Adonis

Delicate, off-dry and aromatic. A great aperitif cocktail.

Affinity

A spirituous aperitif-style cocktail, or an after dinner sipper, which can be made with numerous different sweet vermouths or indeed a vermouth amaro as

Airmail

Lightly or well-aged rum invigorating with dry champagne, freshened by a touch of lime and balanced by honeyed richness. Described by some as being a

Alaska (Straub's 1914 recipe)

Made with an Old Tom gin with amplified botanicals and minimal sugar (some are way too sweet) produces a spiritous and, if you hit the right dilution,

Alexander

This gin-laced creamy Alexander has sadly slipped from popularity, partly knocked by its successors, particularly the Brandy Alexander.

Algonquin

Classically made with dry vermouth, this vintage cocktail is so much better with bianco vermouth – in which case, ripe pineapple fruitiness and rye whiskey

Almond Old-Fashioned

Bourbon's sweet notes are lifted and amplified by amaretto's almond flavours. For a slightly drier, more complex version of this drink try a Toasted Almond

Amaretto Sour (by Jeffrey Morgenthaler)

As the name suggests, this drink is dominated by amaretto, with lemon juice providing the sour balancing element and a slug of bourbon giving backbone.

Americano

Bittersweet, lightly effervescent, long and refreshing.

Añejo Highball

Orange and rum with a hint of ginger spice. Long and thirst-quenching.

Añejo Old-Fashioned (AKA Tequila Old-Fashioned)

A hint of agave syrup sweetness and dilution from the stirred ice knocks back the spirit's fire while opening and releasing agave flavours. (If you don't

Angel Face

Rich apricot and apple with a backbone of botanical gin. Balanced rather than dry or sweet. This drink looks better when stirred but the Harry Craddock's

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

Appletini

This Martini is unashamedly fun and brash with lurid green apple liqueur at its 'core'.

Army & Navy

Almond and lemon flavoured gin. Subtle, citrusy and (despite generous orgeat) dry.

Aviation (Difford's recipe)

Citrus, floral gin with a slightly sour finish. The recipe above has been my preferred recipe for some years. However, in early 2020, I decided that the

B-52

Probably the best-known and most popular shot.

Bacardi Cocktail

This classic salmon-pinky drink perfectly combines and balances the light rum with the rich sourness of lime juice and the sweetness of pomegranate syrup.

Bamboo

Sweet vermouth counters dry sherry with dry vermouth further enhancing the vinous flavours and balance. Orange bitters and an orange zest twist add citrus

Banana Calling

This short sharp cocktail is best described as a Banana & Fino Sherry Gin Sour. The fino and banana notes are subtle, so subtle that it is not obviously

Banana Daiquiri (frozen)

A tangy banana drink that's not overly sweet and is more sophisticated than the uninitiated may expect.

Batanga

Basically a Cuba Libre made with tequila in place of rum and an all-important pinch of salt.

Bee's Knees

The combination of honey and lemon suggests flu relief but don't wait for an ailment before trying this soothing concoction. The beneficial addition of

Bellini

It's hard not to like this blend of peaches and sparkling wine. Lemon juice adds balance and a citrusy bite while peach schnapps boosts peachy flavour.

Bernice

Best described as A vodka daiquiri with a hint of herbal peppermint courtesy of Galliano.

Between the Sheets

Classic proportions to this drink are most often quoted as being: 1 rum, 1 cognac, 1 triple sec and 1/4 lemon juice but three shots of 40% alcohol and

Bijou

It is not uncommon to see this drink stipulated with equal parts gin, Chartreuse and sweet vermouth, as called for in Harry Johnson's Bartender's Manual.

Black Manhattan

Basically, a classic Manhattan with amaro in place of sweet vermouth. Heavier in style and with distinctive bitter chocolate and light spice.

Black Russian

This popular cocktail is simple but tasty. Try with just a splash of cola (rather than also with the cream that makes a Colorado Bulldog).

Blackthorn (Irish)

The original equal parts whiskey and dry vermouth recipe is way too dry, so in time for Saint Patrick's Day 2016, we experimented and concluded that splitting

Blazer/Blue Blazer

The showy way to make a simple hot whisky punch.

Blinker

Back in the 1940s, in his The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, David Embury said of this drink, One of a few cocktails using grapefruit juice. Not particularly

Blood & Sand

The equal parts Blood and Sand (scotch, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, and orange juice) formula from the 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book is the accepted

Bloody Mary (Difford's)

A Bloody Mary Cocktail with a hint of bell pepper freshness and a touch of sherry.

Bobby Burns

This recipe combines elements from the world's most respected writers of vintage recipes – the base formula comes from Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail

Boston Sour

Bourbon whiskey soured with lemon juice and smoothed by egg white.

Boulevardier

Basically a Negroni with bourbon replacing gin. A combo which Negroni lovers should try.

Bradford (5:1)

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

Bramble

One of the best and most popular drinks to come out of the 1980s.

Brandy Alexander

This after-dinner classic is rich, creamy and subtly chocolaty.

Brandy Crusta

This old classic zings with fresh lemon and is beautifully balanced by the cognac base.

Brandy Daisy

Yellow Chartreuse notes show through strongly in this short refreshing drink, with cognac providing the base flavour and lemon juice contributing freshening

Brandy Milk Punch

This traditional New Orleans hangover cure beats your bog-standard vanilla milkshake.

Breakfast Martini

The success or failure of this tangy drink is partly reliant on the quality of marmalade used. For ease of use, choose fine cut or even no peel/shredless

Bronx

A fairly dry, complex cocktail. Generous sweet vermouth and orange juice make the Bronx less bitter and fruitier than many of its era, but still challenging

Brooklyn

Perhaps my favourite of the many renditions of the Brooklyn cocktail due to being bone dry, yet made approachable by faint sweet maraschino notes and bittersweet

Brown Derby

Some folk make this cocktail with honey syrup rather than maple syrup. Honey does indeed make for a tasty cocktail and is stipulated in the Brown Derby

Buck's Fizz

A very simple cocktail, but when made with freshly squeezed oranges straight from the refrigerator this is a great brunch drink. (Be sure to fine strain