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Penicillin cocktail
A Whisky Sour with honey richness, subtle smoke and enlivening ginger spice.
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 standard sour but with tequila zing.
White Lady Cocktail
A simple, silky and delicious gin-laced classic with a sour finish. My White Lady recipe is true to Harry Craddock's 1930 recipe (see below) in using
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
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
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
As fattening as it is alcoholic, this indugent, creamy dessert in a glass cocktail is 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 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
More approachable than a stirred Dry Martini and downright soft compared to a Naked Martini.
