As I write this, we’re swinging on into spring, so I thought I’d include a cocktail perfectly suited for your Easter ham and deviled eggs. There are plenty of flavored brandies on the market but if you’re just starting your home bar or don’t yet have any, apricot’s a great one to start with. It’s a subtle fruit flavor that’s not too dominant a taste, so it blends quite well with other spirits yet provides that fruit sweet you’ll often need. I like this cocktail a lot. It’s very pretty to look at and tastes like a drink your grandma might have sipped back in her day.

Here we go –

• 2 oz Apricot Brandy
• 2 Dashes Grenadine (Roses is fine)
• Club Soda or Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer
• Twist each of an orange and lemon peel.

Fill a hi-ball glass 2/3rds up with cracked ice, add the brandy and grenadine and stir. Fill the rest of the way with soda or ginger, add the peel and stir.

I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t blame you, but no, Mr. Booze has not been to any raves, discos or trendy, black-wearing bars knockin’ back sweet, tart drinks made for punks and the gals who love them. This cocktail comes straight out of a book almost 40 years old. Who knows, maybe this is the one that started the downfall but what can I say…she drinks well and there’s some serious booze in this one. Try it.

Here we go –

• 1 oz Light or White Rum
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1 tsp. Apricot Brandy
• 2 dashes Grenadine
• 1 tsp. Lemon juice

Shake all the above with cracked ice in a shaker ‘til ice-cold, strain into a cocktail glass with an apple wedge as garnish.

Time to crack out that Rye. This one tastes as old school as the butter mints on your grand pappy’s dresser. The Ward Eight is just a fantastic whiskey drink that begs to be sipped while watching the news, winding your pocket watch or adjusting your reading glasses. This one screams “Dad”. It’s like a stronger version of the Whiskey Sour for grown-ups.

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz Rye or Bourbon (go with the Rye)
• 3 dashes Grenadine

Serve over ice in an old-fashioned glass, garnish with a slice of orange and one of lemon, add a cherry if its x-mas.

I’ve actually seen this in a much older bar bible, calling for gin. Go for it if you’re feeling a little daring. Let Mr. Booze know how it works for ya.

I first tried a few of these last year on an actual September morn’.   A great drink, but I fell asleep at my 9:30 meeting and kinda broke the office copier.   Won’t do that again.

Seriously, a tasty, frothy cocktail for early autumn.

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz White Rum
• White of 1 egg
• ½ oz lime juice
• Dash or two of grenadine

Shake with ice; serve up in a chilled cocktail glass.

This is a great cocktail to make when you want to do a little something special behind the bar but not kill yourself with ingredients. The smoky flavor of the bourbon and the lesser tang of the orange triple sec both mesh within the froth of a whipped egg white to create quite an eye opener. Drink these ‘til you’re a millionaire yourself, then pay someone to mix one for you.

Here we go –

• ¾ oz lemon juice
• 1 egg white
• ¼ oz Triple Sec
• Couple dashes grenadine
• 1 ½ oz Bourbon

Shake hard with ice in a shaker, strain into a cocktail glass.

One of the few cocktails I’ve come across named specifically for a Spirit brand. Apparently there was an older version of this cocktail which didn’t call for Bacardi Rum, but when the drink made the jump to the States, a bar bible called Recipes For Mixed Drinks by Hugo Ensslin called for the specific brand in 1917. It’s a tangy, quick to make pick-me-up that I find refreshing.

Here we go –

• ¾ oz lime juice
• tsp. Powdered sugar
• 1 ¾ oz Bacardi White Rum
• couple dashes grenadine

Shake ‘til freezing in a shaker with ice, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with a lime slice.

I found this recipe on the excellent Hawaiian Drinks blog, tikidrinks.blogspot.com. I like this version more than the one we have up on site (hopefully, this one will be joining the original). When you entertain or just go out to your driveway or balcony to have a cocktail, moonlight and madness have a way of finding you, and you’re soon and suddenly surrounded by people wanting to join you. This is just how it works. You can make a pitcher of Planters Punch and keep it in the fridge. I enjoy this drink over ice in a tiki mug or over ice in a tall, pretty glass. Delicious and deadly.

Here we go – (batch accordingly)

• 2 oz Dark Rum
• ½ oz lime juice
• 2 oz pineapple juice
• 2 oz orange juice
• 1/ oz Roses Grenadine juice
• Club Soda to fill if desired and it does provide a nice effervescence.

Mix everything together and pour over ice in a tall glass, garnish with an orange slice & cherry picked together.

Borrowed from The Playboy Bar Guide, this name-appropriate cocktail can be batched for home entertaining ahead of time. Just pour the amount needed in a small shaker with ice for each individual drink. Dracula will pour red so you get your “pop” as you pass one to your guest. Work on your Bela Lugosi accent ahead of time. You’ll need it as you host.

Here we go –

• 2 oz white rum
• ½ tsp grenadine (yes…you can use Roses)
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 4 oz cranberry cocktail
• couple dashes Angostura bitters
• Shake well w/ ice, pour into a tall rocks glass. Add more ice if necessary.