Are you a Discerning Drinker?

Absinthe Frappé

Sweet aniseed may not sound appealing but you should try an Absinthe Frappé after a large meal on a summer's night before you decide on this delicious

Absinthe Suissesse

An easy-drinking summertime brunch cocktail. You can make this with green crème de menthe if you're into green drinks but an Absinthe Suissesse is arguably

Adonis

Some describe the Adonis as The sweet version of the Bamboo but that hardly does this brilliant vintage aperitivo/digestivo, that's off-dry and aromatic

Affinity

A spirituous aperitivo-style cocktail, or an after-dinner sipper, which can be made with numerous different sweet vermouths or indeed a vermouth amaro

Alexander

This gin-laced creamy Alexander has sadly slipped from popularity, partly knocked by its successors, particularly the Brandy Alexander.

Algonquin

Classically made with 2 parts whiskey, 1 part dry vermouth, and 1 part pineapple juice, this vintage cocktail is opened and improved by splitting the vermouth

Armour

A Bamboo but with rosso (sweet) vermouth in place of dry vermouth to produce a cocktail that's perhaps more digestivo than aperitivo.

Atholl Brose

Forget the porridge and kick start your day with an Atholl Brose. Consider using raw heather honey.

Bacardi Cocktail

This classic salmon-pinky cocktail perfectly combines and balances the light rum with the assertive sourness of lime juice and rich sweetness of pomegranate

Bamboo (Difford's 'classic' recipe)

I've respected the first-known 1886 recipe which calls for three parts dry sherry to one part vermouth. However, I've split the vermouth between a more

Bee's Knees

The combination of honey and lemon suggests flu relief but don't wait for an ailment before trying this soothing concoction. The beneficial addition of

Bellini (Difford's recipe)

It's hard not to like this blend of peaches and sparkling wine. Lemon juice adds balance and a citrusy bite while peach schnapps boosts peachy flavour.

Benton's Old Fashioned

If you like an Old-Fashioned and bacon then you'll love the Benton's Old-Fashioned.

Betsy Ross

Deep burgundy red and boozy. Based on the classic combination of port and brandy, this is a drink to finish a night. (Benefits from some dilution so stir

Between The Sheets

The classic proportions for a Between the Sheets are most often quoted as being: 30ml (1oz) Light rum 30ml (1oz) Cognac brandy 30ml (1oz) Triple sec liqueur

Black Velvet

Full-bodied stout and delicate dry sparkling wine are an unlikely combination but this classic has stood the test of time. Some may wish to add a barspoon

Blackthorn No. 1

Dashes of bitters and lemon oils from the garnish are key to this sloe gin-based classic from the turn of the 20th century.

Blue Blazer

The showy way to make a simple hot whisky punch.

Boothby Cocktail

A delectable Manhattan, with a sparkling wine float.

Bronx

A fairly dry, complex cocktail. Generous sweet vermouth and orange juice make the Bronx less bitter and fruitier than many of its era, but still challenging

Brooklyn

Perhaps my favourite of the many renditions of the Brooklyn cocktail due to being dry yet made approachable by faint sweet maraschino and bittersweet herbal

Brown Derby

This is a better cocktail than the similar but honey-sweetened De Rigueur Cocktail, as unless you have a very full-bodied honey, maple syrup's 'tang' sits

Casino

This recipe is a broad interpretation of Jacob A. Didier's 1909 original and the Casino recipes that follow in Hugo R. Ensslin's 1916 book and other subsequent

Champagne Cocktail

Starts bone dry and becomes slightly sweeter as you reach the dissolving cube at the bottom, depending on how briskly you drink of course. Back in the

Clover Club

Gin-laced, sweet 'n' sour with a fruity blast of rich raspberry toned by dry vermouth. Depending on your raspberry syrup, the finished cocktail may range

Clover Leaf

A Clover Club freshened and made more interesting by the addition of fresh mint, and not just as a garnish.

Commedia All'italiana

Full-flavoured and bittersweet. Some will prefer this aperitivo with the dilution that comes with serving over ice in an old-fashioned glass.

Corpse Reviver No.2 (Savoy Recipe)

Well-balanced, with zesty lemon and absinthe just shining through. I've added the merest dash of sugar, but depending on your personal tastes, citrus juice

Cuba Libre

Basically, a rum and coke with a squeeze of lime, but Cuba Libre has much more of a ring about it. Zesty lime and dashes of bitters add layers of complexity,

Dry Martini (15:1 ratio) Montgomery's

Bone dry - a superbly cleansing Martini. Through experimentation, we have found that 15:1 Martinis are better shaken rather than stirred. Conversely, 3:1

El Diablo Cocktail

The tequila, rich red berry fruit, lime and ginger aren't exactly a subtle combination but it is one that has proved both popular and enduring.

El Presidente

Rum and vermouth combine harmoniously in this delicate and subtly citrus-fresh cocktail. My previous El Presidente version involved the use of three different

Embassy Cocktail

The Daiquiri and Sidecar's lovechild. Some add aromatic bitters, but it's better without, as this allows the rum and brandy interplay to shine. However,

Espresso Martini

Likened to a Vodka & Red Bull for the discerning, the caffeine-loaded Espresso Martini consists of generous shots of vodka and espresso with coffee liqueur.

Fluffy Duck

Light, creamy and easy drinking. Gin prevents this particular duck from being too fluffy.

Free to Rome

Lemon oils dry and add freshness to this Espresso Martini made special by a slash of olive oil and nutty liqueur.

Freezer Martini

This easy-to-measure recipe produces a 5:1 ratio Dry Martini with a dilution that suits being served icy cold serve. Be sure to chill your olives or, as

French Connection

The apricot and almond notes in amaretto combine perfectly with brandy in this simple cocktail.

French Martini

Raspberry and pineapple laced with vodka. Easy drinking and very fruity.

Ghost of Smokey Joe

Herbal notes shine, fortified with rye whiskey with character provided by absinthe, aromatic bitters and particularly peated whisky.

Gibson Dry Martini

A classic Dry Martini without bitters and garnished with cocktail onions in place of an olive or a twist. On those two distinctions, all are agreed. However,

Gimlet (Difford's recipe)

The Gimlet is classically equal parts gin and lime cordial stirred in the glass it is to be served in, with added ice being optional (but actually optimal).

Grasshopper

It's hard not to like this creamy slightly sweet minty after-dinner treat.

Hanky Panky Cocktail

This is basically a Sweet Martini influenced by the addition of bittersweet and aromatic fernet liqueur.

Harvey Wallbanger

One of the most famous cocktails from the 1970s, the Harvey Wallbanger is a Screwdriver (vodka and orange juice served tall over ice) with a float of Galliano

Hotel Nacional Special

A fruity but sophisticated riff on the classic Daiquiri with fresh pineapple and apricot liqueur. It would appear the Hotel Nacional was originally made

Irish Coffee

Sometimes called a Gaelic Coffee and properly known by its Irish name 'Caife Gaelach', the Irish Coffee is traditionally served in a stemmed heatproof

Irish Rose

The gentle bite of Irish whiskey soured with lemon and sweetened with pomegranate syrup. The splash of soda which crowns this drink serves to lighten and

Jack Rose Cocktail

In his 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, David Embury says, a Jack Rose is nothing but a Pink Apple Car, and when made with just calvados, lemon juice

Jockey Club

Reddy-pink coloured with a sweet and sour, almondy, amaretto-like flavour fortified with gin botanicals.

John Collins

A refreshing balance of sour lemon and sugar, laced with London dry gin and lengthened with soda. Some know this cocktail as a Tom Collins, understandably

Last Word

Traditionally made with equal parts gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice but, like like many others, (when using a 40%-43% alc./vol.

Mai Tai (Trader Vic's)

A Mai Tai is basically a Daiquiri based on aged rum, with orange curaçao liqueur and orgeat syrup contributing to its flavour and sweetness. Trader Vic's

Man O' War

Zingy, sweet and sour, fruity and bourbon-laced. The sugar syrup is my own addition and depending on your lemons and tastes you may want to either omit

Marguerite

An equal parts (Fifty-Fifty) Dry Martini with a hint of orange due to the use of orange curaçao, orange bitters and an orange zest twist.

Martinez (Difford's recipe)

Your choice of genever will make or break this fabulous cocktail. My recipe is based on a medium-dry, rounded, and complex genever (e.g. Rutte Old Simon

Mint Julep

Before stirring a Julep you need to only bruise the mint as crushing the leaves releases bitter, inner juices. (Although most recipes call for dashes of

Moscow Mule

The vodka drink with a kick is simply vodka and ginger beer with a squeeze of lime served over ice. This drink's all-important enlivening spice is provided

MyZo

Rich vanilla with sweet elderflower balanced by zesty lemon and enlivened by chilli heat.

Orange Blossom

Gin-laced orange juice delicately enriched with a splash of grenadine. A regal shake (with a swath of orange peel) adds a balancing zestiness to this cocktail.

Original Tequila Sunrise

Tequila notes shine with delicate berry fruit (and depending on your ingredients subtle vanilla) in this delicious 1930's version of the Sunrise.

Pancho Villa

Dilution is key to this cocktail so either shake with crushed ice (as per the original recipe) or do as I do and add chilled water. Even then, to quote

Penicillin cocktail

A Whisky Sour with honey richness, subtle smoke and enlivening ginger spice. A cocktail to slap the palate awake. Then you can't resist keep sipping it.

Pink Gin

This is a cocktail that likes dilution, hence the shot of water in my recipe. And, a spoon full (or ½ spoon) of sugar certainly helps the medicine go

Pisco Sour (Difford's recipe)

All the Peruvian bartenders I've met prefer their Pisco Sours blended rather than shaken. Indeed, it is a brilliant cocktail when blended, but I prefer

Pompadour

Grassy rum agricole and sweet vinous Pineau de Charentes freshened with a splash of lemon juice.

Ramos Gin Fizz

One of the great classic cocktails. The perfect balance of sweet and sour is enhanced by the incredibly smooth, almost fluffy mouthfeel. Some Ramos Gin

Remsen Cooler

Scotch and soda for the sophisticate.

Rob Roy Cocktail

Scotch whisky's answer to the Manhattan. The Rob Roy is classically made with Angostura Bitters, but in his 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, as a footnote

Russian Spring Punch

Well-balanced, complex and refreshing.

Sazerac (Difford's split base)

If you are rightly concerned about chucking expensive absinthe down the drain then consider straining into a shot glass and serve on the side. The roughly

Sazerac (New Orleans style)

While bartenders in other cities have complicated the Sazerac by using a combination of spirits [us included - Difford's Sazerac recipe], in New Orleans

Scofflaw

Just on the dry/tart side so crisp and superbly refreshing. For my version of this classic, I've used bonded strength rye whisky so you need to up the

Seelbach

A champagne cocktail fortified with bourbon and triple sec liqueur.

Sidecar

Spirituous and just on the sour side, the sugar rim is considered by some to be integral to this classic cocktail. Dilution is key to perfecting a Sidecar,

Singapore Sling

Beautifully balanced, fruity and complex with just enough gin to add a spirituous bite. We're indebted to Dale DeGroff for sharing this recipe, which he,

Spicy Fifty

Chilli spice smoothed by honey with vanilla vodka and lime juice.

Stone Sour

This Whisky Sour with a splash of orange juice is often also served over ice. It's uncommon to see stone fruit in a Stone Sour in the form of apricot liqueur,

Takumi's Aviation

A wonderfully aromatic flower-powered Aviation. Sweeter than some Aviation renditions, including my own Aviation and if, like me, you like yours a tad

Tapa Punch

A peachy rum sour served swizzle-style. Citrus adds balance and freshness to this blend of rums with their fruity funk enhanced by a splash of peach liqueur.

Tequila Daisy

Orange curaçao and grenadine harmoniously balance lemon juice in this tequila-based Daisy.

Three Miller

A seriously strong drink, in flavour and in alcohol.

Tom & Jerry (serves 6)

A warming and filling winter's meal in itself. This recipe will fill six small toddy glasses or Tom & Jerry mugs (each 20cl capacity to brim), and given

Tom Collins

A medium-dry Gin Collins based on old tom gin. There is much confusion between Tom Collins and John Collins; arguably, the two names are interchangeable

Turf Club (1939. Charles H. Baker)

Maraschino, absinthe and Abbott's modify an old tom and dry gin-based 2:1 Dry Martini. Where there's absinthe, you need balancing sweetness and dilution,

Vesper Dry Martini

Yes, yes, it's a spirituous drink without fruit juices that best shows its crystalline beauty when stirred rather than shaken. However, it's the one Martini

Vodkatini / Vodka Martini

Temperature is key to the enjoyment of this modern classic. Consume while icy cold and you'll enjoy a clean and crisp Martini.

Ward Eight

This is a spirited, sweet and sour combination - like most politicians.

Washington Apple

Classically equal parts but better with a splash more whisky, this is an easy-to-like, fruity, juicy crowd-pleasing Old Fashioned-style late-night sipper.

Whisky Mac

When a teenage pub-goer in the early 1980s, the Whisky Mac was my drink of choice after I'd had my fill of ale – Courage Directors in those days. I hit

White Lady

A simple, silky and delicious gin-laced classic with a sour finish. My White Lady recipe is authentic to the proportions in Harry Craddock's 1930 recipe

Wild Irish Rose

An Irish Whiskey Sour invigorated with a splash of soda and given a tint of rose by a touch of grenadine.