simple syrup
4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
splash of absinthe - about ¼ oz.
lemon peel for garnish
Fill a rocks glass with ice and set it aside to chill.
In a chilled mixing glass, combine all ingredients, except the absinthe, fill with ice and stir for 10-12 seconds.
Dump the ice out of the chilling rocks glass and add the splash of absinthe. Swirl the glass around - or toss it up in the air - so that the absinthe fully coats of the sides of the glass, then dump it out (or drink it!).
Stir the cocktail a few more times and strain it into the rocks glass. Do not add any ice!
Hold the lemon peel 4-6 inches above the glass (yes, this actually makes a difference) and express its oils over the drink. the lemon peel while. Discard the peel, do not place it in the glass.

Ace’s:
also allows for the split. no option for simple syrup and a full 1/4 oz of demerara. no angostura. no directions on how to chill the chilled rocks glass. lemon twist rather than peel. No mention of expressing the garnish. put it in the glass rather than discarding it.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 35

Sidecar

Answer 35

Tom’s:
2 oz cognac
¾ oz Cointreau
¾ oz lemon juice
teaspoon demerara syrup or ¼ oz simple syrup
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice. Shake for 8-10 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass that has a thick half rim of sugar (optional, but recommended). Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Ace’s:
allows for brandy. 3/4 combier. doesn’t allow for demerara. double strain. full sugar rim and is not optional. lemon twist no express.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 36

Southside

Answer 36

Tom's:
2 oz gin 
¾ oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
10-12 mint leaves
In a shaker, muddle the mint with the simple syrup.  Add the lime, gin, fill with ice and shake. Fine strain into a chilled coupe or Martini glass. Garnish with a mint leaf or sprig.

Ace’s:
lemon juice rather than lime. only 5 mint leaves. no garnish.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 37

Singapore Sling

Answer 37

(Ace only)
1 oz cherry heering
1 oz dry gin
1/2 oz lemon
shake, strain, top with 1 1/2 oz soda and mint

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 38

Tom Collins and Gin Fizz

Answer 38

Tom’s:
2 oz gin
¾ oz lemon juice
¾ oz simple syrup
chilled soda water - ideally from a small, unopened bottle
Combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in a shaker.
Fill a chilled collins/highball glass with ice.
Fill shaker with ice, shake for 3-4 seconds.
Pour in 2 ounces of soda water in collins glass.
Strain cocktail into glass.
Top with more soda, if needed/desired.
Garnish with an orange half wheel - if desired.
Gin Fizz (Tom only): same as above but without ice and in a smaller vessel like a rocks glass

Ace’s:
says old tom is preferable. only 1/2 oz simple. build in collins glass with kold draft and top with soda, no shaker at all. lemon wheel garnish.
(this can be used as an example of when even the Ace specs don’t follow the rule of always shaking citrus.)

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 39

Vesper

Answer 39

Tom's:
2½ oz gin 
¾ oz Lillet Blanc
½ oz vodka
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass.  Fill with ice, stir for 18-25 seconds, and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with an expressed lemon peel.

Ace’s:
1 1/2 gin. 1/2 cocchi americano rather than 3/4 lillet. 1 oz vodka. lemon twist rather than peel.

The original James Bond recipe from Casino Royale:
3 ounces of Gordon’s gin
1 oz of vodka
1/2 oz of Lillet Blanc
shaken and served with a lemon twist.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 40

Vieux Carre

Answer 40

Tom's:
1¼ oz rye whiskey
1 oz Cognac
scant 1 oz sweet vermouth (about ⅞ oz)
teaspoon Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
lemon peel for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass.   Fill with ice, stir for 15-25 seconds and strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice, preferably one large cube.  Express the oils from the lemon peel and garnish.
Alternative preparation: Combine all ingredients in a chilled rocks glass, add ice, stir, and garnish.

Ace’s:
1 oz rye. 1 oz brandy. 1 oz sweet vermouth. 1/4 Benedictine. Build in glass only option. no garnish.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 41

Whiskey Sour

Answer 41

Tom’s:
2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
¾ lemon juice
¾ oz simple syrup
¼ oz egg white - optional
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, if using egg white, “dry shake” without ice first for about 3 or 4 seconds. Then add ice and shake again very hard for 8-10 seconds. Strain into a chilled rocks glass, over fresh cubes. Garnish with an orange half wheel and cherry, aka “cherry flag”, if you like.
This cocktail is also great served straight up.

Ace’s:
no rye option. acknowledges the 2 oz classic standard but goes with 1 1/2 bourbon. full egg white. dry shake with citrus only then add the rest and shake with ice. lemon twist garnish. on rocks the only serving option.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 42

Between the Sheets

Answer 42

(Tom only)
1 oz cognac
1 oz white rum
½ oz Cointreau - or another high quality orange liqueur.
½ oz lemon juice
¼ oz simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice. Shake for 8-10 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 43

Brooklyn

Answer 43

(Tom only)
2 oz rye whiskey
½ oz dry vermouth
½ oz Cio Ciaro, Ramazotti, or China China Amer
heavy ¼ oz Maraschino (2 teaspooons)

Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass. Fill with ice, stir for 18-25 seconds. Then strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. This is traditionally served with no garnish, though an expressed lemon or orange peel sure is tasty.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 44

Champs Élysées

Answer 44

(Tom only)
2 oz cognac
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz green Chartreuse (or ¼ oz each of green & yellow Chartreuse)
½ oz simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice. Shake for 8-10 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with an expressed lemon peel.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 45

Corpse Reviver #1

Answer 45

(Tom only)
1½ cognac
1 oz apple brandy
¾ oz sweet vermouth
dash Angostura bitters (optional)
orange or lemon peel (optional)

Stir and serve in a coupe or stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange or lemon peel.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 46

Southside Fizz, Traditional Southside Fizz, and Eastside

Answer 46

(Tom only)
2 oz gin 
¾ oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
8-10 mint leaves
3 cucumber slices
chilled soda water

In a shaker, muddle the mint and cucumber with the simple syrup. Add the lime, gin, fill with ice and shake. Fill a collins or highball glass with ice, pour in 1-1½ oz chilled soda water, and fine strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice and mint sprig.

Traditional Southside Fizz
Omit the cucumber.
Southside (recipe in a different card along with Ace’s)
Omit the cucumber and soda water and serve straight up in a coupe or Martini glass. Visit the Southside page form more.
Eastside
Omit the soda water and serve straight up in a coupe of martini glass.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 47

Gibson and Dirty Gibson

Answer 47

(Tom only)
2½ oz gin or vodka
¾ oz dry vermouth
teaspoon onion brine -  optional
​
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass.  Fill with ice, stir for 18-25 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with cocktail onions.

Add ONION brine to make it a Dirty Gibson. Not olive brine!

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 48

Hanky Panky

Answer 48

Tom's:
1½ oz gin
1½ oz sweet vermouth
¼ oz Fernet Branca
orange peel for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass.   Fill with ice, stir for 15-25 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe of stemmed cocktail glass. Express the oils from the orange peel and garnish.
Gin and vermouth recommendations:
I particularly like Tanqueray and Cinzano in this, though any combination should perform admirably.

Ace’s:
2 oz dry gin. 1 1/2 cocchi torino or carpano antica and fernet vallet rather than fernet branca. orange twist rather than orange peel.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 49

Irish Coffee

Answer 49

(Tom only)
2 oz Irish whiskey
½ oz rich demerara/brown sugar syrup, or 1 tablespoon demerara/brown sugar
4-5 oz hot coffee
lightly whipped cream
In a warmed mug, or Irish Coffee mug if you have one, combine the whiskey, sugar and coffee and briefly stir. Top with a float of lightly whipped cream, see below. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon - use a cinnamon stick and microplane, or sprinkle with powdered cinnamon.
To amp up the temperature a few more degrees, use stovetop or microwave before floating the cream.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 50

Mezcal Sazerac

Answer 50

(Tom only)
Mezcal brings yet another aromatic layer to a Sazerac, and it is a thing of beauty.

2 oz mezcal
¼ oz simple syrup - or ½ teaspoon agave nectar
4-5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
splash of absinthe
orange peel for garnish
Fill a rocks glass with ice and set it aside to chill.
In a chilled mixing glass, combine all ingredients, except the absinthe, fill with ice and stir for 10-12 seconds.
Dump the ice out of the chilling rocks glass and add the splash of absinthe. Swirl the glass around - or toss it up in the air - so that the absinthe fully coats of the sides of the glass, then dump it out (or drink it!).
Stir the cocktail a few more times and strain it into the rocks glass. Do not add any ice!
Hold the orange peel 4-6 inches above the glass (yes, this actually makes a difference) and express its oils over the drink. Place it in the glass.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 51

Mexican Firing Squad

Answer 51

(Tom only)
2 oz blanco tequila
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz grenadine
¼ oz simple syrup
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake for about 8 seconds and strain into a rock glass over fresh ice.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 52

White Russian and Mudslide

Answer 52

(Tom only)
1½ oz vodka - chilled in the freezer for best results
1 oz heavy cream
1 oz coffee liqueur

Combine in a rocks glass over ice and stir for 10 seconds or so. Shaking a White Russian is nice too, and certainly gets it colder. Though I prefer the concentrated edge that it gets from stirring.
if you swap out the heavy cream for Bailey’s Irish Cream, you’ve got yourself a Mudslide. Which tastes like a White Russian with butterscotch, it’s not bad. The Frozen Mudslide is the more infamous version you’ll see on the menu at TGIFridays (or are they passed that now? I haven’t been in awhile). To make one of those you’ll probably want to add a scoop or two of coffee or vanilla ice cream, too much ice will water it down.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 53

Perfect Manhattan

Answer 53

(Tom only)
2 ½ oz rye or bourbon (Tom says he finds bourbon works particularly well in Perfect Manhattans because the sweetness balances with the dry vermouth)
½ oz sweet vermouth
½ oz dry vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
lemon or orange twist
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass. Fill with ice, stir for 18-25 seconds. Then strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass or on the rocks.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 54

Piña Colada

Answer 54

(Tom only)
2 oz white rum - chilled in the freezer, if possible.
¼-½ oz overproof Jamaican rum - optional
1 oz pineapple juice - or 5-6 fresh pineapple chunks
1 oz Coco López - or another Cream of Coconut
¼ oz lime juice
1½ cups ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for about 10 seconds, or until ice is thoroughly blended. Pour into a collins or wine glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry if you like, plus whatever else you want to throw on there. Serve with a wide-mouth straw.

You don’t need a blender to make a Piña Colada. While serving them frozen may be traditional, and my preference, they’re perfectly delightful shaken are served over crushed ice as well. Simply reduce the Coco López and pineapple juice to ¾ oz (or 3-4 pineapple chunks), keep the lime and rum the same and I wouldn’t use any more than ¼ oz Jamaican rum, if you use any at all.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 55

50/50 Martini

Answer 55

(Tom only)
I only recommend these with gin. If you happen to have some Navy Strength Gin (57% ABV) a 50/50 is a good idea.

1½ oz gin
1½ oz dry vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
Combine all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass. Fill with ice, stir for 18-30 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. A lemon twist is highly recommended.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 56

Silver Gin Fizz

Answer 56

(Tom only)
2 oz gin
¾ oz lemon juice
¾ oz simple syrup
heavy ¼ oz egg white or about ⅓ of an egg white
chilled soda water

Combine gin, lemon, juice, simple syrup and egg white in a shaker and “dry shake” without ice first for about 6 seconds.
Add 2-3 ice cubes into highball glass (preferably 8 ounces or so).
Pour 1-2 ounces of soda water into glass.
Fill shaker with ice and shake very hard for 4-6 seconds.
Strain cocktail into glass.
Top with more soda, if needed/desired.
Express the oils of a lemon peel over the top and garnish with the peel.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 57

Tequila Old Fashioned

Answer 57

(Tom only)
2 oz reposado or añejo tequila
scant teaspoon agave nectar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash mole bitters - optional, but highly recommended
orange peel for garnish (grapefruit is nice too)
In a chilled mixing glass, combine the tequila, agave, and bitters. Fill it with ice and stir for 18-25 seconds. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice - ideally one large cube. Express the oils of orange peel and add it into the glass.

Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a rocks glass. Stir them with ice, garnish and serve.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 58

Tuxedo

Answer 58

Tom's:
2 oz old tom gin
1 oz fino sherry
1 dash orange bitters
Stir and serve straight up. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Ace’s:
2 oz plymouth or old tom gin. 1 1/2 oz dry vermouth. 1/4 maraschino. 2 dashes of orange bitters. no garnish.

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine

Question 59

Hurricane

Answer 59

Ace only
2 oz Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black (or gold if no black available)
1 oz lemon
1 oz passion fruit syrup
Shake strain into hurricane glass, orange wheel garnish

Oldest, Most Traditional, Best Tasting Traditional, Tom’s, Ace’s, My Favorite Traditional, Best Tasting Overall, Mine