Martini
Gin and dry vermouth, stirred cold enough to hurt. Every argument about this drink is really an argument about one ratio.
Mint Julep
Bourbon, sugar and mint over a mountain of crushed ice. The cup should frost before you drink it.
Whiskey Sour
The sour template in its most familiar form — and the easiest place to learn what egg white actually does.
Manhattan
Rye, sweet vermouth and bitters. Two ingredients and a dash, and the vermouth is the one that decides whether it works.
Old Fashioned
Whiskey, sugar and bitters — the drink that defined the word cocktail, and still the best argument for it.