The J.O.S. cocktail blends both kinds of vermouth with gin and several dashes of several things. The overall flavor is subtly fruity with tangy notes. This is a serious drink that can be an acquired taste. That said, sweet vermouth tends to be something one either loves or hates, so if you hate it you probably won’t learn to love ... Read More »

The Modern Cocktail uses scotch as its base and adds a number of other ingredients for subtle flavoring. The end result is hard to describe – smoky and a tiny bit spicy. I usually recommend cheap but drinkable scotches in cocktails, but this is one of those rare cases where the scotch has got to be reasonably smooth or the ... Read More »

The Bustanoby cocktail is strongly based on creme de menthe, and sweetened mint is the dominant flavor. But there’s a hint of orange and some bitters to bring it all together. That makes the flavor a little more interesting and complex than straight mint. This is a great dessert drink to sip along on after dinner. It’s a nice alternative ... Read More »

The Liaison cocktail is a rather unusual combination – cognac and triple sec meet coconut milk. The result is spectacularly smooth. The coconut milk smooths even a cheap cognac while the healthy dose of bitters keep the flavors intact. You’ll taste the oak, citrus and pear notes along with the mellowness of the slightly sweet coconut milk. It’s a drink ... Read More »

The Aromatherapist cocktail blends gin with sake. Now, there are a lot of different types of sake – roughly, they can be described as tasting a little like white wine, and with the same range of flavors, dry to very sweet. Which type of sake you’ll prefer in this drink depends on personal taste. If you like gin with sweet ... Read More »

The Metropole blends the oak and pear notes of cognac with the fruity-herbal notes of dry vermouth, and adds two kinds of bitters to bring out the flavors. The trick with vermouth – when you’re not using just a tiny amount in a dry martini, that is – is to invest in a good vermouth (they’re not that expensive, anyway). ... Read More »

The Janet Howard combines cognac with Orgeat, a sweet almond syrup and a dash of bitters to keep it from being too sweet. The result is a mouth-watering blend of rich sweetness and oak. The end result is very smooth. The Orgeat takes the edge off the cognac while the cognac keeps the Orgeat from being sickeningly sweet. And the ... Read More »

The Mikado has a flavor that’s sweet but intriguing. The basis of it is brandy, with small amounts of liqueurs added to it. The overall flavor is almond cherry, but with a tart note from the triple sec and something woodsy from the brandy. Remember not to waste a good sipping brandy on this one – you want something that’s ... Read More »