Suffering Bastard

The storied hangover cure from 1940's Cairo. A Dark 'n Stormy when you're out of rum.

1oz London Dry Gin

1oz Bourbon

.5oz Lime Juice

.25oz Demerara Syrup

Two Dashes Angostura Bitters

Ginger Beer

Shake everything but the ginger beer with ice. Strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with mint.

Affinity

 2oz Scotch -Blended or Highland Single Malt

.5oz Sweet Vermouth

.5oz Dry Vermouth

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine ingredients over ice and mix. Strain into a coup. Garnish with a cherry and/or citrus twist.

Full Monte

This take on the reverse Manhattan is best with a bold & spicy rye.

2oz Amaro Montenegro

1oz Rye Whiskey

1 Dash Angostura Bitters

1 Orange Twist

Add the amaro, whiskey and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Express the oil from the orange twist over the top of the drink and discard. Garnish with a cherry.

You could also build in the glass and save yourself some dishes.

Cobble Hill

Like a Manhattan for sunny Spring days. Next time I might try it with a bit more Amaro Montenegro. 

2oz Rittenhouse Rye
.5oz Amaro Montenegro
.5oz Extra Dry Vermouth
3 Cucumber Slices

Add all of the ingredients except one cucumber slice to a mixing glass and gently muddle. Add ice and stir until chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with your remaining cucumber slice.

Whiskey Sour (Quick & Dirty)

Ideal for when it's hot and you just need a drink. 

2oz Bourbon

.75 Lemon Juice

.5oz Simple Syrup

Dash of Angostura Bitters

Combine ingredients and shake with ice. Dump everything into a glass. Enjoy.

Whiskey Sour

 2oz Whiskey

.75oz Lemon Juice

.5-.75oz Simple Syrup

Egg White

Angostura Bitters

Combine whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white in a cocktail tin and shake without ice (a dry shake). Add ice and shake again. Double strain into a coup and top with a few drops of bitters.

If you're using a sweeter whiskey, like a wheated bourbon, I'd use .5oz simple syrup. Where a spicy rye could do well with the full .75oz of simple. 

I break the egg white into the other half of a tin, so if I screw up and get egg yolk in there I can just toss the egg without costing a couple ounces of whiskey. Don't worry about getting all of the egg white either. You want about 1oz.

Talent Scout

A simple variation of the Old Fashioned. I suggest Maker's Mark 101 for some extra holiday flavor.

2.25oz Overproof Bourbon
.5oz Orange Curacao

2-4 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Lemon Twist

Build in a rocks glass with large cubes. Stir.

New York Sour

2oz Old Overholt Bonded Rye
1oz Lemon Juice
.75oz Simple Syrup
1oz Red Wine

Combine whisky, lemon juice and simple syrup into a shaker over ice and shake for approx. 15 seconds or until chilled. Pour over rocks into an ice filled old fashioned or rocks glass. Pour the wine over the back of a bar spoon into the drink to create the float. 

Mint Julep

Mint without lime? I'm not sure I understand... But my mint is growing like a weed, so let's make this Kentucky classic.

.5oz Simple Syrup

12 Mint Leaves

3oz Bourbon

2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

In a Julep cup, rocks or highball glass, lightly muddle the mint and syrup. Add bourbon, bitters and about 2/3 glass crushed ice. Stir, preferably with a swizzle stick. Top until overflowing with crushed ice. Garnish with even more mint.

Manhattan

2oz Rye Whiskey

1oz Sweet Vermouth

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

1 Dash Orange Bitters

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until cold. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry.

If you want your Manhattan with a touch of sweet, add a scant bar spoon of the juice/syrup from a jar of cherries. 

California Gold

I tried making a handful of beer cocktails recently and learned the important lesson that beer cocktails are generally, at best, meh. I love a Boilermaker and a Black & Tan, but the combination of beer along with spirit, sweet & sour rarely works. The California Gold is the only exception I've found so far. No one flavor dominates the others for a nice summer sipper. 

1.5oz Whiskey (Irish whiskey or bourbon both work great.)

1oz Lemon Juice

.75oz Honey Syrup

4oz Pilsner or Pale Ale

Dash Angostura Bitters

Shake whiskey, lemon juice and honey syrup with ice. Double strain into a glass with fresh ice. Top with beer and finish with a dash or two of bitters. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Strawberry Bourbon Smash

Another light and refreshing Summer cocktail to add to your repertoire. Credit to thebitterfairy.

2oz Bourbon

.5oz Amaro Nonino

.75oz Lemon Juice

.5oz Strawberry Oleo Saccharum

3 Mint Leaves

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Double strain over fresh ice. Garnish with mint & strawberry.

To make the strawberry oleo sacchuraum, slice half a dozen strawberries and add to a ziploc bag with a tablespoon of sugar. Seal then wait a few hours. Strain out the solids.

Whiskey Highball

I've ordered many a whiskey & soda at my favorite dive bar. This ain't that. 

The difference is in the details. It starts with the glass. A highball glass should be tall, slender and hold a mere 8-12oz. Ice cubes should be large. The soda water chilled. The whiskey should hit the sweet spot between everyday and birthday. The citrus I leave to you, just use sparingly.

2oz Whiskey -Japanese Whisky, Blended Scotch or Bourbon.

Chilled Sparkling or Soda Water

Citrus Peel or Wedge

Add ice to highball glass, stir until the glass begins to chill. Drain water. Add whiskey, gently stir. Add soda water. Garnish with citrus.

Whiskey Peach Smash

This cocktail will whisper into your ear, "Sneak me into a Summer concert in the park." Listen to the cocktail.

2oz Bourbon

1oz Curacao

.25oz Simple Syrup

4 Lemon Wedges

2-3 Peach Slices

4-5 Mint Leaves

Muddle mint, lemon wedges and peach slices. Add curacao, bourbon and simple syrup. Shake with ice. Double strain into a glass with crushed iced. Garnish with mint and peach slice.

Iron Ranger

From Erick Castro of Polite Provisions in San Diego.

2oz Bourbon

1oz Pineapple Juice

.75oz Lemon Juice

.25oz Velvet Falernum

.5oz Simple Syrup

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add one large cube and shake, a lot. Pour into a hurricane glass and top with crushed ice. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon, cinnamon stick and mint sprig.

Rickey

Named for 19th century Washington DC lobbyist Joe Rickey, this drink was invented in what is now one of the most boring hotel bars in our nation's capitol. 

A highball style cocktail, you can use almost any spirit here, but gin or bourbon are best. 

2oz Spirit

The Juice of Half a Lime

A Couple Ounces Soda Water

Add spirit and lime juice to a glass with ice, top with soda water and stir. Garnish with lime.

Penicillin

The first time I had this lovely concoction it was 2 am, yet still 95 degrees outside. I was at Gramps in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami with a couple of colleagues, blowing off steam from a conference. The first sip was a revelation -- refreshing and bracing at the same time. The perfect drink for 2 am Miami in May. The night continued on for many hours, with at least one more Penicillin, and lots of talk about psychedelics -if that tells you anything.

2oz Blended Scotch 

.75oz Islay Scotch -I go with a full ounce if I'm feeling frisky.

.75oz Lemon Juice

.25oz Honey Ginger Syrup

To make the honey ginger syrup combine .5 cup honey, .5 cup water, 1 inch piece of freshly peeled and thinly sliced ginger. Bring to a boil. Let steep over night. Strain. Cool.

Build the drink in the glass. Add a large cube. Garnish with a slice of ginger. Enjoy. 

Wanderlust

In this time of isolation and social distancing, this drink conjures up a recent trip to Iceland with dear friends. Brennivin wraps around the cognac, brandy and scotch to give this liquor forward drink a lovely herbaceous essence that the Bittermen's burlesque bitters accentuates.

The perfect drink for after you get home from taking your dog on an evening stroll in Reykjavik where you had to walk backwards in full rain gear to make it through the elements.

1oz Auchentoshan Three Wood Scotch Whisky 

1oz Park ‘Fin Bois’ Cognac

.75oz Harvey’s Bristol Cream

.25oz Brennívin Aquavit

3 Dashes Bittermen’s Burlesque Bitters 

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir until thoroughly chilled then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel. 

Reanimator

One day I'll have the best pizza of my life. When that day comes, and when that pizza is done & eaten I hope to finish the meal with this drink.

1.5oz Rye Whiskey

1.5oz Amaro Nonino

Stir ingredients together over ice. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

Paper Plane

Me, after my first sip: Oh, that is fucking delightful.

This classic of the modern classics does not disappoint. 

1oz Aperol

1oz Bourbon

1oz Amaro Nonino

1oz Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail tin, add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a chilled glass.