Coffee & Conversation
Coffee and alcohol is an old idea with one modern star. The Irish Coffee got there first; the Espresso Martini made it a nightly order. Both live or die on the same thing: the coffee being fresh. The list Espresso Martini — Cold espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur shaken hard enough to build its own […]
A Citrus State of Mind
Acid is what stops a drink being syrup. It is the single most important thing most home cocktails are short of, and the reason bottled juice ruins a Margarita. Everything here leans on fresh citrus. Squeeze it the same day. The list Aperol Spritz — Three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, one part soda. Low […]
Aperitif Hour
An aperitivo is not a weaker cocktail — it is a differently aimed one. Bitterness stimulates appetite; sweetness dulls it. These are built to open an evening rather than end it. Most are low enough in alcohol that a second one is not a decision. The list Aperol Spritz — Three parts prosecco, two parts […]
Tequila Cocktails
Tequila is the most misunderstood spirit on most back bars. Treated as a shot in the US for decades, it is in fact one of the most expressive things you can build a drink on — grassy and peppery when young, rounder and warmer with oak. The Margarita is the famous one. The Paloma is […]
Brunch Cocktails
A brunch drink has a different job. It should be bright, not heavy, and it should not end the day at two in the afternoon. These lean on citrus, sparkling wine and lower-strength builds. Most of them scale to a jug without losing anything. The list Aperol Spritz — Three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, […]
Whiskey Cocktails to Know
Four drinks will teach you most of what whiskey mixing involves: a spirit-forward build, a vermouth build, a sour, and a julep. Everything else is a variation on one of them. The list Manhattan — Rye, sweet vermouth and bitters. Two ingredients and a dash, and the vermouth is the one that decides whether it […]
3-Ingredient Cocktails
Three ingredients is the sweet spot of cocktail design. Enough for balance — something strong, something sour or sweet, something to complicate it — and few enough that every one has to earn its place. The Negroni, the Daiquiri and the Margarita are all three-ingredient drinks. So is most of the canon. The list Aperol […]
Summer Cocktails
Hot weather changes what a drink needs to do. Acidity goes up, sweetness comes down, and volume matters — a short, spirit-forward drink is the wrong tool in July. These are long, cold and sharp. Most take ice generously and several batch well for a crowd. The list Aperol Spritz — Three parts prosecco, two […]
Classic Cocktails
These are the drinks the rest are built from. Learn the Old Fashioned and you understand a whole family; learn the Daiquiri and you can build a Margarita, a Sidecar and a Whiskey Sour without looking anything up. Membership here is the IBA official list, not our taste — a published standard anyone can check. […]
Easy Cocktails
Most “easy cocktail” lists are easy for the writer, not the person making the drink. This one has a rule: three or fewer required ingredients, rated easy, and nothing that needs something prepared the day before. Everything here is achievable with a bottle, something to measure with, and ice. If a drink needed a homemade […]