Rocks / Old-Fashioned
Short, straight-sided, heavy based. Built drinks over ice, and anything muddled in the glass.
Short glass built over ice. Half its volume is ice, so liquid stays low.
Drinks served in this glass
WhiskeyIntermediate
Bali Spice Old-Fashioned
Three spices give the classic cocktail a whole new savory dimension.
WhiskeyBeginner
Black Cat
Yomeishu is sold in Japan as a tonic for fatigue and poor circulation. Ignore the branding. It gets on well with whisky.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Bourbon & Spice
Amaro, spiced pear and a chile shrub over bourbon. A winter drink that means it.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Cubism
Fernet with the mint turned up. It shows on the nose more than the palate, which is what makes it useful.
WhiskeyBeginner
Japanese Old Fashioned
A shitake mushroom infusion and bitters containing kelp, bonito, and shiitake help turn the Old Fashioned into an umami bomb.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Penicillin
Sam Ross, Milk & Honey, early 2000s. Honey, ginger, and a peated float that carried it round the world.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Ring A Ding Ding
Hamilton pimento dram is built on a blend of pot-still Jamaican rums, and it is what makes this so spicy. Worth seeking out.
WhiskeyAdvanced
Sayonara!
Ichijiku are Japanese figs, and kuromitsu is a black sugar syrup. Both turn up online or at a good Asian grocer.
WhiskeyBeginner
Smoke Show
Rye, maple, and two bitters over a sphere. Want more smoke? Oak chips in a smoking gun, fifteen seconds.
WhiskeyAdvanced
The Marathon Man
A birthday cake in a glass, and just as filling.
WhiskeyAdvanced
Time’s Arrow II
The candy garnish takes some work. It earns it, on looks and on taste.
WhiskeyAdvanced
Yinchuan
Fat-washing is a great way of adding another dimension to spirits, giving them an irresistible depth.
GinBeginner
Black Negroni
Campari swapped for Fernet-Branca. Bitter, minty and considerably less forgiving.
GinIntermediate
Bramble
An invention of legendary London bartender Dick Bradsell, in his attempt to create a truly British drink.
GinIntermediate
Captain Awesome
Cucumber and coconut with a chile burn underneath. The name is not overselling it.
GinBeginner
Chinotto Negroni
Chinotto adds bitterness, lemon adds lift. A sharper Negroni than the one you know.
GinIntermediate
Cool Lagoon
Two kinds of basil and pickled jalapeno. Herbal, floral, and quietly hot.
GinIntermediate
Fallen Madonna
A sweet and straightforward drink with a silken texture from the aloe vera.
GinBeginner
Gin & Tonic
It's gin. It's tonic. What more were you expecting?
GinIntermediate
Gin Basil Smash
Twelve basil leaves, muddled hard. Green, sharp, and impossible to drink slowly.
GinAdvanced
Mister Nine
Bourbon and gin don't share a glass willingly. Elderflower, jasmine and bay leaf talk them both down.
GinIntermediate
Palo Santo Gimlet
An easy-to-drink yet complex cocktail that taps into the otherworldly powers palo santo holds. It literally means “holy wood”.
GinIntermediate
Perfect Stranger
Yes, goat's milk. Clarify it and you get a punch with more spice and less sugar than you'd expect.
GinIntermediate
Rose Parade
Martin Miller's gin is shipped to Iceland to be cut with glacial water. Sounds like marketing until you taste it.
GinBeginner
The Coolcumber
Refreshing, tropical, and floral, this cocktail is a can’t miss in the summertime.
GinBeginner
Vesca Negroni
The bespoke ice is the key to this truly unique twist on the Negroni.
GinBeginner
White Negroni
Ginger liqueur and Grand Marnier bring delicious clarity to the twist on the Negroni.
AgaveIntermediate
Canoe Club
Blackberry and smoke with a serrano kick. Sweet up front, hot on the way out.
AgaveIntermediate
Desert Daisy
A tequila drink built to be looked at. It survives being served in an ordinary glass.
AgaveIntermediate
Let's Fall in Love Tonight
Tequila, lemon, honey. Three ingredients and nowhere to hide.
AgaveAdvanced
Mr. Kotter
A margarita made properly and named improperly. Welcome back.
AgaveIntermediate
Mucho Aloha
A milk punch in a Hawaiian shirt. Clarified, smoky, and unnervingly smooth.
AgaveAdvanced
Oaxaca Old Fashioned
The drink that made mezcal a bar staple. Agave for sugar, smoke for oak.
AgaveIntermediate
Third Player
Nine ingredients, three base spirits. Somebody had something to prove, and proved it.
AgaveIntermediate
Tia Mia
A Mai Tai with mezcal in half the rum's place. The smoke changes everything.
AgaveIntermediate
Tomato Beef
Clear tomato water and pink peppercorn. Savory, and nothing like a Bloody Mary.
RumIntermediate
Jungle Bird
Campari's bitterness against pineapple. It converts people who think they hate tiki.
RumBeginner
Rum Old Fashioned
Aged rum's caramel and vanilla make it a natural in the old-fashioned template.
VodkaBeginner
White Russian
Coffee liqueur and cream over vodka. Unserious and unbothered about it.
LiqueurBeginner
Amaretto Sour
Add a little bourbon and an egg white and the maligned version becomes serious.
LiqueurBeginner
Negroni Sbagliato
A bartender grabbed the wrong bottle in 1970s Milan and improved the drink.
Wine & BrandyIntermediate
Vieux Carré
Rye and Cognac sharing the base, which almost nothing else does.
Zero proofIntermediate
Shrub Soda
Vinegar-based shrubs give a non-alcoholic drink the backbone booze usually provides.
WhiskeyBeginner
Old Fashioned
Spirit, sugar, water, bitters. The definition of a cocktail, and still the best argument for one.
WhiskeyBeginner
Gold Rush
A whiskey sour with honey standing in for sugar. Three ingredients, no technique to speak of.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Sazerac
New Orleans in a glass. The absinthe never goes in the drink: it coats the glass and sits in the nose.
AgaveBeginner
Tommy's Margarita
Agave instead of triple sec. Cleaner, and it tastes more like the tequila you paid for.
WhiskeyBeginner
Rusty Nail
Two ingredients, no technique. The Drambuie does all the work.
VodkaBeginner
Black Russian
Vodka and coffee liqueur. Add cream and it becomes a White Russian.
VodkaBeginner
Screwdriver
Vodka and orange juice. Honest about what it is.
VodkaBeginner
Cape Cod
Vodka and cranberry. The drink most people mean when they say vodka cran.
VodkaBeginner
Greyhound
Vodka and grapefruit. Salt the rim and it becomes a Salty Dog.
RumBeginner
Caipirinha
Cachaça, lime and sugar, muddled in the glass. Brazil's national drink.
WhiskeyBeginner
Ward 8
A Boston whiskey sour with orange. Named for a ward that swung an election.
LiqueurIntermediate
Bushwacker
Blended, creamy, and closer to a milkshake than a cocktail.
VodkaIntermediate
Isle of View
Orgeat, passion fruit, and a pinch of salt. Tiki logic applied to vodka.
VodkaAdvanced
Whistle Podu
Smoked rasam in a highball. Savory, spiced, and unlike anything else here.
VodkaIntermediate
Chervona Wine
Vodka and red wine in the same glass, sweetened with vermouth. Older logic, still sound.
VodkaIntermediate
My Rescue
Wheat beer in a cocktail, with Aperol and toasted spice honey. Refreshing and odd.
VodkaIntermediate
Farm & Vine
Aquavit, sherry, and sugar snap pea syrup. Tastes like a garden in early summer.
Wine & BrandyIntermediate
Newton Punch
Six ingredients, all of them apple in some form. An orchard taken apart and rebuilt.
GinIntermediate
Leeward Negroni
Coconut-fat-washed Campari and pandan. A Negroni that moved to the tropics.
LiqueurIntermediate
Exchange Student
Five bitter, fortified things and no base spirit. Low proof, high intensity.
WhiskeyAdvanced
Red Temples
Strawberry and Campari over shochu, with five dashes of peat. The Scotch is the surprise.
VodkaIntermediate
Spring in Tokyo
Lemongrass shochu and umeshu with yuzu. Light, floral, and low proof.
Wine & BrandyBeginner
Taikoh
Sake, green tea liqueur, and matcha. Green, grassy, and gently sweet.
Wine & BrandyIntermediate
Fleur de Lis
An ounce of Peychaud's, Cognac, and verjus under sparkling wine. Bitter and celebratory.
WhiskeyBeginner
Teton Tango
Aperol, Cynar, and rye in equal parts. Bitter, and it doesn't apologize.
RumAdvanced
Kanji in the Evening
Two rums, two bitter liqueurs, and pink peppercorn. Complicated in a rewarding way.
RumIntermediate
Dot Line
Coffee, umeshu, PX sherry, and a dash of balsamic. Every ingredient pulls a different way.
RumBeginner
Havana Martini
Three ounces of freezer-cold rum with a whisper of sherry. Rum's answer to the Martini.
RumIntermediate
When the Man Comes Around
Guyana rum stirred with vermouth, maraschino, and three kinds of bitters. Dark and deliberate.
RumIntermediate
El Cuco
Four rums, two citruses, honey and ginger. A rum lover's showing-off drink.
RumIntermediate
Tuesday Club
Tiki bitters, spiced rum, banana syrup, and a mist of pear calvados. A Tuesday, elevated.
RumIntermediate
Paomo Ambrosia
Cachaca and sake with banana and shiso. Fizzy, foamy, and hard to place.
RumIntermediate
Rabo de Galo
Vermouth two ways with cashew syrup. Brazil's after-work drink, rebuilt.
RumIntermediate
Rum Ba Ba
Passion fruit, cream, and orgeat, named for the soaked cake. Just as rich.
LiqueurIntermediate
Mojito de Piña
A mojito with pineapple and basil instead of mint alone. Sweeter, and better.
Wine & BrandyBeginner
French Connection
Cognac and amaretto over ice. Nothing to shake, nothing to get wrong.
WhiskeyBeginner
Godfather
Scotch and amaretto. The almond takes the edge off the smoke.
AgaveBeginner
Vampiro
Tequila with tomato and orange, and a pinch of salt that pulls it together.
RumBeginner
Corn n Oil
Barbados in a rocks glass. The blackstrap is what makes it look like its name.
GinBeginner
Mountain Bramble
The Bramble with real blackberries muddled in and soda on top, which makes it a long drink.
VodkaBeginner
Godmother
Vodka and amaretto over ice, which leaves the almond nowhere to hide.
Wine & BrandyBeginner
Montana
Brandy and port over ice, kept dry by a half ounce of vermouth.
Wine & BrandyBeginner
Brandy Smash
A julep that gave up and got short. Mint and sugar muddled in the glass you drink from.
Wine & BrandyBeginner
Chicago Cocktail
Brandy with a quarter teaspoon of triple sec, served in a glass rimmed with sugar.
WhiskeyBeginner
Narragansett
Bourbon and sweet vermouth with a dash of anisette, which is the whole idea.
GinBeginner
Pall Mall
Gin and both vermouths with half an ounce of white crème de cacao. Built in the glass.
AgaveBeginner
Rosita
A tequila Negroni with both vermouths. Built over ice and drunk slowly.
GinBeginner
Gin Smash
Mint and sugar muddled in the glass you drink from, then gin over ice.
RumBeginner
Tahiti Club
Both rums with pineapple, two citruses by the teaspoon and a little maraschino.
VodkaBeginner
Silverado
Equal vodka and Campari with an ounce of orange juice, built over ice.
GinBeginner
Gin Daisy
A gin sour with half a teaspoon of grenadine. The daisy is the grenadine.
RumBeginner
Rum Cobbler
Sugar and soda stirred in the glass, then dark rum poured over ice. A cobbler is that simple.
WhiskeyBeginner
Scotch Cobbler
Scotch with four dashes each of brandy and curaçao, over crushed ice with mint.
WhiskeyBeginner
Whisky Mac
Scotch and green ginger wine, poured and stirred. A British winter in a glass.
RumBeginner
Caipirissima
The caipirinha built on white rum instead of cachaça. Two limes, muddled in the glass with the sugar.
RumBeginner
Dark Caipirinha
A caipirinha made with demerara sugar, which takes it molasses-dark and rounds off the lime.
RumBeginner
Original Polynesian Pearl
POG juice and RumChata with Grand Marnier and cinnamon — a soft, creamy tropical drink. The acid-adjusted version is the one its maker prefers.
RumAdvanced
Improved Polynesian Pearl
The same tropical build with white rum added and a quarter ounce of citric-malic solution standing in for the acidity POG juice does not have.
AgaveBeginner
Spicy Pineapple Margarita
Two slices of jalapeño shaken with the drink rather than infused ahead, so the heat arrives late and stays mild. Pineapple carries it.
RumIntermediate
Dark Magus
A Negroni's shape with rum in the gin's place: aged Jamaican rum, a pineapple amaro and a bitter red aperitivo, with a quarter ounce of banana liqueur underneath.
AgaveIntermediate
Blueberry Coconut Margarita
Coconut milk in a margarita, strained or blended first so it pours smooth rather than grainy.
WhiskeyBeginner
Peach & Brown Sugar Bourbon Smash
Half a ripe peach muddled with lemon and brown sugar syrup, then bourbon and two dashes of Angostura over the top.
GinBeginner
White Peach Negroni
Equal parts, but pale: gin, peach vodka and Lillet Blanc where a Negroni would have Campari and sweet vermouth.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Pineapple Bourbon Honey Sour
Bourbon, pineapple and honey syrup shaken with egg white until it is thick enough to hold bitters on the surface.
LiqueurBeginner
Midori Sour
Melon liqueur, lemon and a little sugar. The sour template with the spirit left out entirely.
LiqueurBeginner
Butter Cream
Butterscotch and Irish cream with milk over the top. Soft enough to drink at the wrong end of the evening.
RumBeginner
Fluffy Duck
White rum and advocaat with a splash of cream over ice. The stronger of the two drinks under this name.
Wine & BrandyBeginner
Brandy Separator
Brandy and coffee liqueur under a long pour of milk. A White Russian that went to France.
WhiskeyBeginner
Sneaky Pete
Rye, coffee liqueur and milk in equal parts. The White Russian's build with whiskey in the vodka's place.
VodkaBeginner
Colorado Bulldog
A White Russian with cola poured over it. It froths, which is either the appeal or the problem.
AgaveBeginner
Brave Bull
Tequila and coffee liqueur over ice. A Black Russian with agave underneath it.
WhiskeyBeginner
BMW
Irish cream, coconut rum and whiskey in equal parts. Named for the initials and nothing else.
LiqueurBeginner
Barbarella
Two parts Cointreau to one of sambuca, shaken. Orange and aniseed, and sweet from start to finish.
AgaveBeginner
Tequila Slammer
Tequila and lemonade, slammed on the bar to make it foam and drunk straight down. A party trick with a recipe attached.
RumBeginner
Bumbo
Rum, sugar and spice, stirred and served over ice. No citrus at all, which is what separates it from almost everything else built on rum.
VodkaBeginner
Blue Ocean
Vodka, blue curaçao and grapefruit. Grapefruit is what keeps it from being a sweet blue drink.
Wine & BrandyIntermediate
Ve.n.to
Grappa with lemon, honey and chamomile. An Italian sour that leans herbal instead of sweet — and the full stops are part of the name, not a slip.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Hellboy
Islay whisky stirred with Frangelico and chile honey. Smoke, hazelnut and a slow burn, and it works better than it reads.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Smoky Whisky Sour
Half Islay, half blended, with maple syrup instead of sugar. The smoke sits under the foam rather than on top of it.
WhiskeyBeginner
Rosemary Bourbon Sour
A bourbon sour with rosemary syrup in the sugar's place. The herb reads as savoury against the lemon rather than sweet.
WhiskeyBeginner
Suburban
Bourbon, dark rum and port, stirred with two bitters. A Manhattan-shaped drink with the vermouth swapped for fortified wine.
AgaveBeginner
Ambassador
Tequila and orange juice over ice with a little sugar. A screwdriver that went south.
AgaveBeginner
Bloody Maria
The Bloody Mary with tequila in place of the vodka. The agave gets through the tomato in a way the vodka never tried to.
LiqueurBeginner
Amaretto Sour (Basic)
Two ingredients and nowhere to hide. Without the bourbon the almond comes forward, and the lemon has to carry the whole balance on its own.
WhiskeyIntermediate
Penicillin (Basic)
Fresh ginger muddled in rather than cooked into a syrup, and the smoky float pinned to a measure instead of left to judgement.
RumBeginner
Dark Rum Old Fashioned
Built in the glass on a sugar cube rather than poured over syrup. Two bitters instead of one, and a small overproof float that shows up on the finish.
LiqueurBeginner
Incredible Hulk
Equal parts Hpnotiq and cognac, and the colour is most of the point. Sweet, strong, and over in about four sips.
VodkaBeginner
57 Chevy with a White License Plate
Equal parts vodka and white crème de cacao over ice. Chocolate with no cream behind it, which leaves it lighter and a good deal colder than it sounds.
WhiskeyWEB CELEBIntermediate
Midnight Noir Old Fashioned
A dark, spirit-forward Old Fashioned: overproof rye sweetened with demerara and seasoned with chocolate and black walnut bitters, finished with a cherry and a dried orange wheel.
WhiskeyWEB CELEBAdvanced
Púca's Share
Irish whiskey with blackberry, allspice, lemon and lime and two kinds of bitters, poured into a glass full of rosemary smoke.
WhiskeyWEB CELEBBeginner
Isaac's Old Cask
A smoky, cherry-forward rye: molasses and cherry bitters, a bar spoon of Islay Scotch, Amaro di Angostura and Cherry Heering.
WhiskeyWEB CELEBBeginner
From Peaks to Palms
From Peaks to Palms pairs tropical pineapple, lime, and grapefruit with the herbal character of Yellow Chartreuse and Appalachian Amaro Oscura.