The Firefly *

The first of our experiments with Aperol, and named in honor of the TV show, this cocktail is the color of the Scottish soda Irn Bru and is a fine choice for a summer cocktail.

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Before drinking, toast one person in the room. That person must respond by shouting, "To me!"

Negroni

Allegedly the result of a gentleman asking his bartender to use gin in place of club soda in an Americano.

Build in an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

The Valentino

A variation on the Negroni, and one of my favorite cocktails.

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

The Freelancer *

The first of our variations on the Valentino. Inspired by a bad day at the magazine for Martha.

Stir, strain, and enjoy while contemplating the mixed pleasures of pitching stories and working from home.

The Van Pelt *

The next of our Negroni variations. The title is inspired by the band of the same name, who put out a couple albums on Gern Blandsten records in the mid-90s.

Stir and strain. Enjoy while listening to indie rock.

Hearst Cocktail

Supposedly a favorite of the newspapermen who worked for William Randolph Hearst. They described it to the barmen at the old Waldorf Astoria bar. Martha has nicknamed it "The Disgruntled Journalist".

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Old Flame

Created by Dale DeGroff.

Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

Caricature Cocktail

Gary Regan's variation on the Old Flame.

Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

Fire And Blood *

Our variation on the Old Flame. Created for our bartending stint at the Brotherhood Without Banners LA WorldCon party in August 2006, and inspired by George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

Fitzgerald

Another Dale DeGroff creation. I remember reading the recipe for this drink in a magazine several years ago and thinking I would enjoy it. Turns out I was right.

Shake and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a piece of lemon.

Alaska

Quite good on a hot day.

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Corpse Reviver #2

The Corpse Reviver #1 involves applejack, and can be found here. I once made this with vodka for my mom, and it turned out pretty well. Be sure to go easy on the Ricard - it can easy take over the drink. At the Flatiron Lounge, they use an eyedropper to dispense the absinthe for this drink.

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

French 75

A classic bubbly cocktail.

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and fill with champagne. Alternately, you may build it in an ice-filled collins glass.

Prince of Dorne *

Another cocktail inspired by George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, and based on the French 75.

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Fill with champagne.

Preview

Supposedly the favorite drink of Rat Pack member Peter Lawford.

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass that has been rinsed out with Ricard (or other absinthe substitute).

The Aegon Cocktail *

Not only another variation on the Valentino, but another cocktail whose name is a reference to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Stir and strain. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Moonglow

We discovered this one while searching for recipies with gin and lime. It is quite delicious, though a little on the sweet side. One is usually enough for one evening.

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

New Deal

Last week we bought a bottle of Dubonnet Rouge and promptly came home to look up recipes which featured it. The New Deal (also called the "Nude Eel") takes a little getting used to, as it features two base spirits (gin & cognac), but it turns out to be very nice.

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Journalist

This one was found while looking to get rid of some lemons. Since we refer to the Hearst as "the disgruntled journalist," I thought we should check this one out for completeness' sake.

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Leg Before Wicket

Named after a cricket term, this cocktail is definitely not for everyone. If you are a fan of Campari, you will enjoy this drink's bitter qualities. Otherwise, be warned.

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Toast the great sport of cricket, where they wear white and drink tea.

Hong Kong Cocktail

A milder cocktail, with the lime and Angostura flavors winning out over the gin.

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Marble Hill

Named for a New York City neighborhood which is geographically in the Bronx, yet is zoned as part of New York County, which contains Manhattan. It is also the neighborhood where our cats hail from.

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Bronx

The name was inspired by the animals at the Bronx Zoo. Or the similarity of bar patrons to the animals at the Bronx Zoo. One of these.

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Sand Martin

While looking for drinks featuring green Chartreuse, I found this one. Honestly, the reason I picked it was because the name made me think of George R. R. Martin's short story "Sandkings".

Stir with ice and strain.

Tailspin

There are a number of names for this cocktail, but Tailspin is our favorite. Martha likes it because it is very astringent.

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Poet's Dream

Discovered while idly paging through the Mr. Boston Bartender's Guide.

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Vancouver

Because one gin and Benedictine cocktail deserves another.

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Marguerite Fizz

We had gin. We had lemons. We wanted to try a new cocktail. I highly recommend this one for summertime. It may be a little on the sweet side (adjust the amount of grenadine to your liking), but it is quite refreshing.

Shake with ice and strain into a tall glass with ice. Fill with soda.

Green Ghost

The green Chartreuse and lime juice combine to give this drink a nicely bitter kick.

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Greenfly

The slightly sweeter cousin of the Green Ghost. A dash of simple syrup lightens things up.

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

The Smiler

If you're a fan of Transmetropolitain, you know why the name of this drink caught our eye. (If you're not a fan, well, the Smiler is the nickname of the villain of the series, whose face is frozen in a permanent grin during the early issues of the series.)

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Gin-Blind

This drink comes from Charles H. Baker, Jr.'s Jigger, Beaker, & Glass, a highly entertaining compendium of cocktails acquired on Baker's travels around the world. The Gin-Blind is courtesy of a commander in the British navy, who advises "We don't prescribe this just before target practice, gentlemen."

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of an orange peel.

Opalescent

The egg white gives this drink a nice frothy head atop its pale yellow body. Best made in pairs!

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Biter

Despite it's easy association with A Song Of Ice And Fire, this was found in one of our cocktail books, Ted Shane's Authentic and Hilarious Bar Guide. Hilarious indeed. The note with this recipe says: "Extra! Cocktail Bites Man!"

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Gin-Gin Mule

A wonderful summer cocktail invented by Audrey Saunders, made with homemade ginger beer (recipe here).

Muddle the lime juice, simple syrup, and mint together in a mixing glass. Add the gin and ice and shake well. Strain into a glass with ice and add the ginger beer. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Rocky Green Dragon

I forget what I was searching for, but once 'dragon' showed up in the name, we had to try it. If you're looking for a sweet drink, look elsewhere.

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Aviation

We don't make this all that much, as maraschino liqueur gives Martha nightmares. But it's a great cocktail, so check it out.

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Singapore Sling

Fruity, yet not too sweet. Be warned that you can't really taste the alcohol, so the drink may go down a bit too easy.

Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with club soda.

Dundee

This cocktail is an interesting mix, as it is technically a gin cocktail, but the scotch and Drambuie could place it in the scotch category as well. It works quite well in the end, with the sweetness of the Drambuie smoothing out the flavor.

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Cinnibar Negroni

Invented at the Cinnibar restaurant in L.A., it is essentially a Negroni with the Campari doubled.

Fill a rocks glass with ice and add all ingredients. Stir and serve.

Mujer Verde

The Green Woman is a rather delightful drink, and may well become the cause for our Chartreuse supply to dwindle rather rapidly.

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

If you have fresh thyme on hand, this is a wonderful cocktail to try out.

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh sprig of thyme.

Lavender Gimlet

We had one of these at Five Points in Manhattan and were determined to try one for ourselves. It's ridiculously tasty and very refreshing.

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

To make the infused simple syrup, mix a cup of water and a cup of sugar over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add 3 tablespoons of fresh or dried lavender and bring the entire mixture to a boil. Boil for a minute, then take it off the heat, and store it in the fridge. Strain the lavender before making drinks.