Sam Donaldson

For a lovely version with hints of vanilla, add 20 mL Licor 43 tothis recipe. We call it the Señor Martinez.

This remains my favorite Martinez variation, though I use chocolate bitters in place of Angostura bitters. The chocolate and cherry really sing. Give it a try!

For a smoother, more complex take, replace the cognac with Grand Marnier. It’s yummy.

Very good and balanced cocktail, especially when made with quality bourbon and sweet vermouth. Bourbon purists will cringe at mixing their holy water with anything but ice, but this is a great drink to win over those who might find the base spirit a little too overpowering.

Great Negroni variation! I dialed back the Cynar to 25mL and compensated with an extra 5mL sweet vermouth and found it a little less harsh (and thus more pleasing) in its bitterness.

Very nicely balanced! I used agave syrup instead of sugar syrup and upped the measurement to 7.5mL; very happy with the result.

Made with Uncle Val’s botanical gin and found it worked very well with the lemon and Benedictine. As others have said, the lemon is essential. Cheers!

Easily the best Aviation recipe out there. It may not have the bluest color, but the balance is impeccable.

Really enjoy this variation on the traditional Sidecar. I’ve made it twice now, the second time swapping orangecello for limoncello. It was even better! Lots of layers to this simple, well-balanced cocktail.

Used agave in place of simple syrup and was delighted to find it was still delicately balanced. This runs laps around a sidecar.