St Nicholas Day

The saint best known as Santa Claus died today more than 1,600 years ago, and in many parts of Europe children will wake up to gifts from the man himself

Difford’s Guide to Cocktails Book 17th Edition

Perhaps the world's biggest cocktail book! Certainly, our biggest yet, 624 pages, 6cm (2.3inch) thick and weighing 2.25kg (5lb). Our Seventeenth Edition

20 best Christmas cocktails

Christmas is a time for overindulgence, and so Christmas cocktails tend to be rich in every sense of the word. In America, it's the creamy Eggnog that

West Side

Refresh your palate before a meal or cleanse your palate after a meal with minty lemon.

Rosina

Fruity yet dry, almost earthy, with a delicate smokiness.

Charlie Lindbergh

Gin-laced with zesty citrus and rich apricot but made special and balanced by subtle quinine bitterness.

Naked & Infamous

The lovechild of Douglas Ankrah's Pornstar Martini and Joaquín Simó's Naked & Famous. Fresh ripe (yet still a little tart passion fruit) sits alongside

Habitant

Your choice of whisky and bitters (I use Bob's Abbotts) will make or break this potentially brilliant whisky sour. Maple syrup should be in more sours.

Gargoyle No. 2

Some might describe this as being a grown-up/vintage Porn Star Martini. It's spirituous and yet dry – despite the generous spoon of sugar which serves

Arnaud's Special

Chocolatey notes emerge from this Rob Roy-like cocktail.

Absinthe Daiquiri

It's surprising both how much absinthe you can use in this bite-sized cocktail and then how much sugar is needed to tame it. Hit the balance and all these

Cosmopolitan (1927 recipe)

A Cosmopolitan in name but not in style. Instead, this Cosmo is perhaps best described as a delicately spiced Old Fashioned. If serving straight-up, as

Copper Bullet

This spirit-forward herbal cocktail may lack a copper hue but it has the lethal potential of a bullet to inflict a killer blow.

Gilroy

Cherry fruit leads this gin-laced dry and citrusy aperitivo.

Ciro's Special

Characterful dark rum and huge fruity components sit harmoniously in this rum daisy.

20 best Ginger liqueur cocktails

As the weather turns colder so the warming effects of ginger can be both beneficial and pleasing in a drink. Indeed, King Edward VII's physician is said

French Martini

The French Martini is one of a few contemporary classic cocktails that boasts worldwide broad consumer appeal. Not actually a Martini at all, it comprises

Beefeater Crown Jewel

Originally launched in 1993 and aimed at the travel retail market, this premium Beefeater expression is named after the Crown Jewels displayed at the Tower