Not by bread alone...

Here are some of my favorite drink recipes. The key to mixing a good cocktail is to use good liquor. While it is possible to make a bad cocktail with good liquor, it is impossible to make a good cocktail with bad liquor. Portion control between the ingredients is also critical.

Manhattan (The old-school way!)
2 ounces rye whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
2 dashes bitters
Garnish with a maraschino cherry

Shake ingredients with ice and serve in a cocktail glass.

Most slacker today make a poor imitation of a Manhattan. They combine whatever type of whiskey they have on hand with too little sweet vermouth, and skip the bitters altogether. They then serve the thing on the rocks in an old fashioned glass! This drink is not a Manhattan; it lacks the complexity and balance of a true Manhattan. The sharp ginger and spice notes of the rye whiskey needs to be balanced by the sweet vermouth. The herbaceous qualities of the rye add additional complexity. The bitters, then check the sweetness and pulls everything into balance.

White Lady (Surdyks, Spring 2007)
1 ½ ounces London dry gin
¾ Cointreau
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ of an egg white

Shake very well with cracked ice and serve in a chilled cocktail glass.

Gin and Cranberry (Help me think of a wittier name)
2 ounces gin
1 ounce vodka
½ ounce dry vermouth
4 ounces cranberry juice
Shake with cracked ice.

I need to work on the scale of this drink, but the flavor is dead on.

Blood and Sand
2 ounces brandy
2 ounces scotch
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce lemon juice
Garnish with a maraschino cherry

Serve on the rocks in an old fashioned glass.

This is the man’s man drink. It combines the two greatest spirits, brandy and scotch! While it is stiff, it has a sweet side. The brandy and scotch work together to make one of the most complex drinks ever.