C-D

Cable Car

A spiced-rum-based riff on a Sidecar. Vanilla and spice from the rum interact with the orange liqueur in this citrusy sour cocktail.

Caipirinha

If you are European or in North America, you're probably used to this drink being served with crushed ice, but until you have tried it with small cubes

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

Cameron's Kick

Faintly peaty honeyed whisky with a cleansing hint of lemon, rounded by almond. Classically, egg white is not used, but like many sours, the Cameron's

Canchànchara

Your choice of honey and rum will greatly affect the flavour and, indeed, the success of the finished cocktail. More flavoursome honey demands a more robust

Cantaritos

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

Casino (Savoy spec.)

This recipe is a broad interpretation of Jacob A. Didier's 1909 original and the Casino recipes that follow in Hugo R. Ensslin's 1916 book and other subsequent

Champagne Cocktail

Starts bone dry and becomes slightly sweeter as you reach the dissolving cube at the bottom, depending on how briskly you drink of course. Back in the

Champs-Elysees

A great after-dinner drink for lovers of cognac and Chartreuse.

Charlie Chaplin

Dilution is key to this fruity sweet 'n' sour cocktail, hence, depending on your ice, the Charlie Chaplin may benefit from the addition of a splash of

Chartreuse Swizzle

A swizzle for people like me - Chartreuse lovers. Best enjoyed on a hot summer's evening.

Closing Argument

A mezcal-based Last Word. It works! End of argument.

Clover Club

Gin-laced, sweet 'n' sour with a fruity blast of rich raspberry toned by dry vermouth. Depending on your raspberry syrup, the finished cocktail may range

Comte de Sureau

Sprays of oils from both orange and lemon zest twists aid the fine balance of this bittersweet aperitivo, which fittingly has become known by many as an

Corn 'n' Oil

Rum, slightly sweetened and flavoured with the lime and clove flavours of falernum. There is much debate over the Corn 'N' Oil, particularly the type

Coronation No.1

Dry and wonderfully aromatic with faint notes of almond from the fino sherry and delicately fruity maraschino. Delicious.

Corpse Reviver No.2 (Savoy Recipe)

Well-balanced, with zesty lemon and absinthe just shining through. We've cheekily added the merest dash of sugar, but depending on your personal tastes,

Cosmonaut

It's rich in both colour and flavour. Don't scrimp on the quality of raspberry jam; use three flat barspoons (15-20ml). Sasha's original recipe specifies

Cosmopolitan (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

Cuba Libre

Basically, a rum and coke with a squeeze of lime, but Cuba Libre has much more of a ring about it. Zesty lime and dashes of bitters add layers of complexity,

Daiquiri (Difford's recipe)

Crisp, light and refreshing. Delicately simple yet with perfectly balanced complexity of flavours. For an even better Daiquiri: In place of sugar syrup,

Daiquiri on-the-rocks

Light and refreshing. No one flavour predominates - sweet and sour are in harmony with the rum.

Daiquiri (frozen)

A superbly refreshing cocktail on a hot day. Blend with too much ice and you will have a tasteless slushy drink that will give you brain-ache if you drink

Dark 'n' Stormy (Difford’s recipe)

A Daiquiri made with pungent dark rum, topped and made refreshing with spicy ginger beer. Part of the Mule family - but is distinctive due to the assertive

Dawa

Similar to the Caipirovska in its use of vodka and lime, but the Dawa is sweetened with honey.

Death in the Afternoon

Bravado (absinthe) dominates this drink, alongside hints of biscuity champagne. I've added a touch of sugar to tame this hardman's cocktail.

Diamondback

This potent cocktail marries apple spirit with rye whiskey and rich herbal Chartreuse. An after-dinner/nightcap tipple.

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,

Division Bell

A mezcal inspired variation of the Last Word with a refreshing, spirit-forward blend of ingredients.

Dry Martini (1:1 ratio) “Fifty-Fifty”

A very 'wet' but wonderfully Dry Martini which demands an olive, not a twist. Before you start - Craddock calls for it to be shaken, but it's better stirred.

Dry Martini (2:1.5 ratio) “Sopping Wet”

Herbal vermouth flavours pervade this Sopping Wet Martini.

Dry Martini (2:1 ratio) “Wet”

Reputed to be a favourite of HRH Prince Charles.

Dry Martini (3:1 ratio)

Three to one may be unfair odds in a fight but vermouth shines in this stirred off-dry Martini. Through experimentation we have found that 3:1 Martinis

Dry Martini (4:1 ratio)

A stirred four-to-one Martini is indeed a delicious thing. But is a five-to-one Martini even more delicious? Try both, and perhaps also a three-to-one.

Dry Martini 'Preferred' (5:1 ratio)

This is my go-to Dry Martini, although I arrive at the same 5:1 ratio with a generous 75ml (2½oz) gin to 15ml (½oz) dry vermouth. I chose a 5:1 ratio

Dry Martini (7:1 ratio) “Embury’s”

Readers of Embury will know he had a bone dry palate and Martinis made to his specification are just that, and with the correct dilution, fabulous.

Dry Martini 'Preferred Shaken' (10:1 ratio)

If you are going to shake, rather than stir, a Martini (yes, it then becomes a Bradford) then this 10:1 ratio works rather well as there's something about

Dry Martini (15:1 ratio) “Montgomery’s”

Bone dry - a superbly cleansing Martini. Through experimentation we have found that 15:1 Martinis are better shaken rather than stirred. Conversely 3:1

Dry Martini (15:5 dumped) “Franklin”

A Dry Martini named after Franklin Roosevelt and garnished with two olives.