The Mint Julep

This is an all-American drink. Kentucky bourbon and fresh, grown in the U.S.A. mint. Icy cold, refreshing and potent, found in the claws of the well-to-do mingling in the winner’s circle on Kentucky Derby Day. DeGroff suggests use of a bourbon no less than 90 proof so as to “stand up to all [...]

The Grog

Once again, DeGroff’s recipe in The Essential Cocktail  looked so pitifully and embarrassingly small in the glass, that I had to make it a double. And yes, I drank it. I had a bit of a sore throat this morning, so there. The engraved glass in the picture was a gift to me over [...]

These are the red-headed stepchildren on my cocktail to-do list. I wanted to try them but they didn’t really fit with any other drinks. They are also quite simple to make, so whacking out three in one night was no problem.

The Absinthe Drip

There is plenty of information online about Absinthe and its mysterious history. Most [...]

The Manhattan

2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon
1 ounce sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stirred with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass, garnished with a Maraschino cherry

Quite simply, my favorite cocktail. At once clean and smoky, sharp and sweet, sophisticated and strong. When I make these for myself I usually shake the hell out of it [...]

 Here I am knocking out (almost) the last of the tropical drinks on my list, all featuring pineapple juice. 

The Singapore Sling

This thing has just too many ingredients but DAMN it is tasty. Don’t make this if you are thirsty because after one sip you’ll be rummaging through your kitchen drawer of soy sauce packets and [...]

The Sidecar

This drink is 1 1/2 ounces cognac and 3/4 ounce each of Cointreau and lemon juice. But the star of the show is the sugared rim of the glass. Just wet about 1/4 inch of the OUTSIDE rim of the glass with an orange slice, then press the rim into a small mound of [...]

The Flip

I made this with Dry Sack Sherry, one of several possible bases prescribed by DeGroff. He also says that the Flip can be made with cognac or other brandy, or even whiskeys. Beat a small to medium egg (about 1 1/2 ounces worth) and drop that into 2 ounces of sherry in a mixing [...]