One of the oldest and least-discussed gin cocktails in the pre-Prohibition canon, the Alaska appears in Jacques Straub's Drinks (1914) and later in The Savoy Cocktail Book. Despite its age it remains obscure.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with fresh ice and stir for 25-30 seconds until very cold and properly diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Express a lemon peel over the surface and either drop in or discard.
Lower bitterness and brighter citrus than a normal Negroni.
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Stir for 25-30 seconds until fully chilled and slightly diluted. Strain into rocks glass with ice (preferably one large cube/ball), express an orange peel over the glass for garnish. Maraschino cherry garnish acceptable.
Greg Lindgren is credited with this creation in 2006 at the Rye in San Francisco.
Muddle basil leaves with stems in shaker. Add ingredients and shake with ice for 10-12 seconds. Double strain into a coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a lime twist expression and a floating basil leaf.
French for ‘jewel’ this cocktail dates to the 1890s. Appearing in Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual. One of the oldest vermouth-forward stirred cocktails and precursor to the Martini.
Stir with ice for 25-30 seconds until well diluted and chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express an orange peel over the surface. Maraschino cherry for garnish.
Corpse Reviver referred to a category of morning or restorative drinks. The No. 2 emerged sometime before World War II and was documented in The Savoy Cocktail Book.
Absinthe (or Pernod) wash a glass first, then combine ingredients in shaker, shake over ice, pour into washed glass.
A flowery spin on a classic highball cocktail.
Fill a highball glass with ice and add ingredients. Top up with 4 oz of tonic water and gently stir to combine. Garnish with a sprig of mint, sage or basil.
Another great cocktail credited to Dale DeGroff, an NYC legend of the late 80s and 90s.
Shake with ice for 10-12 seconds with medium aggression, no foam needed, but well chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
Floral with lemon to balance out the sweet.
Place ingredients in shaker with fresh ice, shake aggressively for 10-12 seconds to limit dilution. Strain into martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
High-quality classic Gimlet styled to be crisp/dry with balanced sweetness.
Add all ingredients to a shaker, fill with fresh ice. Shake aggressively for 10-12 seconds, you want aeration more than dilution. Strain into chilled glass, garnish with a lime peel expression.
A classic two part cocktail that one can’t get wrong. It’s more about restraint than creativity.
Fill highball or Collins glass with ice to the top -or- use one giant ice cube. Add gin and gently top with tonic, give one gentle stir. Express a lime peel over glass or drop in a lime wedge for garnish. Grapefruit peel is also an interesting option, as are dehydrated orange slices as shown in the photo.
Created in the summer of 2008 by Jörg Meyer at Le Lion Bar de Paris, Hamburg, Germany and originally named Gin Pesto.
Better too much than not enough basil, the drink should be green in color from the muddling, but not too dark and bitter. Muddle a handful of fresh basil in shaker. Add ingredients with fresh ice and shake for 10-12 seconds. Double strain to avoid chunks of basil in the glass. Serve on rocks with a sprig of basil for garnish.
Emerged in the mid 19th century during the growing availability of carbonated water in bars. Soda water was new and exciting, fizzes made for refreshing day time drinks.
Add base ingredients to shaker with ice, shake 8-10 seconds, hard and fast. Strain into chilled highball or fizz glass. Top with soda water and express a lemon twist for garnish.