Are you a Discerning Drinker?

Penicillin cocktail

A Whisky Sour with honey richness, subtle smoke and enlivening ginger spice. A cocktail to slap the palate awake. Then you can't resist keep sipping it.

Negroni Cocktail

Glowing red, the Negroni manages to be both sophisticated and simple at the same time and is definitely for a grown-up palate - for many it's simply too

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 Margarita without orange liqueur (e.g. a Tommy's Margarita) is not a margarita at all but a tequila sour. The triple sec orange liqueur is one of the

White Lady

A simple, silky and delicious gin-laced classic with a sour finish. My White Lady recipe is authentic to the proportions in Harry Craddock's 1930 recipe

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 London dry gin and lengthened with soda. Some know this cocktail as a Tom Collins, understandably

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 this classic formulation more sweet than sour and I much prefer my 6:3:2 Whiskey Sour.

Dirty Martini

As with all Martinis, striking a perfect level of dilution and achieving an ice-cold serving temperature (helped by chilling/freezing all ingredients,

Paloma

Reminiscent of a long fruity Margarita with refreshing effervescence.

Tom Collins

A medium-dry Gin Collins based on old tom gin. There is much confusion between Tom Collins and John Collins; arguably, the two names are interchangeable

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. Some Ramos Gin

Ocean Cable

Dry, aromatic and spirituous, this is a cocktail to be taken seriously, but if to your taste, with great enjoyment.

Manhattan (Sweet)

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

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

As the name suggests, looks like a miniature pint of 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

A rum-laced banana milkshake dirtied by coffee liqueur. The riper the banana used in this cocktail, the better. (Brown spots on the banana skin = tasty

Vodka Rickey

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

Screaming Orgasm

As fattening as it is alcoholic, this indugent, creamy dessert in a glass cocktail is served with generous innuendo.

Mai Tai (Trader Vic's)

A Mai Tai is basically a Daiquiri based on aged rum, with orange curaçao liqueur and orgeat syrup contributing to its flavour and sweetness. Trader Vic's

Cosmopolitan Cocktail (Difford's recipe)

The Cosmopolitan was originally made with citrus vodka, but it's great with unflavoured vodka or a combination of the two vodkas - my preference. For this

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 may 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

I do like a shaken Dry Martini! Sorry, I should say Bradford. For some a shaken martini is blasphemous but the aeration generated by the more vigorous