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Penicillin cocktail

A Whisky Sour with honey richness, subtle smoke and enlivening ginger spice.

Negroni Cocktail

Bitter and dry, but very tasty. This no namby-pamby drink is traditionally assembled and mixed directly in the glass. There is something about a Negroni

All In

Spirituous and bittersweet with a underlying chocolaty treat.

Porn Star Martini

A passion fruit and vanilla crowd-pleaser that's balanced with zesty lime, often served with sparkling wine on the side.

Apple Daiquiri

A classic Daiquiri with a very subtle hint of apple.

Aperol Spritz / Aperitivo Spritz

Slightly sweet, herbal, refreshing and quaffable. The good folk at Aperol, the aperitivo liqueur brand most identified with the Spritz, recommend equal

Californian Margarita

To quote a long time Californian and frequent visitor to America's Southwest, this recipe is a classic Margarita but with a few tweaks. Usually a silver/blanco

Bull Shot

Cow broth replaces tomato in this Mary for carnivorous drinkers.

Tequila Sour

A standard sour but with tequila zing.

White Lady Cocktail

A simple, silky and delicious gin-laced classic with a sour finish.

Takumi's Aviation

A wonderfully aromatic flower-powered Aviation. Sweeter than some Aviation renditions, including my own Aviation and if, like me, you like yours a tad

John Collins

A refreshing balance of sour lemon and sugar, laced with gin and lengthened with soda.

Great Gatsby

This grapefruit fresh and light cocktail is equally suited to the aperitivo moment as it is breakfast.

Cantaritos

Juicy (freshly squeezed orange, grapefruit and lime) and refreshing slightly salty tequila invigorated with sparkling grapefruit soda. Wetting the porous

Whiskey Sour (Classic Formula)

I find the classic formulation more sweet than sour and prefer the 4:2:8 ratio.

Dirty Martini Cocktail

This drink varies from delicious to disgusting, depending on what's making it Dirty. This is traditionally the liquid from a jar of olives and if using

Paloma

Reminiscent of a long fruity Margarita with refreshing effervescence.

Tom Collins

A medium-dry Gin Collins.

Trinidad Sour

This deep lurid reddy-brown cocktail won't be to everybody's taste but that's only to be expected with one-and-a-half shots of bitters. However, if you

Cadáver Reviver

The combination of tequila and triple sec make this riff on the classic Corpse Reviver remarkably Margarita-like, only with added complexity and subtlety

Sunflower

Elderflower liqueur replaces aromatised wine in this riff on a classic Corpse Reviver No.2. This means the bitter oils from the lemon zest twist are crucial

Bandera

In Mexico the quality of the homemade Sangrita can make or break a bar. The Sangrita in this trio is spicy and slightly sweet.

Maiden's Blush No.2

A mere spoon of blanche absinthe washes over ten times as much Old Tom gin in this complex sour which is delicately balanced by a splash of raspberry syrup.

November Seabreeze

A superbly refreshing fruity drink, whatever the time of year.

Limoncello Spritz

Zesty, almost creamy, lemon enlivened with fizz.

Margarita on-the-rocks (Difford's recipe)

This is how we prefer our margaritas to be served. Tangy citrus and tequila with a hint of balancing sweetness and a faint salty undertone. We also prefer

Piscola

'Brandy' and cola with a hint of Angostura bitters. Try and see why the Chileans enjoy it.

Ramos Gin Fizz

One of the great classic cocktails. The perfect balance of sweet and sour is enhanced by the incredibly smooth, almost fluffy mouthfeel.

Ocean Cable

This cocktail originally appears in William Tarling's 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book where its creation is attributed to one A. G. Scott. We've respected

Manhattan (Sweet)

I must confess to preferring my Manhattans served Sweet, or Perfect at a push. The Manhattan is complex, challenging and moreish. Best of all, it's available

Calvados & Tonic

Crisp dry apple with delicate quinine tonic bitterness.

Gin & Tonic

One of the simplest and best mixed drinks ever devised, hence its lasting popularity. To serve as a Highball use a smaller 10oz (295ml) Highball glass

Jägerbomb

Famous and infamous.

Blue Hawaiian

A blue-rinsed Piña Colada.

Vodkatini / Vodka Martini

Temperature is key to the enjoyment of this modern classic. Consume while icy cold and you'll enjoy a clean and crisp Martini.

Baby Guinness

Looks like a miniature pint of Guinness stout.

Margarita (frozen)

Citrus freshness with the subtle agave of tequila served frozen.

Vodka Collins

A Tom Collins with vodka - a refreshing balance of sweet and sour.

Dirty Banana

Long, creamy and filling banana drink with a 'dirty' flavour and colour courtesy of coffee liqueur. The riper the banana used in this cocktail the better.

Vodka Rickey

Lacks interest but balanced and hard to fault as a simple and refreshing drink.

Screaming Orgasm

Probably as fattening as it is alcoholic. This is a huge, creamy dessert in a glass served with generous innuendo.

Mai Tai (Trader Vic's) Cocktail

We love Daiquiris and this is basically a classic Daiquiri with a few bells and whistles.

Cosmopolitan Cocktail (Difford's recipe)

The Cosmopolitan was originally made with citrus vodka but this recipe works just as well with unflavoured vodka, and when a good quality cranberry juice

Fireball

Down this in one and be prepared for a sweet cinnamon palate quickly followed by a hot, spicy finish.

Mezcal Margarita

A smokin' Margarita. Depending on your palate, you many want to vary the amount of agave syrup – from 2.5ml or even no agave syrup for dry palates to

Grog

Strong, flavoursome navy rum with a splash of scurvy-inhibiting lime. Properly mixed at the right dilution, this is a great drink. However, too many and

Aqua Velva Cocktail

Loaded with booze and with an aqua marine blue hue (as the name suggests), this citrusy drink was made for the 1980s. We’re sure Del Boy would have described

Bradford Martini

More approachable than a stirred Dry Martini and downright soft compared to a Naked Martini.