
Updated and archived August 2013. Any future updates will be made at this site's Cocktails page.
There's something uniquely satisfying about knowing how to make--or at least order--a cocktail that suits one's taste and fits the moment. The recipes below are all drinks I've enjoyed (or enjoyed making for others) over the years, although these days I typically I have a simple Martini or Gibson, a Bianco or Nero Negroni, or a Moctezuma.
Two technical notes:
- With the exception of the champagne cocktails (and the Rumba), I serve all of these recipes up in a Martini glass or over a single large cube in a rocks glass. I've just never liked highballs.
- Cocktails should be ice-cold and properly diluted--so I really should get a decent pitcher and stir, but I have a nostalgic attachment to my old Cobbler shaker. As a result, most of these recipes are intended be shaken extensively--30 seconds to a minute or more--but gently. No need to go all Ramos Gin Fizz on them.
If you just want to make a drink, scroll on down. If you'd like to learn more about the source of some of these recipes or if you're interested in the (utterly fascinating) history and cultural meanings of the cocktail, see the Reading List at the bottom of the page.
¡Salud!



BOURBON & RYE
Bourbon and rye work equally well in almost every recipe that calls for them, although my preferences are indicated below. I drink more rye than bourbon, and it's a good time to be a rye drinker. Ryes I like include Bulleit, High West's many varieties, Jim Beam (in the yellow or cream label, not the white-label bourbon), Knob Creek, Michter's, Rittenhouse and Wild Turkey (again, not their bourbon). Ryes I don't like include Old Overholt (although it's distilled by Jim Beam) and George Dickel. My favorite bourbon is Evan Williams Single Barrel (the good stuff in the round, wax-topped bottle, not the rail stuff in the square, Jack-Daniels-lookalike bottle), but I also like Bulleit and Knob Creek. Obviously, I rarely drink super-premium bourbon or rye--if I'm spending that much on a bottle of liquor, it's going to be an Islay single-malt.
Barry Bonds
1 oz rye
1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy (not their blended Applejack)
1 oz Punt e Mes
Substitute any sweet vermouth for the Punt e Mes in a pinch.
De La Louisiane
1 oz rye
1 oz Punt e Mes
1 oz Benedictine
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Substitute any sweet vermouth for the Punt e Mes in a pinch. The original also calls for 2 dashes absinthe or pastis, but I find that's too sweet for my palate these days.
Delta
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1 oz dry vermouth
1 oz Benedictine
2 drops pastis
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
& a cherry
Fanciulli
1 1/2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz (or less) Fernet Branca
& a twist
Substitute any sweet vermouth for the Punt e Mes in a pinch. Via Eric Felten.
Firefighter's Manhattan
2 oz rye
1 oz Punt e Mes
2 dashes Angostura or Fee Brothers bitters
a Laphroig rinse
& a twist
Four Star
2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz King's Ginger
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
3 dashes Angostura or Fee Brothers bitters
& a twist
Indian Summer
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1 1/2 oz bianco vermouth
& a twist
Always nice to see bianco vermouth in a recipe, given that this lovely Marcello Dudovich poster is hanging in our bedroom. Via William Tigertt and Food & Wine
King's Rye
2 oz rye
1/2 oz King's Ginger
1/4 oz amaro
& a twist
Any amaro will work here; I'm partial to Luxardo Amaro Abano.
McKinley
2 oz rye
1 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz brandy
& a twist
Substitute any sweet vermouth for Punt e Mes in a pinch. A twist on "Remember the Maine," via Eric Felten (although I can only find Paul Cloutier's recipe on Cocktailiana), with brandy instead of Cherry Heering. The original also calls for a pastis rinse.
Nero Negroni
1 oz rye
1 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1 oz Fernet Branca
A true "Black Negroni" would be more accurate with a strong, sweet vermouth like Punt e Mes replacing one of the amari, but this is my favorite version so far. Any other dark, herby amaro can be substituted, such as Luxardo Fernet or Cynar.
Perfect Manhattan
3 oz bourbon
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz dry vermouth
& a twist
The drink that first got me interested in cocktails, thanks to my talented bartender brother. He'd prefer that I add bitters, but I usually don't.
Pickup
2 1/2 oz rye
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
& a twist
The original calls for either a pastis or an orgeat rinse, for a hint of sweetness, but it's fine without.
Saratoga
1 oz rye
1 oz brandy
1 oz sweet vermouth
& Peychaud's bitters
Sazerac
2 oz rye
1 sugar cube
Peychaud's bitters
a pastis rinse
& a twist
The national drink of New Orleans. Drop the sugar cube in the shaker, saturate with bitters, and
muddle thoroughly. Add ice and the rye and shake well. Strain into a chilled glass that's been rinsed with pastis, and add a large twist. You might up the rye to 2 1/2
oz., and you might add a dash of Angostura to the Peychaud's.
Sunset/Sunrise Park
2 oz rye
3/4 dry vermouth (for a Sunset) or Punt e Mes (for a Sunrise)
3/4 Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot
I'd be disinclined to substitute another brand of apricot liqueur or brandy; the Rothman & Winter works so well because it's lush and fruity but relatively dry.



BRANDY
I prefer Remy VSOP, but VS is more than good enough for a cocktail. I also substitute Laird's Bonded Straight Apple Brandy on occasion (but never their Applejack, which is primarily neutral grain spirits and an entirely different product).
Andy Warhol
1 1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Lillet
2 dashes orange bitters
& an orange twist
Bear Naked
1 1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy (not their blended Applejack)
1 oz Barenjager
1/2 oz kirschwasser
Clear Creek's kirschwasser--along with their other eaux-de-vie--is fantastic, but any decent brand will do. That said, there's no substitute for Barenjager.
Caruso
1 1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1/4 oz Benedictine
& 2 dashes bitters
Via Eric Felten.
Cherry Smash
1 1/2 oz brandy
3/4 oz Cointreau or Combier
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
& a cherry
I prefer Cointreau (and Combier is also nice), although there are plenty of alternatives when it comes to orange liqueur. That said, there's no real substitute for Cherry Heering; a dry eau de vie or Luxardo Maraschino will radically change the drink.
Cremona
2 oz brandy
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz Campari
orange bitters and/or an orange twist
I love a bitter cocktail--see the Nero Negroni--but I've grown less fond of Campari over the years. It's a little too thin compared to the amari I prefer. Aperol is a good substitute when there's another bitter element--see the Sunset--but it can be too sweet otherwise. An option here I haven't yet tried is Aperol for the Campari and an amaro for the sweet vermouth.
Culross
1 oz brandy
1 oz rum
1 oz Lillet
& a twist
Most recipes also call for 1/4 oz.
lemon juice, but I prefer it without.
Dolores
2 oz brandy
1/2 oz creme de cacao
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
& a cherry
Quality creme de cacao like Tempus Fugit or Marie Brizard would probably be preferable, but I've just never bothered. However, there's no real substitute for Cherry Heering; a dry eau de vie or Luxardo Maraschino will radically change the drink.
Movie Star
1 1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy (not their blended Applejack)
1 1/2 King's Ginger
1/2 oz Meyer lemon juice
Ordinary lemons will do, but Meyers are preferable.
Sidecar
1 oz brandy
1 oz Cointreau or Combier
1 oz lemon juice
& a twist
This is the classic 1:1:1 ratio, but you may want to substitute an extra 1/2 oz of brandy for 1/2 oz of the lemon juice. I prefer Cointreau (and Combier is also nice), but there are plenty of alternatives when it comes to orange liqueur.



CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS
I use the term "champagne" ecumenically; actual Champagne is great, but crémant de Bourgogne or crémant de Limoux or Cava or good old California sparkling is more than adequate here. Some of these recipes work best if you briefly shake the liquor over ice to chill and slightly dilute it before adding it to the flute, but you can simply build the drink directly in a flute and top with champagne as well. (I love coupes for actual Champagne, but I do think these recipes work best with flutes.) And while I typically use a peeler to get a wide twist, in these recipes I prefer a channel knife for a thin, corkscrew twist.
7th Regiment Punch
1/2 oz brandy
1/4 oz Cointreau or Combier
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1/2 oz lemon juice
~ 3 oz champagne
& a twist
Via Eric Felten.
American Flyer
1 oz white rum
1 tsp lime juice
a sugar cube
~ 4 oz champagne
& a thin lime wedge
Drop the sugar cube in a flute, add the rum and lime juice, and muddle with a chopstick. Add the champagne very slowly--the sugar will make it foam up. Garnish with the lime wedge.
Classic
1/2 oz brandy or Grand Marnier
a sugar cube
bitters
~ 4 oz champagne
& a twist
Drop the sugar cube in a flute and saturate with bitters. Add the liquor and muddle with a chopstick. Add the champagne very slowly--the sugar will make it foam up.
French 75
1 oz gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
a sugar cube
~ 4 oz champagne
& 2 cherries
Drop the sugar cube in a flute, chill the gin and lemon juice by shaking briefly over ice, add it to the flute, and muddle with a chopstick. Add the champagne very slowly--the sugar will make it foam up--and then the cherries.
Marasca
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
a sugar cube
bitters
~ 5 oz. champagne
& 2 cherries
Add the sugar cube to a flute and saturate with bitters. Add the Cherry Heering and muddle with a chopstick. Add the champagne slowly--the sugar will make it foam up--and then the cherries.
Seelbach
3/4 oz bourbon
1/2 oz Cointreau
7 dashes Angostura bitters
7 dashes Peychaud's bitters
~ 4 oz champagne
& an orange twist
Note that both types of bitters are essential for this recipe--if you
only have one, don't simply double the amount. According to Gary Regan,
it was created at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky in 1917,
forgotten during Prohibition, and revived in 1995--a great story, even
better if it's true. Briefly shake the bourbon and Cointreau over ice to chill, then add the liquor and bitters to a flute and top with champagne.



GIN
Gin caused any number of problems years ago, but it's enjoyed a comeback over the last decade. I love Hendrick's for Martinis, but its cucumber note doesn't work well in many recipes. Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray and Boodles are flexible standbys, with pleasant differences in flavor profiles. The craft cocktail movement has led to an American gin renaissance, revitalizing old brands and spurring the creation of new ones: I particularly like Aviation (Portland, OR), Crater Lake (Bend, OR) and Death's Door (Wisconsin). I've enjoyed the Bay Area's own 209, Junipero, and St. George--the latter makes an interesting set of terroir gins. And I've tried a few that just aren't for me--Blade and Leopold's come to mind. I used more Dutch gin a few years ago--my favorite for a while was Van Gogh, and Boomsma and Damrak are also good. Ice-cold Boomsa Oude neat will always be a unique pleasure, and occasionally I'll use Hayman's Old Tom in recipes calling for some sweetness, but I tend to stick with English Dry or New World gins these days. A note on dry vermouth: I loved the old Noilly Prat formulation and still have a stockpile of it, but the new version is fine and Dolin is just as good.
464 Martini
3 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
For decades there was a weirdly macho attitude about Martinis--the drier,
the better. The tide has turned in craft cocktail bars, but many places will still serve up a glass of cold gin and call it a Martini. Sigh.
As noted above, I should get a decent pitcher and give mine an honest stir, but I'm fond of my old shaker, so I just shake gently for a minute or so to get maximum chilling and optimal dilution. I usually go with a wide twist, but occasionally am tempted by Tomolives, Silver Palate's jalapeno- or chipotle-stuffed olives, or Vilux's perfectly-sized French cocktail onions (Vive le Gibson!)
A.B.A.
3 oz genever gin
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter's Orchard Apricot
& a twist
The Rothman & Winter is critical here because of its lush fruit essence with very little sweetness. Hence the name: Anything But Apritini.
Astoria Bianco
2 1/2 oz gin
1 oz bianco vermouth
orange bitters
& a twist
Aviation
2 oz gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1/4 oz Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette
A variation on the classic for visual effect: Shake the first 3 ingredients over ice, strain into a Martini glass, and then gently pour the Creme de Violette directly into the center of the drink. Lovely.
Bianco Negroni
1 oz gin
1 oz Suze
1 oz Cocchi Americano
This has become one of my favorite drinks, in part because it's so flexible. While Suze is my go-to bitter aperitif, you can substitute Strega for a very different profile. You can also substitute Lillet, dry vermouth or bianco vermouth for the Cocchi. Or use Suze and Strega for a Witch's Piss.
Claridge
1 1/2 oz gin
1 1/2 oz dry vermouth
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Rothman & Winter's Orchard Apricot
District of Columbia
2 oz gin
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
& 2 cherries
A variation on a Mexico City, substituting gin for tequila, and one capitol city for another.
Heather in Queue
1 1/2 oz gin
3/4 oz bianco vermouth
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/4 oz (or less) Fernet Branca
Via Eric Felten.
Howard Hughes
2 oz gin
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1/4 oz lemon juice
Lucky Jim
3 oz gin
1/2 oz cucumber juice
1/4 oz dry vermouth
& a thin cucumber slice
Named for the Kingsley Amis novel, and supposedly his own invention. Cucumbers don't yield much juice, so the fresher the better. A natural for Hendrick's, of course.
Martini Royale
3 oz gin
1 oz champagne
& a twist
Shake the gin over ice and strain. Pour the champagne into the class and stir gently.
Negroni
1 1/2 oz gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz Campari
The classic recipe is 1:1:1, but I think this 3:2:1 variation is more balanced. Aperol substitutes nicely for the Campari, or switch it up entirely and go with the Bianco or Nero version.
Rembrandt
2 oz genever gin
1 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz Drambuie
5 Drambuie-soaked raisins
Via Gary Regan, although I use less Drambuie. If you're planning in advance, put a small jar of raisins in the fridge and cover with Drambuie--if not, soaking for 1/2 hour will do.
Sunset
1 oz gin
1 oz Suze
1 oz Aperol
A variation on the Bianco Negroni, but the richer color renders it no longer bianco. Not to be confused with the Sunset Park.
$12 Martini
3 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz peaty single-malt Scotch
Pastis
& a twist
Shake the first 3 ingredients over ice and strain into a pastis-rinsed glass. My favorite cocktail for many years (although pastis is a bit too sweet for me these days, and I'm looking for an alternative--Benedictine?) Laphroig is my preferred Scotch, but you might want something a little smoother. Via Saucebox in Portland, although this recipe has 1/4 oz less vermouth than the original. While the name was originally tongue-in-cheek, I find it amusing that $12 drinks are run-of-the-mill these days.
Witch's Piss
1 oz gin
1 oz Strega
1 oz Suze
No substitutions, as both of these liqueurs are essential to this recipe's unique flavor profile and frighteningly vivid color.



RUM
I don't drink much rum, although I love the smooth texture that it brings to drinks like the Culross. I like Matusalem, but I'm no connoisseur.
Butcher Block
2 oz white rum
1 oz Branca Menta
Be aware that the bitter-mint flavor of Branca Menta is an acquired taste, to say the least.
El Presidente
1 1/2 oz white rum
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz Cointreau
1 dash grenadine
& an orange twist
Eric Felten's "How's Your Drink?" column in the August 19, 2006 Wall Street Journal considers several rum cocktails before settling on El Presidente, described by one Basil Woon in 1928 as "preferred by the better class
of Cuban." By that standard I'm doubly unqualified to drink it, but Basil's in no position to object. (And as much as I respect Felten's recipes, I haven't settled on these proportions just yet--it could stand some tinkering.)
Flanders
1 1/2 oz white rum
1/2 oz bourbon
1/4 oz (or less) creme de cassis
& juice from a lime wedge
A little creme de cassis goes a long way. Via Eric Felten.
Green Lizard
3/4 oz white rum
3/4 oz Chartreuse
I'm not usually a fan of Chartreuse, but the Green Lizard has a great story, as detailed in this letter to the San Francisco Chronicle:
Editor - Re "Silent monks get the Last Word" (Jan. 4): Nice article about Chartreuse--brought back memories from 1966 when I was young and stupid, and drank more than I should have
Anyway, there was one cocktail served at the now defunct Bolshoi Bar in San Francisco - this was a bar/restaurant where all of the Russian-American crowd hung out in San Francisco in the mid- to late 1960s.
The signature cocktail--limit two per evening--was the Green Lizard.
The recipe is 3/4 ounce 151 rum, 3/4 ounce green Chartreuse, shaken with crushed ice and strained into a stemmed cocktail glass--no garnish.
You might want to try it--it goes down as smoothly as a Long Island Iced Tea--and you will definitely know why it was limited to two per person per evening.
George E. Barantseff, San Francisco
Rumba
1 oz white rum
1 oz brandy
1/2 Velvet Falernum
soda
Build in a rocks or highball glass, stir with ice, and top with soda. Or skip the liquor entirely and use Fee Brothers non-alcoholic Falernum Syrup for an even lighter version.
XYZ
1 1/2 oz white rum
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Cointreau
& a twist



SCOTCH
I almost never use Scotch in cocktails--when I want Scotch I prefer Caol Ila or another peaty Islay neat or Johnnie Walker on the rocks--but I do love this particular recipe. (A true Scotch story: In business school I attended a presentation by Edgar Bronfman Sr., and at the end of an extensive Q&A session the moderator said, "We have time for one more question," and was met with silence. I'd already asked a legitimate question about his presentation, so I felt entirely justified in asking, "What's your favorite drink?" "Chivas on the rocks," he replied, without a moment's hesitation.)
Tartan
2 1/2 oz Scotch
1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter's Orchard Apricot
Substitute Laird's Bonded Straight Apple Brandy (but not their Applejack) for an even more fruit-forward recipe, but there's no substitute for the Rothman & Winter, given its unique lush dryness.



TEQUILA
I started taking tequila seriously only because of a Gary Regan column in the San Francisco Chronicle--his description of Bonal was so intriguing that I had to try the tequila-based recipe that used the herby aperitif. I know there's a whole world of premium tequila worth exploring, but I found that I really like Cazadores Reposado and Blanco, and I've stuck with it.
Moctezuma
2 1/2 oz reposado tequila
1/2 oz Bonal
& a 1/4 oz mezcal float
This recipe involves a quite few changes from Cortez the Killer, the drink mentioned in the Gary Regan column above (hence the radical name change): A little more tequila, a little less Bonal, served over one large cube rather than up, and a mezcal float instead of creme de cacao in the shaker. Get the best mezcal you can--Amy gave me a bottle of Pierde Almas Dobadaan, and it's been outstanding. As Regan says, there's no substitute for Bonal, so don't even try.
Something Something
1 oz blanco tequila
1 oz Cynar
1 oz Campari
salt
& a grapefruit twist
I have no idea where this recipe came from or what it's really called; I just know that it's shockingly good. Add a pinch of salt to the shaker just before shaking. And you can substitute a wide lemon twist in a pinch, but it's not nearly the same thing.



VODKA
I'm generally not a vodka drinker; liquor prized for its tastelessness has always seemed pointless to me, and I cheered vodka's decline with the rise of craft cocktail movement. Still, there are occasions when I want something lighter than gin, and these two recipes fit the bill.
Blue Velvet
2 oz Absolut Kurant
1/2 oz vermouth
& 7 frozen blueberries
Shake extensively, although gently--it should be ice-cold and very smooth. Strain over the blueberries--a superfood!--enjoy the drink's lovely light purple hue, and reflect on
the virtues of a healthy diet.
Vodka Sour
2 oz Absolut Citron
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
& a cherry
Put the sugar and a splash of vodka in a shaker and blend thoroughly to eliminate any clumps. Add ice, the rest
of the vodka and the lemon juice, shake and double-strain.



Reading List
Martini, Straight Up, Lowell Edmunds. One of the best intellectual histories of any popular subject I've ever read.
Imbibe, David Wondrich. By far the most authoritative history of the cocktail I've encountered.
The Hour, Bernard DeVoto. A small, personal book, funny and poignant.
How's Your Drink?, Eric Felten. A compilation of Felten's late, lamented Wall Street Journal column, which ran 2005-09. (Here's his final column.)
The PDT Cocktail Book, JIm Meehan and Chris Gall. The best recipe book to emerge from the craft cocktail movement, with brilliant illustrations by Gall that are worth the price alone.
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, Ted Haigh. Incredibly entertaining with extensive historical notes woven in among the recipes.
FOOD & WINE Cocktails, editors of FOOD & WINE. I liked the 2007-2009 editions, but they started to drop off after that. Here's the 2013 edition as a starting point, but I haven't bought one since 2010.
A Man's Place is Behind the Bar, Tucker Shaw. An accessible introduction to anyone interested in learning the basics aboout classic cocktails.
Gary Regan's "Cocktailian" column in the San Francisco Chronicle. Not a weekly feature, but always worth reading.
The Gentleman's Companion, Charles Baker. Baker was a 20th century bon vivant who wrote a series of travelogues in the form of cookbooks and cocktail recipe books. Mixed in with the aspirational upper-class fantasies (and condescending politics) are some solid recipes. I found my copy on my late grandmother's bookshelf, and I can picture her reading it in 1950.
Everyday Drinking, Kingsley Amis. A mordantly funny book by a bitter alcoholic. Well worth a read, but sad, even ghastly, in retrospect.