The Perfect Manhattan. – I know what your thinking…. A Manhattan? Jeesh, Mr. Booze, I can whip up a Manhattan in my sleep. Well, if you can make a perfect Manhattan, the kind that makes you want another one two-thirds of the way through your first, then move on to number two. I happen to adore a Manhattan, and it has taken me years to perfect mine. It’s my duty to pass on this wisdom. This way, if I ever make it to your house between mid-September and February, I can have a drink and be positive I’ll need you to drive me home after a few hours. Here we go.

–2 ounces good Bourbon or Rye. The choice between the two is really a matter of preference or how you may be feeling that evening. I love Rye. It’s spicy and more peppery than Bourbon, but I also adore the smoky and vanilla flavors of Bourbon. Really good/expensive Bourbon or Rye should be enjoyed with a few cubes of ice only. I save my Small-Batch Bourbons for sipping. I use Early Times, Knob Creek or Makers Mark for my Manhattans. Just depends on how much money you have in your wallet when you hit the liquor store.

• 1 once of Sweet Vermouth
• 4 dashes bitters (orange if you can get ‘em)
• Just a touch (a teaspoon or so) of your Maraschino Cherry Brine.

This adds a beautiful color and a kiss of sweet, which I love…more on this later.

Mr. Booze here with another great cocktail to enjoy while barbequing. The Jack Rose is the top-secret gun in the arsenal of summer drinks. Just 3 ingredients make this an easy one to throw together quickly. It’s a drink that, unlike the Cosmopolitan, is refreshing to look at AND can be drunk by men. Not sweet like the Cosmo, the Jack Rose is refreshing, citrusy, goes very well with food. I promise… This drink will be the one your guests ask for when they come back later in the summer. You can’t go wrong with a Jack Rose and an evening spent in the backyard.

I’m pretty certain the Jack Rose got its name from its color. After you make your first one, you’ll see what I mean. It’s a beautiful drink. The color of sun and roses (darken it up by adding a few extra drops of Grenadine). Served ice cold, up, in a martini glass, your guests will be impressed. No guests? Just you and the wife? That’s fine, too; you’ll want to mix up one of these just for you two. Like I recommend, have a relaxing drink as you prepare for grilling. It’ll help you slide right into a warm July evening.

Here we go…. You’ll need fresh limes, real Pomegranate Grenadine (though, in a pinch, I use Roses Grenadine and it’s fiiiine, just fiiiine), a bottle of Laird’s Applejack.

You can use the Laird’s Premium or you can also use Calvados, but I’d rather spend that kind of money on the steaks.

The Jack Rose Cocktail

• 1 ½ oz Applejack
• Fresh squeezed juice from ½ large lime (should be about an ounce)
• ¼ ounce of Pomegranate juice or Roses Grenadine.
• Shake the ingredients together in shaker with cracked ice.
• Serve up iced cold in a martini glass with a slice of lime on the rim as a garnish.

Trust me, you’ll be squeezing a lot of limes after folks taste this classic, so maybe, squeeze up a batch of them the night of the barbeque and use a measured bar glass to add an ounce of lime juice for each drink.

In my opinion, the Jack Rose is the finest cocktail to enjoy on a muggy, buggy, summer night. “She” drinks well with the smell of citron candles and smokin’ meat.

re was one. Tall, kitschy Christmas glass absolutely required.

Here we go -

• 1 1/2 oz triple sec
• 1 oz white crème de cacao
• 3 1/2 oz pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon coconut flakes

Blend everything in a blender with crushed ice. Plop a big maraschino cherry on top and dust with a little more coconut.  Be careful that your Burt Reynolds’ mustache doesn’t get all wet..

Here we g0:

• 2 ounces Cream
• 2 Ounces Brandy
  You don’t have to break the bank with your Brandy choice, I use E&J and it is just fine.
• 2 ounces Dark Crème De Cacao

Add all ingredients in a shaker with plenty of cracked ice. The above recipe is almost enough for 2 large drinks but they’re so darn good, you’ll want seconds. Shake ‘til it is frosty and strain into a festive martini glass or double old-fashioned. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Here’s a secret – Add a ½ ounce shot of Coffee Liqueur and you’ll have a great new twist on this classic. When I do this, I use Kamora.

• 1 ½ oz. Banana liqueur
• 1 oz vodka
• ½ oz whie rum
• 2 ox cream of coconut
• sm. Can Dole pinapple juice

 Fill a shaker with ice, add all ingredients and shake ‘till ice-cold. Garnish with thick banana slice and dust with cinnamon. Serve with straw.

• 2 oz dark rum
• 1 oz white rum
• ½ oz triple sec
• 1 oz orange juice
• 2 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• ¾ oz fruit syrup (I use my kid’s fruit punch and it tastes great).

Fill a shaker with a ton of ice. Shake it ‘till you can’t hold it any longer or your fingers will freeze off. Garnish with a slice of orange and a cherry. Serve with straw.

You have to have the right glass for this one. Go to a thrift shop, garage sale, kitsch shop or in an old box in your parent’s basement and find a set of Hi-Ball glasses. Ideally, they should stand around six or seven inches tall. The classics of the day came with naughty cartoons or 60’s, geometric patterns stenciled on them. You’ll need a set.

Here we go:
- 2 Ounces good Bourbon
- Ginger Beer to fill.

When it comes to a Bourbon and Ginger, Ginger Beer is where you need to go. Mr. Booze’s absolute favorite brand is Goya. It’s rich and gingery to the point of being almost peppery. Fill your glass half up with ice; add a stir stick. Add your bourbon then fill to near top with the ginger beer. Stir sharply ‘til its frothy. You can throw in a cherry if it is Christmas.

• 2 ounces Gin (Vodka can be substituted but I prefer the Gin version)
• 1 ounce Roses Lime.

Pour the two ingredients in a short glass (Old-Fashioned) filled with cracked ice. Stir then garnish with a wedge of lime. Be careful with this one, they’re tasty.

We’ve all enjoyed a rum and coke also known as a Cuba Libre, but next time you’re mixing drinks and someone asks for one, try this variation instead. This drink packs a quicker punch, so keep your eye on the drinker. You don’t want to find them asleep in your cat box when you’re cleaning up.

Here we go –

Shake rums, cola, lime juice and sugar with ice in a shaker. Strain into cocktail/martini glass. Twist a slice of lime peel over drink and sink into glass. They’ll want another.

I’m passing on a drink I learned about from reading Dr. Cocktail’s column in Imbibe Magazine ( Jan/Feb 07). I LOVE this drink. You have to try it. I insist. The Apple Ginger Sangaree is a perfect fireside cocktail because the ingredients are all winter flavors – apple, ginger, nutmeg. The drink has a nostalgic, old-time taste. When you are sipping it, you feel as if you are tasting something men and women once enjoyed years back. The kind of flavors your Grandfather or his Dad may have enjoyed. I’ll warn you, one of the bottles you’ll need may be hard to find but look for it. I found one after a few days on the phone.

Here we go –

Fill double old-fashioned glass with cracked-ice. Combine ingredients in glass and stir ‘til mixed. Sprinkle ground nutmeg on top of drink and get ready for one hell of a cocktail experience. I think you’ll really like this one.