Cocktails
658 recipes found
Black Rock Chiller
Sother Teague, a bartender at Amor y Amargo in the East Village, was asked by some journalists journeying to the Burning Man gathering in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada to come up with a cocktail that would travel and didn’t need chilling. This was his response. The big, sweet menthol hit of the amaro Branca Menta — while marrying wonderfully with the herbal tequila and bitter Suze — also provides the illusion of coolness in a drink that has none.
Kentucky Derby Mint Juleps
This is a real julep, the now classic julep first served to Derby guests in 1875 by Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the founder of Churchill Downs. Now, as then, it is made with just four ingredients: finely crushed ice, a little sugar water, fresh spearmint and fine, aged, 90-proof straight Kentucky bourbon.
Tablatini
High Five
This drink is a little miracle in liquid prestidigitation: five ingredients (three of them alcoholic) getting together to assume the guise of an innocent cherry cola. That flavor profile was exactly the intention of the bartender Jeff Lyon, who set out to make an alcoholic cola that tasted like “more than the sum of its parts.”
Brown Corduroy
Americano
The Negroni is enjoying a moment now. For bartenders and barflies, this deliciously complex mix of Campari, gin and sweet vermouth has become an easy way to fly one’s flag as a knowing cocktail classicist. But the drink’s rising profile has cast a shadow over its once-popular progenitor, the Americano. Without this refreshing Italian-born highball — Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda — there would have been no blueprint for the gin-loving Count Camillo Negroni to experiment with a century ago. (The drink’s family line actually goes back even farther; the Americano grew out of a simpler aperitif that omitted the soda, called the Milano-Torino — Milano in honor of the birthplace of Campari, Torino for the vermouth.) While the Americano doesn’t have quite the romance that’s grown around the Negroni, it also doesn’t have nearly as much alcohol. It’s a lighter and saner choice for summertime drinking. A pitcher of Americanos enjoyed on the back patio during a hot afternoon will not leave you down for the, uh, count.
Cara Cara Citrus Liqueur
This homemade liqueur is the perfect addition to many a beachy cocktail, served in frosty glasses and sipped on a porch at sunset. The margarita, the Cosmopolitan and the ever-dangerous Lemon Drop are all made more refreshing by its bright citrus flavor. Given all the types of citrus available, and the simplicity of this recipe, it’s worth experimenting. The recipe here provides the essentials (ratios and techniques) with permission to make the infusion your own.
Chamomile Simple Syrup
Chamomile has a sweet, earthy flavor, and makes a lovely simple syrup that may soon become a staple in your refrigerator. Not only is this syrup delicious in a cocktail or mocktail, it is also wonderful drizzled on French toast, or vanilla ice cream with fresh berries. You can even use it to sweeten iced coffee.
Cranberry Liqueur
Cafe Brulot
Chamomile Strawberry Gin Daisy Cocktail
The perfect warm weather cocktail, this pretty-in-pink libation is fresh and perfectly tangy and sweet. It celebrates everything you love about the spring in one glass, and tastes great all summer, too.
Daiquiri No. 2
Cherry Caipirissima
This simple four-ingredient cocktail is made by muddling a handful of fresh, sweet cherries, lime and simple syrup and topping it with a few splashes of rum. It's a perfect midsummer's night cocktail. If you don't have cherries on hand, strawberries or blueberries work too.
Pomegranate Gin Preserve
Gin: Tom Collins
Kenneth McCoy’s Old-Fashioned
McCoy’s old-fashioned strikes a balance between the muddled fruit and minimalist models.
An Adaptable Old-Fashioned Cocktail
The old-fashioned is infinitely forgiving. Originally named “whiskey cocktail,” it’s a stirred, spirit-forward drink classically based on bourbon or rye. But out of want or necessity, you can venture outside tradition. This version uses 2-to-1 “rich” simple syrup, which is sweeter and thicker than the standard 1-to-1 ratio of sugar and water, but allows you to use less without sacrificing texture. This cocktail offers many a substitution; the only nonnegotiable is to use a spirit you like, as it serves as leading lady in this cocktail hour.
Wassail
Here is the the beauty of wassail: more than just another nice-tasting drink, it’s part of a long (if largely forgotten) tradition of celebrating the life that winter can seem determined to snuff out. It’s a fragrant, warming concoction mixed in bulk (this recipe makes 12 servings) and set out for sharing, all but demanding that you call in a crowd. There’s really no such thing as wassail for one. A punch bowl is good for this, although you can also ladle it into individual cups. (The New York Times)
Brighton Beach Breeze
Sorel liqueur, a newer liquor with notes of hibiscus, ginger, cinnamon and clove, can be found at a well-stocked liquor store. It can also be used to perk up Manhattans or margaritas. Here, it gives a Caribbean kick to that preppy summer classic, the Sea Breeze. (The New York Times)
Rye Old-Fashioned
One of the most venerable of whiskey-based cocktails, the old-fashioned has a history that stretches back farther than the martini’s. For decades it has suffered under the reputation of something your grandmother drank — overly sweet, fruit-laden and spritzed-up. But grandma wouldn’t recognize what’s happened to it lately.
Madras
This preppy staple is given an upgrade with a splash of triple sec and a great big curl of orange peel. It’s the color of a summer sunset. (The New York Times)
Hipster BBQ
Made with pale ale and Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, this drink whets the appetite for a juicy steak.
Tabard Cocktail
A tequila, sherry and Drambuie concoction with orange bitters and a garnish of orange peel and thyme.