Sally Morgan

A well balanced version of the genre (I like to think perfection in this category is what Jeeves served to Wooster the morning after the night before). I went for the more traditional 'swill round the glass' absinthe, rather than a dash, and I think that works well.

This is a lovely autumnal cocktail, particularly if you have good quality / home made sloe gin. The sloe gin-redcurrant combination is delicious

I was looking for an autumnal cocktail and this absolutely nailed the brief and manages to taste more boozy than it is, so feels very decadent. Would be even better as a Christmas cocktail I can see it going down a storm at a party.

If anyone is stalking my comments here (unlikely I know I'm sure you all have better things to do) you'll have sussed that I have just had a delivery from Still Wild in Pembrokeshire. If you make this with their Nocino, Rhudd bitter aperitif (instead of the Aperol) and Hedgerow bitters I doubt you'll taste a better version - absolutely delicious in a very grown up way.

I've had this before with fairly straightforward ingredients and loved it. This time I tried with gin, rhudd bitter and sweet vermouth from Still Wild in Pembrokeshire and I think I've died and gone to heaven. I was thinking the orange juice might wash out the more premium ingredients but I was very very wrong.

Was looking for something that would go before a Tex-Mex meal and this absolutely nailed the brief. Also delicious, although I did reduce the sugar syrup a tad.

I've already commented on this wonderful cocktail, but thought it worth adding that it's well worth serving this with a 'sidecar' (i.e. most of the cocktail in a teeny tiny decanter kept on a glass of ice - a shotglass works if you don't happen to have a teeny tiny decanter about your person) as it's definitely a sipping cocktail and you don't want it to overheat, even with the best of ingredients!

the mescal-cherry brandy combination is really unexpected and makes for a lovely balanced cocktail

I've only just discovered that proper maraschino cherries are absolutely delicious so I'm always fond of a cocktail that has one as a garnish. I long ago realised that Mr Difford's tweaks are the best version of anything (in my head he appears, Jeeves-like at my elbow and mutters 'I've adjusted this to suit your superior tastes ma'am) and I do very much like this version, retro but not sweet

The sugar syrup amount worked well with the rums I used and I often use less syrup in cocktails. A classic

Tried because I thought it would go well before a harissa fish dish. I was wrong (ish) but it would be amazing after a Mexican style barbecue.

Use the hack described elsewhere on this site and use 3 parts amaretto to 1 part grenadine if you don't happen to have creme de noyau about your person. An outstanding cocktail, particularly during cherry season if you have lovely juicy cherries you can juice yourself.

By far the easiest way to make this (or any other strawberry cocktail is to prepare in advance, muddle the strawberries well and dry shake and leave in a sieve over a jug. A bit later shake with ice and fine strain and you won't have to deal with all the strawberry pulp - magic (as is this cocktail)

I don't think this needs the chocolate powder rim, which would muddy the taste of this delicious clean cocktail. Worth using a decent vermouth in this - you'll thank me for the balance it brings

clean taste - very Scandinavian!

I find absinthe can quickly overwhelm a cocktail and in any case wasn't too sure what a dash was - so put in a couple of drops which I thought was just right. Definitely revived this corpse

Well worth getting top quality ingredients for this one and then it will sing. In addition to a good genever it's worth getting craft vermouths such as Pembrokeshire's Still Wild offerings

Picture the scene - it's a muggy day and pollen is rampant. You're back from a training run and what sort of cocktail do you want (once you've properly rehydrated of course)? This one. Clean, well balanced and rinses all of the pollen off the back of your throat. I've always like this particular Cosmopolitan recipe, but never more so than today.

The smokiness of the Mezcal makes this a great pre (or during) barbeque cocktail.

A classic and well worth trying. Personally I'd always make with a good freshly brewed espresso (decaf for me unless it's a breakfast cocktail!)

works both with and without the bitters. It's difficult to get the sugar to dissolve if you do grind it in a mortar and pestle so if you want the full effect mix early and stir in the sugar and leave to sit.

Really fresh from the lime. I don't normally fine strain because I like the shards of ice but in this case it does improve the look.

Shows off the Lakka / Cloudberry liqueur wonderfully, which is just what you want with this special drink.