Cocktail Book

Ingredients

• Cognac30 ml
• Crème de Cacao (Brown)30 ml
• Fresh Cream30 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

Notes

Created by Harry MacElhone in 1922 in London, at Ciro’s Club in honour of a famous bride. The original used gin, so this version is sometimes called a ‘Brandy Alexander’. John Lennon said it tasted like a milkshake, which I’m not going to argue.

Comments

A relative of the Grasshopper. Sweet, relaxing, and pretty good with orange bitters too.

Ingredients

• Campari30 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth30 ml
• Soda WaterTop

Method

1. Build in an old fashioned glass over ice.
2. Top with soda water and stir gently.
3. Garnish with orange slice and lemon zest.

Notes

Named for when Primo Carnera, a giant Italian boxer, became champion in NYC and returned to be greeted with the ‘Americano’. Bond is also apparently a fan of these.

Comments

They were all over Italy when I last went, but I find them a bit grim, in the very bitter category with Negronis and Boulevardiers. Each to their own.

Ingredients

• Gin30 ml
• Apricot Brandy30 ml
• Calvados30 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

The cocktail first appears in the Savoy Cocktail Book compiled by Harry Craddock in 1930.

Comments

Sweet slow sipper, the apricot and Calvados complement each other somewhat well, but I didn’t love it overall. There’s a reason it’s not well known.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur15 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Crème de Violette7.5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with cracked ice.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Notes

Invented in New York at the Walkick hotel by Hugo Ensslin in 1916. The Crème de Violette is niche and was out of production for a long stretch up until 2007. Its floral notes and fun blue-purple colour are leading to a resurgence.

Comments

I imagine more people have heard of Ryan Reynolds’ gin company than the cocktail, but this is exactly my kind of drink - strong, balanced, and completely unique. The violet tastes a bit like those sweets.

Ingredients

• White Rum30 ml
• Cognac30 ml
• Triple Sec30 ml
• Lemon Juice20 ml
• Sugar Syrup(optional)5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Credited to Harry MacElhone in Paris in the 1930s as a derivative of the sidecar. A competing theory claims it was invented in a brothel.

Comments

For me it’s just a worse Sidecar. Some people seem to prefer it though, and it tastes enough like a Sidecar to be good.

Ingredients

• Bourbon Whiskey45 ml
• Campari30 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth30 ml

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass (also often served on the rocks).
3. Optionally, garnish with orange zest.

Notes

Credited to Erskine Gwynne, an American-born writer who founded a monthly magazine in Paris called Boulevardier, which appeared from 1927 to 1932.

Comments

As I mentioned before, I’m personally not a fan, it’s very bitter, but don’t let me stop you.

Ingredients

• Brandy45 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur7.5 ml
• Curaçao5 ml
• Sugar Syrup5 ml
• Angostura Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Prepare a sugar rim and lemon peel in the glass.
2. Stir the ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into the prepared glass.

Notes

The cocktail, named for the crust of sugar on the rim, was invented by Joseph Santini, and first appeared in print in 1862.

Comments

On the sweeter side but still nice and citrusy, with the bitters giving it a nice complexity. A fun cocktail.

Ingredients

• Old Tom Gin60 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur15 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Orange Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lemon zest and a maraschino cherry.

Notes

Credited to Jacob A. Didier, dating back to 1909. IBA recipe dictates 40/10/10 quantities.

Comments

Solid but not that exciting. Maybe better with actual Old Tom gin rather than the London Dry I used.

Ingredients

• Gin60 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Raspberries4-5
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Egg White1

Method

1. Muddle raspberries and dry shake all ingredients.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Notes

A drink that predates Prohibition in the United States, and is named for the Philadelphia men's club of the same name. Was fading in popularity even by 1930.

Comments

Original recipe has less gin and uses raspberry syrup instead of fresh raspberries and simple syrup, but this works really well. An underrated drink. Freezing raspberries is a good way to have them always on hand.

Ingredients

• White Rum60 ml
• Lime Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Daiquirí is also the name of a beach and an iron mine near Santiago de Cuba. The drink was supposedly invented by American mining engineer Jennings Cox in 1898. A similar recipe to the grog British sailors drank to prevent scurvy.

Comments

Balanced and tasty, spawning many variations. Reaches a whole new tier of amazing when using Key Lime juice or a slightly aged blonde rum like Equiano.

Ingredients

• Gin60 ml
• Dry Vermouth5-15 ml
• Orange Bitters(optional)1 dash

Method

1. Stir with ice for 30 seconds.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lemon peel or an olive.

Notes

Name either originates from Martini vermouth or the Martinez cocktail. More so than any other cocktail, it’s important to check how someone wants it made - gin or vodka, how dry, etc. A 6:1 dirty gin martini is probably my favourite.

Comments

A classic which contrary to popular opinion, should be stirred! Important for this one to be very well-chilled, so if ever going to bother freezing glassware or chilling with ice, this is the one to do it with.

Ingredients

• Gin60 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Soda WaterTop (60 ml)

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except soda with ice.
2. Strain into a tall tumbler filled with ice.
3. Top with soda water and swizzle.

Notes

Supposedly named for head waiter John Collins at Limmer’s Old House in Mayfair, and the use of Old Tom gin led to name mixing. Nowadays a John Collins usually means whisky.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth45 ml
• Fernet Branca7.5 ml

Method

1. Stir with ice for 30 seconds.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with orange zest.

Notes

Named when Ada "Coley" Coleman, head bartender at the Savoy Hotel, made it for a regular in the early 1900s, asking "Coley, I am tired. Give me something with a bit of punch in it." He responded: "By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!"

Comments

Actually pretty good, I should stop getting suspicious of classic drinks before trying them. Again I say: refrigerate your vermouth! *tested with Martini rosso

Ingredients

• Gin22.5 ml
• Lime Juice22.5 ml
• Green Chartreuse22.5 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur22.5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a cherry.

Notes

A gin-based Prohibition-era cocktail originally developed at the Detroit Athletic Club using bathtub gin (a recreation of which the club still uses). Makes for a great drink template to experiment with.

Comments

Now we’re at the fun stuff! Herbal, complex, perfectly balanced. It takes a few sips to work out what you’re tasting. I love it, definitely where the rest of my chartreuse is going.

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey60 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth30 ml
• Orange Bitters(optional)2 dashes

Method

1. Stir with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a cherry.

Notes

Popular history claims the drink was invented at the Manhattan Club in the mid-1870s for a banquet hosted by Jennie Jerome (mother of Winston Churchill), if you’re willing to ignore her being pregnant in France at the time.

Comments

A drink I enjoy a lot more now I know you need to refrigerate Vermouth. This variant is known as a sweet Manhattan.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth45 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur5 ml
• Orange Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Stir with ice for 30 seconds.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lemon zest.

Notes

Likely invented by either Jerry Thomas or a bartender called Richelieue who worked at a saloon in Martinez in the late 1800s. The precursor to the martini.

Comments

I’ve seen some wildly different recipes for this, but I like this ratio. Expected it to be too bitter, but with martini red vermouth, nice orange bitters, and the maraschino to balance it, it makes for a nice evening drink when you don’t want something too sweet.

Ingredients

• White Rum45 ml
• Pineapple Juice45 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur7.5 ml
• Grenadine5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with cherries.

Notes

A prohibition-era cocktail named after Canadian-American film actress Mary Pickford. It’s said to have been made for her at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba on a trip she took to Havana with Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks.

Comments

A bit sweet.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Orange Juice45 ml
• Absinthe15 ml
• Grenadine15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a peeled grape.

Notes

Made by Harry MacElhone in the 1920s, named after doctor Serge Voronoff “the Monkey Gland man”’s idea that grafting monkey testicle tissue into humans would increase longevity. Hope that worked out for them.

Comments

Hell of a story. Weird but drinkable. The absinthe adds a necessary complexity.

Ingredients

• Gin30 ml
• Campari30 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth30 ml

Method

1. Build in a rocks glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently.
3. Garnish with an orange slice.

Notes

In 1919, Count Pascal-Olivier de Negroni asked the bartender to strengthen his Americano by adding gin rather than soda water. The bartender used an orange garnish to signify that it was a different drink.

Comments

Pretty bitter. My least favourite cocktail, if I’m being honest, though I respect it as a choice.

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey60 ml
• Sugar Cube1
• Angostura Bitters4 dashes
• Soda WaterA few dashes

Method

1. Saturate a sugar cube with bitters in the glass.
2. Add a dash of soda water and muddle until dissolved.
3. Add ice and whiskey, then stir gently.

Notes

Named as a reaction to the “Improved Whisky Cocktail”, which uses cherry liqueur, for those who preferred the old-fashioned way. Versions of it go back to 1806, and it’s arguably the first cocktail.

Comments

A classic, a subtle contrast of bitter against a little sweetness. Great one to serve smoked or with a burned orange. If you like this, try my smoked toffee one, it’s on another level.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Apricot Brandy22.5 ml
• Orange Juice22.5 ml
• Orange Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

The earliest known in-print recipe for the Paradise Cocktail was written by Harry Craddock in 1930. In 2018, Snoop Dogg set the record for the largest, using 180 bottles of gin, 154 bottles of apricot brandy, and 144 l of orange juice.

Comments

The choice of drink for “a young playa”, apparently. Tasted like a fancy Screwdriver.

Ingredients

• Jamaican Rum45 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Sugar Cane Juice30 ml
• Pineapple Juice(optional)To taste
• Orange Juice(optional)To taste

Method

1. Build in a small tumbler or terracotta glass.
2. Add dilution to taste with ice or juice.
3. Stir gently.

Notes

This cocktail has been said to have originated at the Planters Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, but apparently actually originated in Jamaica, making the first half of that sentence somewhat pointless. Oh well.

Comments

One of the last ones I actually made due to the difficulty of finding sugar cane juice! Was quite good.

Ingredients

• Tawny Port45 ml
• Brandy15 ml
• Egg Yolk1

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with nutmeg.

Notes

First recorded by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book The Bartender’s Guide: How to Mix Drinks; A Bon Vivant’s Companion, though under the name "Coffee Cocktail", named for its appearance rather than its ingredients.

Comments

Efficient use of separating out the egg whites, but actually a bit bland (at least with the port and brandy I used). You honestly get more from the smell of nutmeg than the taste.

Ingredients

• Gin60 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Fresh Cream30 ml
• Egg White1
• Orange Flower Water1.5 ml
• Vanilla Extract2 drops
• Soda WaterTop

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except soda with ice for two minutes.
2. Strain into a chilled glass and shake without ice.
3. Top with soda water.

Notes

Invented by Henry C. Ramos 1888 at his Imperial Cabinet Saloon bar, originally known as the New Orleans Fizz. Old instructions required a 12-minute shake, this is an adapted version that should still work fine.

Comments

One for the alchemists! When it works, you get a very cool jump of static meringue foam. Make sure the soda is fizzy.

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey60 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth22.5 ml
• Red Cherry Liqueur15 ml
• AbsintheRinse

Method

1. Rinse a chilled glass with absinthe and discard the excess.
2. Stir the remaining ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with lemon zest.

Notes

The phrase "Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain!" was a rallying cry after the explosion of the US ship in 1898, which contributed to the Spanish–American War.

Comments

To be honest, it's a bit similar to a Manhattan for me. Perfectly good, but I don’t know why the IBA bothered adding this to Unforgettables - I think most have forgotten it.

Ingredients

• Blended Scotch Whisky45 ml
• Drambuie22.5 ml

Method

1. Build in a rocks glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently.

Notes

Didn’t really become popular until the 1960s, possibly because Sinatra’s Rat Pack were a fan of the drink. Can substitute various spirits in for a different effect.

Comments

A simple drink but easy to make and less to wash up, a reasonable nightcap. Glad to know what Drambuie actually tastes like after Inbetweeners (honey, anise, bitter orange).

Ingredients

• Cognac60 ml
• AbsintheRinse
• Sugar Cube1
• Peychaud's Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe and discard the excess.
2. Stir the remaining ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with lemon peel.

Notes

Named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac. At one point in the 19th century Rye whiskey was used when cognac became difficult to obtain, which some recipes still use or blend. A Sazerac Rye Whiskey company also exists.

Comments

Slightly more interesting than a glass of cognac on its own I guess, with a bit of anise, wormwood and mint on top. Not my favourite.

Ingredients

• Cognac60 ml
• Triple Sec22.5 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Sugar Syrup(optional)5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with burnt orange.

Notes

Name directly after the motorbike attachment. Considered more of a challenge for bartenders because the proportion of ingredients is more difficult to balance for orange liqueurs of variable sweetness.

Comments

Absolutely delicious balanced citrusy drink. Works well at a 2:1:1 ratio too. Great with a burnt orange garnish (first cocktail I tried it on). Big fan.

Ingredients

• Cognac45 ml
• Crème de Menthe15 ml

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Originating in the 1890s, the Stinger was a popular drink during Prohibition, as crème de menthe could mask the taste of the inferior-quality brandies then available. It was seen as a fairly upper-class drink.

Comments

IBA recipe is 2.5:1, but 3:1 is the classic ratio, and still plenty minty! Nice way to give a brandy some zing, and goes completely green if you use the usual Crème de Menthe.

Ingredients

• Old Tom Gin30 ml
• Dry Vermouth30 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur5 ml
• Absinthe1 dash
• Orange Bitters3 dashes

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a cherry and lemon zest.

Notes

Named after the Tuxedo Club in New York where it was first mixed. Tuxedo Park, where the club was built, is a derivation of the Lenape word tucseto. The menswear by the same name originated at the same country club around the same time.

Comments

They sure loved their vermouth in these unforgettables. Light, complex, and yes, vermouthy - a more approachable martini.

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey30 ml
• Cognac30 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth30 ml
• Bénédictine1 bar spoon
• Peychaud's Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with orange zest and a maraschino cherry.

Notes

It originated with Walter Bergeron, a bartender at New Orleans’ Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone. The name is French for "old square”, in reference to the city's French Quarter neighbourhood.

Comments

The herby honey taste of the Bénédictine and use of Cognac makes this a noticeably sweeter and very easy-going Manhattan variant. Made one with JD Rye and Martini Rosso vermouth that went down very easily.

Ingredients

• Whisky60 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Egg White(optional)1
• Angostura Bitters(optional)3 drops

Method

1. Dry shake, then shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with orange and a few drops of bitters.

Notes

Dates back to at least 1870. I’ve tweaked the ratios, and have a personal preference for using a nice scotch, controversial as it is to some. The flavours lengthen over the course of a nice balanced drink rather than get masked, I promise.

Comments

The cocktail that got me into cocktails! A delicious, well-balanced cocktail, with a lovely texture and foam. It’s fun to make and my go-to for converting someone to whisky. A Gold Rush, using 22.5ml honey syrup, is particularly good, as is a tequila sour.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Triple Sec30 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Egg White(optional)1

Method

1. Dry shake if using egg white, then shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Notes

Another Harry MacElhone invention, this one from 1919. Also known as a Chelsea Sidecar. Early recipes don’t use the egg white, but apparently “the silky foam clings pleasingly to the curved glass of a coupe”. Odd phrasing.

Comments

Strong and orangey, probably better with the egg white. A fun Sidecar relative for those who prefer gin.

Ingredients

• Prosecco100 ml
• White Peach Purée50 ml

Method

1. Add peach purée to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Add Prosecco and stir gently.
3. Pour into a chilled flute.

Notes

Invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. Named because its unique colour reminded him of the toga of a saint in a painting by 15th-century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini (maybe Madonna and Child?).

Comments

To do it at home you’d probably have to peel, de-stone, and blend the peaches to make your own purée, so only really worth it if you’re making a big batch for a jug at a garden party. Very tasty drink though.

Ingredients

• Vodka45 ml
• Tomato Juice90 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Worcestershire Sauce2 dashes
• Tabasco2 dashes
• Celery SaltPinch
• Black PepperPinch

Method

1. Throw or stir all ingredients with ice.
2. Pour into the serving glass.
3. Garnish with celery.

Notes

Bartender Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921 at the New York Bar in Paris, a frequent Paris hangout for Ernest Hemingway and other American migrants. Originally referred to as a "Bucket of Blood".

Comments

*60 ml shot for an evening drink, 45 ml as a hangover cure. Some don’t like the concept of a savoury cocktail, but I think a Bloody Mary is delicious, it’s got a great spicy kick. So far the only drink I’ve tried throwing. Fun to make.

Ingredients

• Cachaça60 ml
• Lime1, cut into wedges
• White Cane Sugar4 tsp

Method

1. Muddle lime wedges with sugar in the glass.
2. Fill with cracked ice and add cachaca.
3. Stir gently.

Notes

Brazil’s national cocktail, often paired with their national dish, feijoada. Possibly invented by São Paulo farmers, as a local drink for parties at Barão de Serra Negra palace. Also used today as a tonic for the common cold.

Comments

Cachaça is the main part of the drink, which is tricky as it’s not common in the UK. Rhum agricole or a nice white rum are your best options for a substitute, though cachaça is sweeter/more vegetal than rum (raw sugar cane vs molasses).

Ingredients

• Gin30 ml
• Dry Vermouth20 ml
• Campari10 ml

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lemon zest.

Notes

Originates from the 1950s, and was named after the colour of the German cardinal’s robes who the cocktail was created for at the Hotel Excelsior in Rome. Basically a dryer Negroni riff. Current IBA recipe recommends 40ml gin.

Comments

I’m not sure why the IBA wanted this added, it could have been a subheading under the Negroni to be honest. Don’t know why I included it.

Ingredients

• Champagne90 ml
• Cognac10 ml
• Angostura Bitters2 dashes
• Sugar Cube1
• Grand Marnier(optional)Few drops

Method

1. Soak a sugar cube with bitters and drop it into a flute.
2. Add cognac and top with chilled champagne.
3. Garnish with lemon twist and cherry.

Notes

A version of an 1862 Jerry Thomas classic. Sort of a champagne Old-Fashioned, a nice way to jazz up your Champagne when hosting.

Comments

Cool drink, but named with the imagination of Alexander the Great naming cities Alexandria. A richer, stronger fizz, but pretty dangerous.

Ingredients

• Gin30 ml
• Cointreau30 ml
• Lillet Blanc30 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Absinthe1 dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with orange zest.

Notes

From a family of cocktails with the potency or characteristics needed to revive a dead person, drunk as hangover cures. Substitute dry vermouth for Lillet Blanc if needed.

Comments

Pretty citrusy, I like this one. Tastes like a herbal Sidecar.

Ingredients

• Vodka Citron45 ml
• Cointreau15 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Cranberry Juice30 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with citrus twist.

Notes

Despite the perception as being very modern, its origins are in the Cosmopolitan Daisy, first seen in 1934. A rival theory suggests that the first taster of a Kamikaze with a splash of cranberry added remarked “How cosmopolitan”.

Comments

Always thought this would be an overly sweet drink because of its colour - it isn’t! It’s very well balanced, and one of my favourite vodka cocktails. Never judge a drink by its colour.

Ingredients

• White Rum60 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• ColaTop
• Angostura Bitters(optional)Dash

Method

1. Build in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently to mix.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Notes

Originated in the early 20th century in Cuba, after the country won independence in the Spanish–American War, and spread fast due to its ease of making and cheap ingredients.

Comments

So yeah it’s basically just a rum and coke, but even the simplest drinks should be made the best that they can be, and the lime makes all the difference. I also like Fentiman’s cola as an upgrade on Coca Cola.

Ingredients

• Gin30 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Champagne60 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except champagne with ice.
2. Strain into a flute and top with champagne.
3. Stir gently and garnish.

Notes

The original recipe at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun. Sign me up.

Comments

Tastes a bit like lemon sherbert, which you can lean into by using a couple of spoonfuls of powdered sugar instead of simple syrup. Pretty nice.

Ingredients

• Cognac45 ml
• Amaretto22.5 ml

Method

1. Build in an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently.

Notes

Named for the Gene Hackman film of the same name.

Comments

Simple but nice! The original IBA recipe is actually 50/50, but Disaronno themselves recommend 2:1, and I think I agree. By all means almond my recipe though.

Ingredients

• Campari45 ml
• Orange Juice120 ml

Method

1. Build in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Pour orange juice over the back of a bar spoon for layering.
3. Garnish with an orange slice.

Notes

Emerging in Italian bars in the 1950s and 60s, it pays homage to the man who unified Italy in 1861 and his soldiers’ red-orange jackets, with ingredients from both the North and South of Italy.

Comments

I did everything right with this one, even hand-squeezing a bunch of oranges, and…I hated it. The first sip gave me a little hope with some lovely orange flavour, then the bitterness kicked in. Weirdly moreish despite being disgusting.

Ingredients

• Galliano30 ml
• Triple Sec30 ml
• Orange Juice30 ml
• Fresh Cream15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Popular in the 60s and 70s, it originated at the Old King Bar in Miami, mixed by Raimundo Alvarez. It was dedicated to actress Joan Crawford and became quite popular at the end of the 60s on the east coast of the United States.

Comments

Creamy orange vanilla, with an aniseed aftertaste. Delicate, sweet, delicious. A dessert cocktail for sure, with a touch of lemon tart about it. Really grows on you as you drink it, would make again.

Ingredients

• Crème de Cacao (White)30 ml
• Crème de Menthe (Green)30 ml
• Fresh Cream30 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Named after its colour. A bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, Tujague's, claims the drink was invented in 1918 by its owner, Philip Guichet. The drink gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s in the American South.

Comments

Ooh green. Tastes like the mint they give you after an Indian.

Ingredients

• White Rum45 ml
• Lime Juice20 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur15 ml
• Grapefruit Juice15 ml
• Sugar Syrup(optional)10 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled glass.

Notes

When Ernest Hemingway (Papa) tried the Floridita’s Daiquiri in Cuba, he said "That's good but I prefer it without sugar and double rum". Grapefruit juice was later added to balance it a little.

Comments

Resulting from Hemingway’s diabetes concerns. My version is more balanced, but feel free to go hardcore if you have Hemingway’s dry palate.

Ingredients

• Cognac45 ml
• Ginger AleTop
• Angostura Bitters(optional)Dash

Method

1. Build in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently and garnish with lemon rind.

Notes

Dates back to the 1890s, originally non-alcoholic, with the brandy version known as a Stiff Horse’s Neck. As far as I know it’s the only IBA cocktail named after its garnish.

Comments

Really surprisingly good! Needs a bit of lemon-peeling dexterity, but the resulting drink is very light, smooth, grapey, and the citrus nose pairs in a lovely way while also looking great. The bitters do elevate it a lot in my opinion too.

Ingredients

• Irish Whiskey60 ml
• Hot Coffee120 ml
• White Cane Sugar1 tsp
• Fresh Cream60 ml

Method

1. Stir whiskey and sugar into warm coffee.
2. Float cream over the back of a spoon.

Notes

In 19th-century France, a mixture of coffee and spirits was called a gloria. Hard to pin down a specific origin. A rare example of a hot cocktail.

Comments

The coffee is meant to be drunk through the cream rather than mixed.

Ingredients

• Dry White Wine90 ml
• Crème de Cassis10 ml

Method

1. Pour crème de cassis into the glass.
2. Top up with white wine.

Notes

Named after Félix Kir, mayor of Dijon in Burgundy from 1945-68. A pioneer of the twinning movement after WW2, he popularised the drink by offering it at receptions to visiting delegations, promoting two economic products of the region.

Comments

Lots of variations, though the most popular of course is the Kir Royale, made with Champagne as a classic New Year’s Eve drink. Much better with bubbles for sure.

Ingredients

• Vodka15 ml
• Tequila15 ml
• White Rum15 ml
• Gin15 ml
• Cointreau15 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• ColaDash

Method

1. Fill a highball glass with ice and add a dash of cola.
2. Shake the remaining ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into the glass and stir gently.

Notes

A drink invented by Robert "Rosebud" Butt in a contest to create a new drink with triple sec in 1972. Unusually strong for a highball drink at about 22% ABV.

Comments

Reduced the syrup for a much better balanced version, the cola is plenty sweet already (I recommend Fentiman’s). Strong but refreshing.

Ingredients

• Gold Rum30 ml
• White Rum30 ml
• Curaçao15 ml
• Orgeat Syrup15 ml
• Lime Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup7.5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Pour into a double rocks or tiki glass.
3. Garnish with pineapple, mint, and lime peel.

Notes

The name was allegedly taken from maitaʻi, the Tahitian word for "good" or "excellence". Pineapple juice, orange juice, and a dark rum float are common in Hawaii.

Comments

Absolutely stunning, deliciously balanced cocktail (and not too almondy!). I used Pilar Dark and Equiano Blonde for my first one and it was out of this world. Arguably the best rum cocktail out there.

Ingredients

• Tequila60 ml
• Triple Sec30 ml
• Lime Juice30 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled margarita glass or a rocks glass with ice.
3. Garnish with a half salt rim.

Notes

Originally appearing in the Cafe Royal Cocktail Book in the UK in 1937 with the name Picador. Apparently the world’s most popular cocktail.

Comments

Strong and punchy. If you want a cocktail that doesn’t mess about, this is the one. Careful with the salt though, the one I had at a cat café ended up tasting like seawater.

Ingredients

• Prosecco75 ml
• Orange Juice75 ml

Method

1. Ensure both ingredients are chilled.
2. Combine in a flute and serve cold.

Notes

Named after the yellow-flowered mimosa plant. Even the late Queen Elizabeth has had one, introduced to her by Earl Mountbatten of Burma after his visit to the south of France.

Comments

Refreshing and fruity, a classic brunch drink for a reason.

Ingredients

• Bourbon Whiskey60 ml
• Mint10-12 leaves
• Sugar Syrup2 bar spoons
• Water2 tsp

Method

1. Smack mint leaves, then muddle with sugar and water in a julep tin.
2. Fill with cracked ice and stir until the cup frosts.
3. Garnish with mint.

Notes

At least as old as the 1770s, the name comes from the Persian word for rosewater. Traditionally served in silver or pewter cups, and held only by the bottom and top edges to avoid heat transfer to the drink.

Comments

Very tasty and refreshing, but I think my whisky smash recipe improves on it with scotch and lemon.

Ingredients

• White Rum45 ml
• Lime Juice22.5 ml
• Mint6-12 leaves
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Soda WaterTop

Method

1. Smack mint leaves to release oils.
2. Mix mint leaves with sugar, lime juice, and rum, then fill with crushed ice.
3. Top with soda water and swizzle.
4. Add more ice if needed. Garnish with mint.

Notes

Born in Havana, Cuba, a British boarding party ~1650 took it as a local remedy from the South American Indians to prevent scurvy and dysentery (which would have worked!). Named after the Spanish for “slightly wet“ - mojadito.

Comments

A lovely uncontroversial refreshing drink, also a great mocktail without the rum. Trust me on smacking the mint, particularly for the garnish, it really helps. Do a smell test if you don’t believe me.

Ingredients

• Vodka60 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Ginger BeerTop

Method

1. Combine vodka and lime in a mule cup or rocks glass.
2. Fill with ice and top with ginger beer.
3. Garnish with lime.

Notes

“I just wanted to clean out the basement.” A bar ordered too much vodka and ginger beer, and the bar owner’s girlfriend owned a copper factory (though since the <6.0 pH would dissolve it, they’re normally steel-lined now for safety).

Comments

A very nice drink, which I think I even prefer to a Kentucky mule despite preferring Whisky to Vodka. Now often called a Kyiv mule, you’ll also get London (gin), Mexican (tequila), Glasgow (scotch), Jamaican (spiced rum), and many more.

Ingredients

• White Rum60 ml
• Pineapple Juice60 ml
• Coconut Milk20 ml
• Fresh Cream20 ml
• Amaretto(optional)Dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice.
3. Garnish with pineapple and lime.

Notes

Originates in Puerto Rico, the name meaning strained pineapple. The earliest known story is that ​​Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí, to boost his crew's morale, gave them a drink that contained coconut, pineapple and white rum.

Comments

Official recipe recommends blending the ingredients with ice and coconut cream rather than milk, but this hack works really well with a carton of standard supermarket coconut milk if you don’t fancy washing up a blender. A very refreshing drink.

Ingredients

• Pisco60 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Egg White1
• Amargo Bitters3 drops

Method

1. Dry shake, then shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass.
3. Garnish with bitters drops.

Notes

Peruvian origin, using Pisco (named after a town in Peru), a type of high-proof distilled brandy aged in steel or glass barrels that don’t affect its chemical properties or colour. No additives are allowed.

Comments

I once thought I could get away with using grappa when I didn’t have Pisco - I was wrong, it was bad. use brandy if you must, but the original is lovely and light!

Ingredients

• Cachaça60 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth20 ml
• Aperol15 ml
• Angostura Bitters(optional)2 drops

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with citrus zest if desired.

Notes

A Brazilian cocktail dating back to the inauguration of the Cinzano vermouth factory in the 1950s. Its name literally means “cock tail” (the actual word for cocktail in Brazil is coquetel).

Comments

Fun name, but hard to imagine many people making this one given the slightly niche ingredients. Cynar apparently has a unique artichoke base, but you could try using Aperol instead for something a bit sweeter/fruitier.

Ingredients

• Vodka45 ml
• Cranberry Juice120 ml
• Grapefruit Juice30 ml

Method

1. Build in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Swizzle to mix.
3. Garnish with orange zest and cherry.

Notes

Based on a 1920s cocktail that originally used gin and grenadine.

Comments

I guess it’s an improvement on just a vodka cranberry.

Ingredients

• Vodka45 ml
• Peach Schnapps22.5 ml
• Orange Juice45 ml
• Cranberry Juice45 ml

Method

1. Build in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Garnish with an orange slice.

Notes

Ted Pizio, who was a Florida bartender in the 1980's came up with this as a way to promote peach schnapps and named it after “sex” and “the beach”, which he considered to be the two main attractions of Spring Break.

Comments

Delicious, though the peach schnapps always takes me back to first year pre-drinks.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Red Cherry Liqueur15 ml
• Cointreau7.5 ml
• Bénédictine7.5 ml
• Pineapple Juice90 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Grenadine7.5 ml
• Angostura BittersDash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with pineapple.

Notes

D. A. Embury stated in the Fine Art of Mixing Drinks: "Of all the recipes published for this drink I have never seen any two that were alike." True.

Comments

Didn’t expect this to be worth the effort…but it was! Pineapple with complex aftertastes, it wasn’t too sweet, and very drinkable. First time trying Bénédictine and I’ll be going back for more.

Ingredients

• Tequila60 ml
• Orange Juice90 ml
• Grenadine15 ml

Method

1. Build tequila and orange juice in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Add grenadine to create the sunrise effect.
3. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.

Notes

The original was made in the 1930s and contained tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice, and soda water. The new version came about in the 70s, and was a favourite of the Rolling Stones.

Comments

Simple but actually delicious, and looks cool. Often a favourite at cocktail nights.

Ingredients

• Vodka45 ml
• Coffee Liqueur30 ml
• Fresh Cream30 ml

Method

1. Stir vodka and coffee liqueur in a rocks glass with ice.
2. Float cream on top and serve with a stirrer.

Notes

Not of Russian origin, but named so because of the vodka. It saw a big surge in popularity after 1998 due to it being a favourite of “The Dude” in the Big Lebowski. Meant to be stirred before drinking.

Comments

Tastes like a delicious chocolate milkshake. Tried it with the Chocolate Orange Rum I got Mum as a birthday gift instead of vodka and it was so much better! Although that’s just, like, my opinion, man.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Vodka15 ml
• Lillet Blanc7.5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice until ice-cold.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lemon twist.

Notes

'Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?' - James Bond, Casino Royale.

Comments

Lillet Blanc is the right brand to better match Kina Lillet (the original, no longer produced ingredient), Cocchi Americano is closer to the quinine taste it had. Doesn’t taste quite as cool as Bond makes it sound.

Ingredients

• Dark Rum45 ml
• Gold Rum45 ml
• Demerara Rum30 ml
• Lime Juice20 ml
• Falernum15 ml
• Donn's Mix15 ml
• Grenadine1 tsp
• Angostura Bitters1 dash
• Pernod6 drops

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with mint.

Notes

Donn Beach originally concocted it to help a hung-over customer get through a business meeting. The customer returned several days later to complain that he had been turned into a zombie for his entire trip.

Comments

*Beach used codes to avoid being copied: 2 parts of fresh yellow grapefruit and 1 part of cinnamon syrup. An insane drink. A float of Wray and Nephew’s over an orange slice lights easier than on liquid. IBA

Ingredients

• Gold Rum45 ml
• Galliano15 ml
• Pineapple Juice60 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• ProseccoTop

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except Prosecco with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled highball glass filled with ice.
3. Top with Prosecco and garnish.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe created in the late 1950s by Italian bartender Benito Cuppari while working on the Cristoforo Colombo cruise liner. Named after the Barracuda beach club in Portofino which was managed by a great friend of his.

Comments

Surprisingly balanced! The lime juice does some heavy lifting, and galliano is a real treat. A very good tropical vanilla cocktail with subtle anise.

Ingredients

• Gin60 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Orange Juice22.5 ml
• Honey Syrup15 ml

Method

1. Stir honey with citrus or use syrup.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

The Bee's Knees was invented by Frank Meier, an Austrian-born, part Jewish bartender who was the first head bartender at the Ritz in Paris in 1921, when its Cafe Parisian opened its doors. Named after the slang term for “the best”.

Comments

Honey’s great, and it’s so easy to do homemade syrup heating honey and water that there’s no excuse not to. Great for both this lovely cocktail and a Gold Rush or Penicillin, which I’ll admit I prefer to a Bee’s Knees (sue me I like whisky!).

Ingredients

• Gin60 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Crème de Mûre15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except the berry liqueur with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
3. Pour the liqueur over the top and garnish with berries.

Notes

Invented by Dick Bradsell, inventor of the Espresso Martini. He wanted to create a British autumn cocktail and was inspired by memories of going blackberrying in his childhood on the Isle of Wight.

Comments

I love the layering effect when the Cassis sinks to the bottom, this drink was the one that opened my mind to gin cocktails.

Ingredients

• Aguardiente60 ml
• Honey Syrup22.5 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Water(optional)Dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Notes

The oldest known cocktail in Cuba, dating back to the Ten Years War in the late 19th century when Cuban guerrillas, known as mambises, fought Spain for independence. It was meant to be a healing drink, and used to cure the common cold.

Comments

A fun take on a daiquiri. Much easier to make with honey syrup than honey, so I’ve tweaked the IBA recipe a bit. I’ve used Equiano blonde, and Havana 3-year would work too. Refreshing, definitely worth a go.

Ingredients

• Green Chartreuse45 ml
• Pineapple Juice30 ml
• Lime Juice22.5 ml
• Falernum15 ml

Method

1. Build in a highball glass with pebble ice.
2. Swizzle vigorously and top with more ice.
3. Garnish with mint.

Notes

Invented in 2003 at a bar called Harry Denton’s Starlight Room in San Francisco. Bartender Marcovaldo Dionysos won a mountain bike for this invention.

Comments

I thought it was good when I first made it with Yellow Chartreuse and a bit of extra lime, but with green it was unreal. If you like a Last Word, you have to try it, and if you haven’t tried a Last Word, make this your Chartreuse gateway drug, it’s brilliant.

Ingredients

• Dark Rum60 ml
• Lime Juice(optional)15 ml
• Ginger Beer90 ml

Method

1. Fill a highball glass with ice and ginger beer.
2. Add lime if using, then float the rum.
3. Garnish with lime.

Notes

Appropriately, it was invented in Bermuda just after World War 1, bars can only call it a “Dark ‘N’ Stormy” if made with Goslings Black Seal rum.

Comments

The version with lime could be called a Rum Buck, and I think it really helps bring the cocktail together and elevate it to more than just a rum and ginger beer. I’m regularly surprised how popular this is at cocktail parties.

Ingredients

• Vodka45 ml
• Coffee Liqueur30 ml
• Strong Espresso30 ml
• Sugar Syrup(optional)5 ml
• Salt(optional)Pinch

Method

1. Shake hard with ice until frothy.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with coffee beans.

Notes

Dick Bradsell is back, to bring a cocktail that will “Wake me up, then fuck me up”, as a woman at Fred’s Club in the 1980s apparently asked for. I use Kenco Millicano coffee powder for a quick espresso, and am keen to try Frangelico in it.

Comments

Delicious drink, certainly beats a Jaegerbomb. My favourite ever (I’ve called the Improved) is from The Big Chill - divine.

Ingredients

• Fernet Branca60 ml
• ColaTop

Method

1. Build in a rocks glass filled with ice.
2. Top with cola and stir gently.
3. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Notes

The cocktail first became popular among the youth of Córdoba in the 1980s and has grown in popularity since to become widespread throughout Argentina, which now consumes more than 75% of all fernet produced globally.

Comments

Fernet Branca is a type of Italian Amaro bitters, and I found it surprisingly good given I don’t generally like Coke or bitter flavours, it took the edge off both! Some said it tasted like toothpaste though.

Ingredients

• Vodka45 ml
• Raspberry Liqueur15 ml
• Pineapple Juice15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a raspberry.

Notes

French martini was invented in the 1980s at one of Keith McNally's New York City bars. The “French” is the Chambord raspberry liqueur.

Comments

It’s fine, a bit on the sweet side for me, needs something sour in there. Could be made with Cassis for a similar drink.

Ingredients

• Gin60 ml
• Strawberries(optional)4-5
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Basil Leaves10-12 leaves

Method

1. Muddle basil and strawberries in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Notes

The fruit-free version was invented in 2008 by Jörg Meyer, who advised "better too much, than not enough basil in this drink", calling it a “Gin Pesto” - an off-putting name I think! Moved to New Era in 2024.

Comments

An inspired flavour combination, very refreshing, and likely better than any you’ll get at a bar, since many won’t be willing to spend on using fresh fruit (a big strength of home cocktails!). *marking as optional but why wouldn’t you?

Ingredients

• Mezcal30 ml
• Overproof White Rum15 ml
• Falernum15 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur5 ml
• Lime Juice22.5 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Egg White(optional)1

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

No verified origin for this one, a mysterious drink.

Comments

Smokiness fighting against the Wray’s and Nephew’s I used for overproof rum. Lots of strong flavours in a strong cocktail. Good, but arguably more effort than it’s worth.

Ingredients

• Vodka Citron45 ml
• Triple Sec30 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Most likely named after a sweet called a lemon drop, it was invented sometime in the 1970s. It was commonly consumed in shot form in smaller quantities.

Comments

Perfectly balanced crowd-pleaser, uncomplicated but delicious (if you like lemon).

Ingredients

• Mezcal22.5 ml
• Yellow Chartreuse22.5 ml
• Aperol22.5 ml
• Lime Juice22.5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Invented in 2011 by bartender Joaquín Simó while working at the bar Death and Co in New York City. He’s said to have claimed that this drink is the “bastard love child” of the Last Word and the Paper Plane.

Comments

Smoky, citrus, bitter, and sweet. Not my favourite, but I respect what it’s going for. Most people would probably prefer tequila, but if you like a hint of smoke and a short, punchy drink then go for it.

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey60 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Egg White(optional)1
• Red Wine15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except red wine with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Float red wine on top.

Notes

Reports trace the New York Sour back to the 1870-80s, although it operated under other names during this time, including the Continental Sour. It’s possible that the New York Sour was created in Chicago, but the New York name has stuck.

Comments

A truly beautiful and delicious drink, who knew the Whisky Sour could get even better! Since a Gold Rush is a whisky sour with honey syrup, I like to think of the honey syrup version as a New York Gold Rush, or a Wall Street Crash.

Ingredients

• Aged Rum45 ml
• Mint6-12 leaves
• Lime Juice22.5 ml
• Sugar Syrup22.5 ml
• Angostura Bitters2 dashes
• Champagne60 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except Champagne with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Top with Champagne and garnish with mint.

Notes

Created by Audrey Saunders, owner of the Pegu Club, in 2001. She originally called it El Cubano.

Comments

Rich (with Pilar rum at least), but pretty refreshing given the potency. Fizz is mostly diluted away, but overall a very nice drink.

Ingredients

• Tequila60 ml
• Lime Juice10 ml
• SaltPinch
• Pink Grapefruit Soda100 ml

Method

1. Build in a highball glass with ice.
2. Add lime juice and salt, then top with grapefruit soda.
3. Garnish with grapefruit.

Notes

Spanish for “dove”, it’s the next most famous Mexican cocktail after the Margarita. Adding salt to the rim of the glass is also an option.

Comments

Not bad, plenty of flavour. A bit on the bitter side.

Ingredients

• Bourbon Whiskey30 ml
• Amaro Nonino30 ml
• Aperol30 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Developed in 2007 by Sasha Petraske and Sam Ross of Milk & Honey for their former colleague's Chicago bar The Violet Hour, the recipe is a riff on the Last Word. The name is a reference to the M.I.A. song "Paper Planes".

Comments

Bourbon is the real hero of this one, giving a lot of depth to a drink that would be rather one-note without it. I find it a bit too bitter though, and prefer my Grounds for Divorce.

Ingredients

• Blended Scotch Whisky60 ml
• Peated Islay Whisky10 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Honey Syrup22.5 ml
• Fresh Ginger3 thin slices

Method

1. Muddle ginger in a shaker and add remaining ingredients except Peated Islay whisky.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a rocks glass.
3. Float Peated Islay whisky on top and garnish with ginger candy.

Notes

Created at the Milk & Honey bar (now relaunched as Attaboy after dying in the pandemic), it was first served in 2005 and named for its medicinal ginger and honey ingredients.

Comments

One of my absolute favourites, which I first tried at the Connaught, London’s (and the world’s) top rated cocktail bar. The perfect cocktail for fans of scotch.

Ingredients

• Pisco60 ml
• Fresh Pineapple Juice22.5 ml
• Simple Syrup15 ml
• Fresh Lemon Juice15 ml
• Dry White Wine30 ml
• Cloves3 pcs

Method

1. Gently mash the simple syrup with the cloves, add the remaining ingredients except the wine.
2. Shake vigorously and double strain into a large cocktail glass.
3. Add the wine on top and gently stir.

Notes

Made famous by Duncan Nicol at the Bank Exchange Saloon at the end of the 19th century, in San Francisco, California.

Comments

Honestly, I expected more from this one. Upping the cloves helped a bit, giving it some distinctiveness, but while it’s a nice balanced drink, it didn’t blow me away.

Ingredients

• Vodka30 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Crème de Cassis15 ml
• Sugar Syrup10 ml
• Sparkling WineTop

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except sparkling wine with ice.
2. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.
3. Top with sparkling wine.

Notes

Dick Bradsell created the recipe for his friends wishing to hold a cocktail party while minimising money spent. Participants only had to bring the wine and he provided the rest.

Comments

I honestly wasn’t too impressed with this one. It was fine, and given the context of its invention I’m sure it went down well at the time. To me though it was just a fancy blackcurrant cola, which to be fair might be your thing (if so, go for it!). I’ll save my bubbly for French 75s.

Ingredients

• Amontillado Sherry45 ml
• Palo Cortado Sherry45 ml
• Sugar Syrup7.5 ml
• Orange1/2 wheel
• Lemon1/2 wheel

Method

1. Add fruit and ingredients to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake hard and double strain into a chilled highball glass.
3. Garnish with fruit or zest.

Notes

A classic American cocktail from the 19th century. It first gained international fame when Charles Dickens included it in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

Comments

TBD

Ingredients

• Gin60 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Mint6-12 leaves
• Egg White(optional)1

Method

1. Muddle mint in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Possibly the preferred beverage of Al Capone, whose gang dominated Chicago's South Side. The gin consumed by the gang had a rough finish, and needed to be made palatable, leading to this cocktail. Some variants use lime.

Comments

A lovely, balanced, refreshing drink - to think I used to think I didn’t like gin (it was the tonic)! Technically removed from the IBA list in 2021, but I like it so it stays. I’ve also heard it’s delicious topped with Champagne.

Ingredients

• Vanilla Vodka60 ml
• Elderflower Cordial15 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Honey Syrup10 ml
• Red Chilli2 thin slices

Method

1. Muddle chilli in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

The cocktail was invented in 2005 by Salvatore Calabrese as a signature drink for his bar in the luxury casino 'Fifty' (now closed) owned by Robert Earl, at 50 St James's Street in central London.

Comments

A beautifully balanced and highly drinkable cocktail. Best with Jalapeño in my opinion, where you get pepperiness without overwhelming spice. Bird’s Eye was the reverse, though I probably shouldn’t have done a whole one.

Ingredients

• Prosecco90 ml
• Aperol60 ml
• Soda WaterSplash

Method

1. Build in a wine glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently and garnish with orange slice.

Notes

The Aperol Spritz/Spritz Veneziano was invented in Venice in the 1920s. The concept of a spritz more generally comes from Habsburg soldiers in Veneto struggling with the strength of the wine and asking them to dilute it with water.

Comments

First tried it in Vienna, where the bartender joked about it being a feminine drink and said he’d serve it for free if I put lipstick on. Wasn’t a fan. The Italicus Spritz, using a Bergamot/orange liqueur, sounds much more my thing (update: no, too floral).

Ingredients

• Gin30 ml
• Brandy30 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Angostura Bitters2 dashes
• Ginger BeerTop

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except ginger beer with ice.
2. Pour unstrained into a mug filled with ice.
3. Top with ginger beer and garnish with mint.

Notes

Supposedly created in Egypt at the Shepheard's Hotel. Bartender Joe Scialom was looking to make a hangover drink for allied troops and according to the story made one as a "cure" for the suffering soldiers who complained about the poor quality of liquor in the area.

Comments

The mug makes it totally worth it. The drink itself was good but relatively unmemorable.

Ingredients

• Irish Whiskey45 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth22.5 ml
• Green Chartreuse15 ml
• Angostura Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with orange slice if desired.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe in Hugo R Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks, which stipulates equal parts. Named after the Irish town.

Comments

A punchy nightcap, Chartreuse is genuinely outstanding in this. Best with Irish but also great with a smoky scotch or even a brandy for a fruity version (I used yellow chartreuse for that one), just a wonderful template.

Ingredients

• Tequila Reposado60 ml
• Lime Juice30 ml
• Agave Nectar15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with lime.

Notes

Invented in 1990 by Julio Bermejo at his parents' restaurant called Tommy's, to highlight agave flavours, as opposed to using Triple sec to highlight citrus.

Comments

A lovely margarita variant. The agave is simple enough to find in a Sainsbury’s, and is nice and thematic given tequila is made from agave plants.

Ingredients

• Angostura Bitters45 ml
• Orgeat Syrup30 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Rye Whiskey15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Created by ex-New York City bartender Giuseppe Gonzalez while he was plying his trade at the Clover Club in Brooklyn in 2009, using what some would call an offensive volume of bitters. Could probably tone down to 30 ml.

Comments

So preoccupied with whether or not he could that he didn't stop to think if he should. Herbal (to me, cardamom and cloves), almost Christmassy, subtle almond, and unsurprisingly, very, very, bitter. It’s an experience.

Ingredients

• Grappa45 ml
• Honey Syrup15 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Chamomile Tea22.5 ml
• Egg White(optional)1

Method

1. Dissolve 15 ml of honey in 22.5 ml concentrated chamomile tea. Alternatively, infuse honey syrup with chamomile directly or add 15 ml Chamomile cordial.
2. Pour all ingredients into the shaker.
3. Shake vigorously with ice.
4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or a tumbler with ice.
5. Garnish with lemon or grapes.

Notes

The only grappa cocktail on the list, the name is a reference to Veneto and Trentino, two regions where grappa was made for centuries. Vento means wind in Italian, "Something you can't touch, but that can unite all lands".

Comments

I don’t particularly like grappa or chamomile, but I like them better in this drink than apart. Egg white really smooths it out, it’s light but flavourful, balanced, and definitely unique.

Ingredients

• White Rum30 ml
• Galliano15 ml
• Triple Sec15 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Possibly named after the Haitian tune "Yellow Bird", which became a sort of national anthem of the Caribbean. A version of the song was played regularly at the Shell Bar where the drink was invented. Helps that the drink is also yellow.

Comments

Subtle vanilla and aniseed flavour from the Galliano, but not overpowering. All very balanced and drinkable.

Ingredients

• Vodka60 ml
• Gin60 ml
• Orange Juice300 ml
• Cava300 ml

Method

1. Stir all ingredients in a jug filled with ice.
2. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with sliced citrus.

Notes

Invented in 1959 when some travellers who usually ordered the ‘Agua de Bilbao’ (the bar’s best Cava) challenged the barman to give them something different.

Comments

Tried on holiday in Spain and loved it, though it was dangerous! Great batch cocktail for the summer. This should serve 3-4 but feel free to scale up further.

Ingredients

• Amaretto60 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Egg White1
• Angostura BittersFew drops

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with bitters.

Notes

My first one came out of a cocktail night where Luke brought a bottle of Disaronno for us to play with. It’s a recognised drink more widely, and in my opinion more deserving of a spot in the IBA list than some in there.

Comments

Delicious, pretty sweet even without any sugar syrup. I’m personally partial to a half and half whisky version. See also: Amaretto Mule: 1:1 amaretto and cognac + ginger beer with nutmeg/chocolate garnish and 2 lemon wedges.

Ingredients

• Blended Scotch Whisky22.5 ml
• Red Cherry Liqueur22.5 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth22.5 ml
• Orange Juice22.5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with cherry or blood orange.

Notes

Named after Rudolph Valentino's 1922 bullfighter movie Blood and Sand. First known to have appeared in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. Appears to be inspired by The Last Word.

Comments

I do love a scotch cocktail. Make sure to choose something less peaty than Laphroaig, or it’ll overly dominate. It’s balanced towards the sweet end with a lot of nice flavours going on.

Ingredients

• Aged Rum60 ml
• Falernum15 ml
• Blackstrap Rum(optional)10 ml
• Lime JuiceDash
• Angostura Bitters3 dashes

Method

1. Build in a rocks glass with ice and stir.
2. Float blackstrap rum if using.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Notes

Tracing to Barbados, the drink gets its name from the dark blackstrap rum, said to look like oil as it floats on the top of the drink. Recommended to me by Haydn.

Comments

Very simple to make once you have Falernum, is the Old-Fashioned of the rum world when done right - a great way to enjoy your favourite dark rum when you want a strong drink.

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey45 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Orange Juice15 ml
• Pineapple Juice15 ml
• Demerara Syrup7.5 ml
• Angostura Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with pineapple.

Notes

A drink with a few variants, this one from the How to Drink Youtube channel. Named after Hawaii’s Halekulani hotel.

Comments

Bucks expectations for whisky, which I like. Quite rich, and the lime lingers longer than the lemon in a whisky sour. Very tasty with Jack Daniels Rye!

Ingredients

• Vodka45 ml
• Galliano15 ml
• Orange Juice90 ml
• Angostura Bitters(optional)1 dash

Method

1. Build in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently and serve.

Notes

Created in 1969 and removed from the IBA list in 2020, legend says it was named for a surfer who would bang his board on the walls demanding his favourite drink.

Comments

I do love Galliano, but this was just a fancy Screwdriver to be honest, there are better cocktails out there in my opinion.

Ingredients

• White Rum30 ml
• Dark Rum30 ml
• Pineapple Juice(optional)22.5 ml
• Orange Juice15 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Passion Fruit1
• Grenadine5-10 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice.
3. Float grenadine into glass.
4. Garnish with fruit.

Notes

Dates back to 1939 and popular in New Orleans, served in the eponymous Hurricane glass. Plastic cups are also used since New Orleans laws allow leaving a bar with a drink but prohibit public drinking from glass containers.

Comments

Surprised it wasn’t in the IBA list! A classic that needed to be in this book, passion fruit always tastes great. Dad thought it tasted like an ice lolly when stirred, so I've reduced the grenadine.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Lychee Juice30 ml
• Lychee Liqueur15 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lychees.

Notes

Not a concept I invented, but one I had fun nailing down a recipe for at a cocktail night (cheers Amy W for the help). I used Amazon for lychee juice and liqueur. Inspired by the one I had at Blues Kitchen.

Comments

Tastes delicious, sort of like a flowery grape. I think the gin one is better, particularly with Roku.

Ingredients

• Pimm's No. 160 ml
• Ginger AleTop
• Lemon Juice(optional)15 ml

Method

1. Build in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently and garnish with fruit and herbs.

Notes

The classic! A type of gin-based fruit cup, it was invented around 1823 as a health drink. It is the official cocktail of Ascot, Chelsea Flower Show, and Henley Regatta.

Comments

A summer staple which takes a lot of its flavour from the botanicals, spices, and caramelised orange infused into the gin. Delicious!

Ingredients

• Vanilla Vodka45 ml
• Passoa15 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Passion Fruit1-1.5
• Passion Fruit Purée45 ml
• Sugar SyrupTo taste
• Champagne(optional)Shot

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except champagne with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Serve with a champagne shot if desired.

Notes

Invented by Douglas Ankrah at his bar Townhouse in London in 2002. Ankrah says that the original drink was inspired by a visit to Mavericks Revue Bar, a strip club in Cape Town, South Africa. Champagne is meant as a cleanser between sips.

Comments

Delicious when right, but took some testing (Funkin does the best puree, smoothie also works).

Ingredients

• Red Wine750 ml
• Brandy120 ml
• Triple Sec120 ml
• Orange Juice80 ml
• Sugar60-120 ml
• SpriteTop
• Lemon Juice(optional)60 ml

Method

1. Add ingredients to a jug with fruit and ice.
2. Chill if you have time, then top with Sprite or soda water + lemon juice.
3. Garnish with more fruit.

Notes

Literally meaning ‘bloodletting’, it is defined in EU law as a drink which: is made from wine, citrus, spices, carbon dioxide, 4.5-12% ABV, and added citrus fruits/peels. Originates from a middle ages drink called Leonese lemonade.

Comments

Loved the ones I had in Spain, inspiring this section.

Ingredients

• Lemon Juice45 ml
• Grenadine15 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Ginger BeerTop

Method

1. Build in a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Float the grenadine and stir gently.
3. Garnish with cherries.

Notes

The original token mocktail. No consistent recipe for it, but these ingredients are often used. Shirley Temple herself hated the drink, finding them almost always “icky” and “too sweet”. I tried to make this one more balanced.

Comments

Probably the most famous mocktail, the next being an Arnold Palmer (lemonade and iced tea).

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey60 ml
• Lemon3 large quarters
• Mint6-12 leaves
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Angostura Bitters1 dash

Method

1. Muddle lemon and mint in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.

Notes

A fruity 19th-century cousin to the Mint Julep, another Jerry Thomas special. Compared to juice alone, the oils in the lemon peel make it taste richer and give it a pretty unique mouth-feel. Tom once accidentally made one with basil.

Comments

Deliciously refreshing. Amazing how (for me at least) using brown sugar syrup creates a drink almost like a cola but better, worth trying.

Ingredients

• Vodka50 ml
• Peach Schnapps25 ml
• Cranberry Juice100 ml
• Lime Juice5-15 ml
• Angostura Bitters(optional)1 dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with lime.

Notes

A fruity cocktail from the 1980s. Most likely a spin-off of a Sex on the Beach.

Comments

Refreshing and summery. I’ve added the lime juice because it desperately needs it for balance with most commonly available cranberry juices.

Ingredients

• Vodka60 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Balsamic Vinegar10 ml
• Strawberries4-5
• Egg White1
• Black Pepper5 twists

Method

1. Muddle strawberries in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

Came to me from friends Luke and Finn, who tried it in Krakow at a bar called Alchemia. Tends to get suspicious reactions until people actually try it, after which they’re usually fully converted. Like a strawberry Clover Club!

Comments

Smells a bit weird, but it’s delicious - strawberry taste really comes through! The main reason I always have strawberries in the freezer ready to go.

Ingredients

• Grappa45 ml
• Coffee Liqueur15 ml
• Crème de Cacao (Brown)15 ml
• Strong Espresso30 ml
• Vanilla Ice Cream1 scoop

Method

1. Blend with a few ice cubes or shake after the ice cream melts slightly.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with coffee beans.

Notes

I bought some grappa on my way back from Puglia, and haven’t really managed to make a dent in it. I thought adding a few grappa cocktails to the book might help, and this one’s pretty innovative! Thanks Difford’s Guide.

Comments

Potent but balanced by the generosity of my ice cream scoop. Despite first trying with vodka, I think the extra spiciness of the grappa could work pretty well and make it even more Italian!

Ingredients

• Dark Rum45 ml
• Cloudy Apple Juice90 ml
• Cinnamon Syrup15 ml
• Lime Juice7.5 ml

Method

1. Hot: heat all ingredients and stir.
2. Cold: shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish.

Notes

Inspired by a delicious cocktail I tried at Pilar distillery in Key West, where they have a very good sherry cask aged rum and practically worship Hemingway, the biggest rum fan of all. That one used American apple cider.

Comments

I loved the hot version, to me it tasted exactly like Mum’s mince-baked apples. One of the best Winter cocktails in the book in my opinion.

Ingredients

• Kummel60 ml
• Maraschino Liqueur15 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup7.5 ml
• Egg White(optional)1

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with star anise.

Notes

In his 1939 Gentleman's Companion, Charles H Baker wrote that kummel "is specified in enough cocktails that it should be on the shelf of every average bar". Credit goes to James for bringing a lovely bottle back from Germany!

Comments

A unique drink, balanced like a traditional sour, but deliciously unusual. Caraway and maraschino fight over the aftertaste, and I kept wanting more sips just to understand the flavours. Photographed with cherry brandy instead of maraschino, which is also fine.

Ingredients

• Cognac45 ml
• Green Chartreuse15 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Sugar Syrup7.5 ml
• Angostura BittersDash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lemon zest.

Notes

One that I was trending towards by experimenting with a Tipperary, which I love, before finding that there was an existing 1925 recipe from Drinks - Long and Short that did exactly what I wanted to!

Comments

Delicately delicious, fruity, strong. Crosses a Sidecar and a Tipperary to get the best of both. I do recommend getting Chartreuse if you can, my last bottle lasted three years, and could make 45 of these.

Ingredients

• Tea-Infused Gin60 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Egg White1
• Orange Bitters(optional)Dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled teacup.
3. Garnish with lemon.

Notes

A drink I once thought I invented after my conversion to Earl Grey tea, before discovering Audrey Saunders got there first at the Pegu club in 2003.

Comments

Delicious on the first sip, with a long tannin aftertaste that’s balanced by the egg white. Appropriately potent to have martini in the name.

Ingredients

• Cognac45 ml
• Frangelico22.5 ml
• Crème de Cacao (Brown)15 ml
• Fresh Cream30 ml
• Angostura Bitters1 dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with biscoff.

Notes

Again I have to thank Luke and Finn, this time for the recommendation of Tuaca Frangelico (I’ve been burned by bad hazelnut syrups). Invented by James Mellnor in 2005.

Comments

Exactly what was intended, a lovely hazelnutty version of the Alexander. If you love nutella it’s the cocktail to go for.

Ingredients

• Bourbon Whiskey60 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Pimento Dram15 ml
• Sugar Syrup1 tsp
• Angostura Bitters1 dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with star anise or lime.

Notes

Likely born in Prohibition, it was first in print in 1937. The name refers to the saying “twisting the lion’s tail,” a phrase that describes provoking the British, indicating the inventor was likely American.

Comments

Whisky-forward and a great showcase of the bitter dram, which lingers on the roof of the mouth on the finish. Balanced and complex, my kind of drink.

Ingredients

• Bourbon Whiskey60 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Grapefruit Juice15 ml
• Sugar Syrup10 ml
• Egg White1
• Orange Marmalade2 tsp
• Peach BittersFew drops

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with sage.

Notes

My favourite cocktail at Blues Kitchen, until they sadly stopped serving it because it wasn’t popular enough. I stole a menu and vowed to work out what the ratios were.

Comments

I do love a nice balanced whisky drink, and this one is extra fun if you have an old Bonne Maman marmalade jar to serve it in. Sage is genuinely a very nice and worthwhile addition.

Ingredients

• Mezcal30 ml
• Tequila30 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Triple Sec15 ml
• Pineapple Juice60 ml
• Jalapeño(optional)1 slice

Method

1. Muddle chilli if using.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Notes

I tried something similar at the Puttshack in Shepherd’s Bush and thought there was potential for a new Mezcal entrant. I think my version may be even better than the original, if I do say so myself.

Comments

Balanced with a hint of smoke. People agreed it tasted nice on the first outing, but I felt it lacked an extra something, which I think I’ve found in chilli.

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey45 ml
• Tawny Port22.5 ml
• Maple Syrup7.5 ml
• Angostura Bitters2 dashes

Method

1. Build in a rocks glass filled with ice.
2. Stir gently until chilled.
3. Garnish with orange slice.

Notes

I needed to use up some port, but don’t love a Porto Flip (uses egg yolk), so I looked around and found this from Difford’s guide! It has a lovely vibrant colour.

Comments

Smooth, fruity, and strong. Can be upped to 60/30 for a bigger drink, at your own risk. Tried with Aberlour, but it beat up the other flavours (which you may enjoy if you want it more scotch-y!).

Ingredients

• Bourbon Whiskey60 ml
• Amaro (Averna)22.5 ml
• Pedro Ximénez Sherry15 ml
• Angostura Bitters1 dash

Method

1. Stir with ice for 30 seconds.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Notes

Supposedly created in 2010 by Thomas Waugh at Prospect, San Francisco, USA, though hard to tell if that refers to a scotch, Madeira, and Benedictine version. Possibly a Liquor.com original.

Comments

Tried for the first time at a cabaret called Sabrage, very tasty! Smooth, raisiny, and sophisticated.

Ingredients

• Lemongrass Vodka60 ml
• Pineapple Juice30 ml
• Lime Juice30 ml
• Fresh Ginger1 Tbsp
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• CorianderFew sprigs

Method

1. Muddle ginger and coriander in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Notes

Contributed by Haydn, who I believe tried it on holiday at the Apotheke NYC bar. The coriander really sets it off.

Comments

One of the most-requested cocktails on its first outing at a cocktail night! Balanced and refreshing, a big success story.

Ingredients

• Rye Whiskey60 ml
• Mint8-10 leaves
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Blueberry Syrup22.5 ml
• Blueberries(optional)6-8

Method

1. Muddle fruit and herbs in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Fine strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice.

Notes

A cocktail made on request for Bento. Whisky and gin options because of our first client’s products, blueberry since Bento’s brand guidelines name a shade of purple called Blueberry. Basil because it’s so damn good with gin.

Comments

Expected to like the whisky/mint one more but the Roku gin and basil one was the one that blew me away, an absolute banger of a drink. In terms of whiskies I recommend scotch over Irish if you want the flavour to punch through.

Ingredients

• Brandy60 ml
• Raspberries4-5
• Chambord15 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Sugar Syrup5-10 ml
• Peychaud's Bitters(optional)3 drops

Method

1. Muddle raspberries in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Notes

One of my best, invented at a cocktail night with Steven, when I expressed a desire for a raspberry cocktail without gin. He suggested brandy, we workshopped it, and this was the result. I’m very happy with it, particularly the name we chose.

Comments

A rich, delicious explosion of berry flavour! Also works great topped with soda water instead of egg white as a long drink.

Ingredients

• Ale90 ml
• Cognac30 ml
• Sugar2 tsp
• ButterSmall knob
• Lemon Juice7.5 ml
• Orange Bitters3 dashes

Method

1. Melt butter and sugar in a pan until starting to caramelise.
2. Add cognac, then stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Pour into a warm glass.

Notes

Let down by the butterbeer at Warner Bros. studios as a child, and disappointed by all overly sweet and inauthentic recipes online, the book Liquid Intelligence gave me a great base recipe. My younger self can be at peace now.

Comments

Finally! Something that actually tastes somewhat like what I imagined. Bit more citrusy than the books, but worth the sacrifice to keep a nice balance. Delicious, and passable cold with caramel syrup too.

Ingredients

• Amaretto60 ml
• Vodka15 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Red Cherry Liqueur15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except cherry liqueur with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Float the cherry liqueur and garnish with a cherry.

Notes

Nicknamed the ‘Katewell’, after Kate asked for a cocktail that tasted like a Cherry Bakewell. Important to use a cherry liqueur such as de Kuyper cherry brandy or Heering rather than the (usually colourless) Maraschino cherry liqueur.

Comments

Tasty, and indeed about as close to a cherry bakewell in drink form as I think you can get.

Ingredients

• Cognac30 ml
• Fresh Cream30 ml
• Egg White1
• Red Cherry Liqueur22.5 ml
• Amaretto15 ml
• Vanilla Extract1-2 drops
• Crème de Banane(optional)5 ml

Method

1. Dry shake, then shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled sherry glass.
3. Garnish with cherries.

Notes

Iterated on with the Cherry Heering Brainlabs cocktail focus group, this turns one of my favourite French desserts (which mum often added banana to) into a cocktail. As with Clafoutis recipes, it can vary in how you make it.

Comments

Very smooth and subtle, with a bit more bitter backbone as the amount of amaretto increases. The banana is very strong, only needs a little. I also love that it’s the colour of batter, it feels like a clafoutis before it’s baked. * feel free to use Chambord, Cassis, or other berry liqueurs

Ingredients

• Mandarine Napoleon30 ml
• Blended Scotch Whisky22.5 ml
• Galliano22.5 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Grapefruit Bitters1 dash
• Orange Bitters1 dash
• Soda Water(optional)Top

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except soda water with ice.
2. Strain into a collins glass filled with ice.
3. Top with soda water if desired.

Notes

Invented for the 2025 Mandarine Napoleon competition, it was inspired by The Last Word ratio and tweaked a bit, with extra fizz to make it a long drink.

Comments

Herbal and moreish, works great as both a short drink served straight up without soda water and this longer version.

Ingredients

• Calvados45 ml
• Cloudy Apple Juice45 ml
• Lime Juice7.5 ml
• Cinnamon Syrup15 ml
• Crème de Mûre5-10 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except berry liqueur with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Pour the berry liqueur over the top.

Notes

Continuing the dessert theme, the apple and blackberry crumble was a request from Rachel. A riff on the Bramble seemed fitting, and lime seems to work better with apple than lemon. Definitely recommend a biscuit rim for this one too.

Comments

A tough ingredient set, but a pretty cocktail which got high praise on its first outing at new year’s eve! I recommend brown sugar for the syrup if homemade.

Ingredients

• Calvados45 ml
• Passoa15 ml
• Apricot Juice60 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Dry Cider(optional)60 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except cider with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe.
3. Serve with a cider shot if desired.

Notes

My entry to the Passoã pornstar martini cocktail competition. Deserves to be a winner in my completely unbiased opinion.

Comments

Possibly my favourite Calvados drink, it all works together so well! Worth trying with vanilla.

Ingredients

• Dark Rum45 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Fresh Ginger15 ml
• Egg White(optional)1
• Frangelico10 ml
• Cinnamon Syrup5-15 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled rocks glass.
3. Garnish with ginger or a biscuit rim.

Notes

There’s some real crap out there with gingerbread recipes, all sorts of overly sweet creamy cocktails with no real spice to them. This took some time and edits, but it’s better.

Comments

Spicy and balanced, the Frangelico really gives it a biscuity-ness without it tasting like Nutella. Adjust the level of syrup depending on brix.

Ingredients

• Bourbon Whiskey22.5 ml
• Lemon Juice22.5 ml
• Ratafia22.5 ml
• Aperol15 ml
• Sugar Syrup(optional)5 ml

Method

1. Pour all the emotions into a mixing glass.
2. Stir the drama with ice until chilled.
3. Strain into an ice-cold cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with lemon if you want to add some zest to the relationship.

Notes

A Paper Plane variant inspired by the Elbow song ‘Grounds for Divorce’, which mentions an aniseed lounge. A great first use of Zoe’s Gironan Ratafia. The ingredients represent sadness, sourness, bitterness, and sweet relief.

Comments

Delicious balance of flavours with bourbon and Ratafia meshing very well, and a slight bitter aftertaste. *Substitute with any sweet aniseed liqueur like Sambuca, Galliano, Pastis, or even Disaronno.

Ingredients

• Génépi25 ml
• Limoncello20 ml
• Lemon Juice10 ml
• Grapefruit Bitters1 dash
• Thyme3 sprigs
• ProseccoTop (60 ml)

Method

1. Muddle thyme in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients except Prosecco with ice.
3. Strain into a chilled flute and top with Prosecco.

Notes

Made for the Pallini Limoncello cocktail competition, aided by a colleague’s suggestion that I do something like a French 75. It beat out three other ideas in mine and Huaxiang’s taste testing.

Comments

Really nice! I like it quite heavy on the thyme, better too much than not enough, and the flavours all work together well, it’s not overly herbal. Also nice with crushed ice and a straw in a tumbler if you find it too strong.

Ingredients

• Tequila250 ml
• Orange Jelly135 g
• Lime Juice100 ml
• Water250 ml

Method

1. Dissolve jelly in boiling water.
2. Add lime juice, cold water, and tequila.
3. Pour into trays and chill overnight.

Notes

First made at new year’s with Hartley’s jelly for a bit of fun, and worked surprisingly well. Have also done a strawberry daiquiri version with strawberry jelly and rum.

Comments

Was surprised how well balanced it was! No sugar needed, a fun party treat that can be prepared entirely in advance.

Ingredients

• Genever30 ml
• Mandarine Napoleon30 ml
• Sweet Red Vermouth30 ml
• Chambord(optional)5 ml
• Orange Bitters1 dash
• Rosewater2 drops

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled glass.

Notes

My entry into the Mandarine Napoleon cocktail competition, named for his wife Joséphine (Rose), who hosted the first ever rose exhibition, partly using Napoleon’s looted Egyptian roses.

Comments

In my opinion my most thematic competition entry, despite Tom’s opinion that rosewater tastes like Febreze. It’s smooth, herby, fruity, and really grows on you. The Mandarine Napoleon was a worthwhile purchase.

Ingredients

• Tea-Infused Gin30 ml
• Dubonnet Rouge30 ml
• ChampagneTop

Method

1. Stir gin and Dubonnet with ice.
2. Strain into a flute and top with champagne.
3. Garnish with strawberries.

Notes

Made for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, for friends who came back for cocktails after a picnic on the long weekend. A thematic bit of fun. Vary the amount of tea depending on how strong you want it.

Comments

*The Queen’s favourite! Use red vermouth instead if needed. Strong, and a little bitter, but fun.

Ingredients

• White Rum60 ml
• Lime Juice30 ml
• Fresh Cream30 ml
• Pineapple Juice15 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Vanilla Extract1 dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with crushed biscuits and lime.

Notes

After a trip to Key West, the home of key lime pie, I felt I needed a key lime cocktail to commemorate it. The holiday research for it was extensive (a hard job but someone had to do it). Could also use vanilla syrup to get vanilla flavour too.

Comments

One of my biggest successes, got the recipe right the first time, it went down great, and tasted just like the key lime pie I remember. A winner.

Ingredients

• Chilled Tea60 ml
• Lemon Juice30 ml
• Sugar Syrup15 ml
• Fruit/herb extras(optional)As desired
• Egg white(optional)1

Method

1. Muddle extras if using, and shake everything with ice.
2. Pour into a rocks or highball glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with citrus peels.

Notes

Stretching the bounds of the English language with this name, but I finally have the template for a diverse, fun mocktail menu without the hit-and-miss spirit substitutes. Giving up alcohol for a month is clearly a great inspiration. Extras: berries, mint, ginger, spices, egg white.

Comments

Of course the answer was tea - the national drink! Should have thought of it before. *Concentrate with extra bags.

Ingredients

• Ruby Port45 ml
• Gin15 ml
• Red Cherry Liqueur15 ml
• Lime Juice15 ml
• Orange Bitters(optional)Dash

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled glass.
3. Garnish with cherries.

Notes

Chosen as the favourite of the night by the Brainlabs cocktail focus group based on its “broad appeal”, and submitted for the Difford’s Cherry Heering cocktail competition. Photo by Mum.

Comments

Definitely the best port cocktail I’ve ever had. So fruity, very easy to drink, and the lime really balances it, it’s definitely not too sweet. Absolutely meets the competition criteria of “potential to become a contemporary classic” (imo).

Ingredients

• Amontillado Sherry45 ml
• Cognac20 ml
• Lemon Juice15 ml
• Honey Syrup15 ml
• Tobacco Bitters(optional)2 dashes

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake well and fine strain into a chilled glass.
3. Run a flame along a piece of orange peel and express the oils over the flame into the drink.

Notes

Invented for the Difford's sherry cocktail competition, with tasting help from a few friends.

Comments

Ended up tasting quite Sidecar-like in a way I hadn't realised it might, though it made sense after the fact! The sherry really comes through and gives it a distinct character though, and a sidecar is one of my favourites. Bitters optional if doing a burnt orange garnish, but the smokiness really helps the drink.

Ingredients

• Peated Islay Whisky60 ml
• Salted Toffee Liqueur15 ml
• Lemon Juice2.5 ml
• Angostura Bitters1 dash
• Walnut Bitters(optional)1 dash

Method

1. Build in a rocks glass with ice and stir until chilled.
2. Garnish with orange zest and serve smoked if desired.

Notes

A nice smoky Bowmore has been my favourite whisky for a while now, and Aber falls salted toffee liqueur works so well with it. Great way to enjoy a scotch. Best a young scotch rather than 12 year.

Comments

The first homemade recipe I bothered to write down, refined over time. They call it Bowmore No.1 for a reason.

Ingredients

• White Rum30 ml
• Orange Juice30 ml
• Orange Fanta150 ml
• Orange Bitters1 dash
• Angostura Bitters1 dash

Method

1. Stir all ingredients with ice.
2. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice.
3. Optionally instead serve in a chilled bottle.

Notes

Another casualty of Brexit, Sophie has lamented the lack of Bacardi Breezers available, prompting me to work out the recipe for something similar when trying one in Budapest.

Comments

Does the trick! Fruity, inoffensive, and apparently the most impressed Sophie has ever been at my ability to recreate something by taste. The ratio should work for other juices/sodas.

Ingredients

• Gin45 ml
• Grapefruit Juice30 ml
• Elderflower Cordial15 ml
• ProseccoTop (90 ml)
• Purple Food Colouring(optional)Optional

Method

1. Shake all ingredients except Prosecco with ice.
2. Stir in Prosecco and strain into a chilled coupe.
3. Garnish with lavender.

Notes

Made for a Swiftogeddon pre-drinks. The bubbles from the sparkling wine are reminiscent of youth while the gin gives the drink an added maturity, similar to the "Speak Now" album, which shares a purple theme. Allegedly.

Comments

Nice and balanced, bitter grapefruit makes a nice contrast against the cordial, and it’s dangerously easy to drink given how much alcohol is in it (depending on Prosecco amount, up to 3 units). Just love a bit of elderflower.

Ingredients

• Gold Rum22.5 ml
• Blue Curaçao22.5 ml
• Lime Juice22.5 ml
• Becherovka22.5 ml
• Sugar Syrup(optional)5 ml

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe.
3. Garnish with lime.

Notes

Invented for Difford Guide’s blue curaçao cocktail competition, and taste-tested by Sophie, Emma, James, and Huaxiang. New name inspired by the photo-taking process in which it nearly got nicked by the swan!

Comments

Balanced, the cinnamon and clove of the Becherovka pairing well with rum. Packs a kick, but goes down very smooth with a spoonful of orgeat. James said it “recalls memories of my childhood”.

Ingredients

• Cognac30 ml
• Bourbon Whiskey30 ml
• Cointreau15 ml
• Crème de Cacao (Brown)15 ml
• Orange Bitters2 dashes
• Chocolate Bitters2 dashes
• Edible Glitter(optional)Optional

Method

1. Build in a rocks glass filled with ice and stir gently.
2. Garnish with chocolate and orange.

Notes

Inspired by the Alchemist’s Chocolate Orange Smasherac, this omits the absinthe and Peychaud’s of a true Sazerac in favour of a dessert version, but keeps the potency and depth of flavour.

Comments

A potent, slow-sipping nightcap, probably best enjoyed at half quantities if you’re having other drinks that evening. Better than any of my other attempts at a Chocolate Orange cocktail, though a B-52 might be my favourite.

Ingredients

• Vodka30 ml
• Rye Whiskey22.5 ml
• Lemon Juice10 ml
• Satsuma1
• Basil Leaves6 leaves
• Sugar Syrup(optional)5 ml

Method

1. Muddle satsuma and basil in the shaker.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Fine strain into a chilled coupe.

Notes

Somewhat inspired by a Jinmaek Soju, mandarin and basil oil cocktail I tried at Ogam. The goal was to get something similarly drinkable with much easier ingredients.

Comments

I’ve always been a fan of satsumas, and the flavour works so well with basil and whisky! Keen to experiment more with this.