I stumbled over this one in a recipe book published in 1934. It calls for Absinthe.   I was recently given a bottle, and this sounded like the drink to crack her for. Absinthe is legal again in the States, so if you’re curious about this once forbidden liquor, why not a night of poker with the boys and … Bunny Hugs?

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz Gin
• 1 ½ oz Bourbon
• 1 ½ oz Absinthe

Shake with ice ‘til freezing cold. Serve up in a chilled cocktail glass. Be careful, Bunny Hugs will F you up.

Another aperitif based cocktail, the Negroni is much like The American cocktail, only stronger. This is a great before dinner drink. Don’t let the soft, slightly bitter and fruity flavor of the Campari aperitif cause you to let your guard down, remember…there’s gin in this bad boy and he’s waiting to slap you. One or two as the other dinner guests start arriving is perfect but remember, you have to cook. The flavor is very European and subtle.

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1 ½ oz Campari
• 1 ½ oz Gin

Pour ingredients over ice in an Old-Fashioned glass, garnish with a lemon peel.

Not a huge fan of the sweet, but the gin & bitters in this drink peck hard enough to make its taste worth your while plus, it does have the “ooooh, pretty” factor of being blue and all. Not part of the 90’s tartini craze and the newer version, this drink has some decades in its nest. I found it in an old bar bible.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Gin
• ½ tsp. Blue Curacao
• 4 dashes Angostura Bitters

Shake ingredients softly but long enough to really get the cold going in a nice shaker, strain into a cocktail glass with a lemon peel or Maraschino cherry on the lip of the glass. (Don’t shoot me, but they even make blue Maraschino cherries if you want to make some sort of statement).

(wanna fight about it?) – Talk about art imitating life, this noisier, less sophisticated cousin of The Manhattan certainly goes down well in a pinch and when you’re hankering a strong belt and are only kinda in the mood for a Martini. What can I say, I like it…so stick it in ya ear.

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz of a good, dry gin. Plymouth is poyfect.
• ½ oz Dry Vermouth
• ½ oz Sweet Vermouth
• 2 tablespoons orange juice.

Shake above ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker ‘til freezing, strain into a martini or cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

Add an egg white into the mix and shake ‘til cold and frothy for a Bronx Oriental.

When researching the cocktail, I questioned weather the cocktail wasn’t originally some sort of 50’s liquid tie-in associated with the coming of the Hi-Fi age. You know, cocktail dress wearing gals along with sport-jacketed fellas gathered around Jim’s new record player, toasting to this nifty new technology. “Wow…it’s like Sinatra’s in the room.” Hard to find a creation date, the Loud Speaker drank well and filled my mind with more 50’s romantic notions … all ‘til the boob I was drinking with had his fourth and it dawned on me that the long dead bartender was more likely making a statement aimed at a drunk’s tendency to get obnoxiously louder with each bending of the elbow. “SHUT-UP and DRINK YOUR DRINK YOUR DRINK, YOU LOUD… SPEAKER, YOU”

For all I know, this drink’s 5000 years old.

Here we go –

• ¾ oz Gin
• 1 oz Brandy
• ¼ oz lemon juice

Shake with ice in a shaker ‘til c-c-c-cold, strain into cocktail glass with a lemon peel for garnish.

When you go to all that trouble to find the old, classic cocktail glasses and stemware, you’ll want to mix a beautiful drink to show it off. The White Lady, besides being tasty as all get-go, is a beautiful cocktail that, when mixed properly, will absolutely glow in a beautiful glass. Your less-than-experienced guests will enjoy this one; it’s boozy and not too sweet, yet it still goes down very easy.

Here we go – 

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz Lemon Juice

Shake in a shaker with cracked ice then pour into an old, beautiful cocktail glass. If you wish to garnish, an orange slice on the rim will look divine.

Who doesn’t love James Bond. The character’s creator Ian Fleming came up with a damn good version of the Martini in his first Bond Novel, Casino Royal. One of the latest film versions of the story even used this drink as a small character development plot device.

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Like the Pink Lady, this drink has to be made and tasted to be believed. The taste is old, not old like the ingredients have passed their shelf life, but Old like someone would be drinking one during the closing party in an Abbott and Costello movie. This drink is part of the fun of having a bar. You have a bar to have friends over and make drinks like the Fallen Angel. A unique flavor and a cool drink. I like this one.

Here we go –

• 2 ounces gin
• 2/3 tsp. of white Crème de Menthe
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Shake all of the ingredients in a shaker with cracked ice. Strain into a small, pre-chilled cocktail/martini glass and add maraschino cherry as a garnish.

I mention this drink for three reasons – the first being that it’s old and is considered a classic. Second, I once had a hell of an evening traveling with a friend from bar to bar requesting this drink. Only a few in-the-know bartenders could make it, and for those that could, I was damned impressed. She’s not an easy cocktail to mix. Third, it drinks well. This drink is tasty.

The Pink Lady is a wonderful drink to have in your arsenal. It makes guests smile when you mention it. If you’re entertaining ladies or more adventurous gentlemen, ask if you can mix a Pink Lady. You’ll usually get at least one taker. After you mix one, others will demand their own. The drink is something else to look at. It’s gorgeous. And don’t be scared of the egg white.

Here we go –

2 ounces gin
2-3 dashes grenadine (Roses is fine)
1 egg white

Pour all the ingredients into a shaker containing plenty of cracked ice. Shake hard and rapidly ‘til frothy and cold. Strain into a highball or martini glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.

Another fantastic Autumn cocktail, the Empire is another drink which takes advantage of the Fall Flavors. I stumbled upon this one in an old bar bible from1940 and never looked back. I’m a huge Calvados fan (Apple Brandy) and must sample every cocktail I find which includes it. This is a quiet drink, one that you’ll enjoy drinking alone or with another quiet person on a chilly evening. Throw on that Cardigan and have an Empire.

Here we go –

• ½ ounce Calvados
• ½ ounce Apricot Brandy
• 1 ounce Gin

Shake with cracked ice in an old shaker. Pour into a small cocktail/martini glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Here’s a quick and easy cocktail that calls for just two ingredients, tastes delicious, and is perfect for a drink before dinner or before stepping out for the evening. I like this drink a lot. Even though there’s a healthy dose of sour in this cocktail, the spirit can still be tasted and even stands out. The Gimlet, unlike other drinks on this site can be made and mixed in under a minute. The drink dates back to around 1930.Here we go –

• 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.