Drinks

Ace of Clubs

Ingredients

• 2 ounces golden rum
• 1/2 ounce white creme de cacao
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon simple syrup

Instructions

Shake ingredients well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. The original recipe calls for a full ounce of crème de cacao. No. The careful dripping of four drops (not dashes) of Angostura bitters on top of the drink, while not essential, will add a special something not to be sneezed at. Also, try to use Barbados rum, if you have it.

Atomic Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 1 1/2 ounces brandy
• 1 teaspoon sherry
• 1 1/2 ounces Brut champagne

Instructions

Stir the vodka, brandy,* and sherry** well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add 1 1/2 to 2 ounces cold brut champagne. Garnish with plastic three-eyed fish from Simpsons playset. Note: If you use the sweeter Spanish brandy, opt for the drier Amontillado sherry. Conversely, if you use the (dry) cognac, choose the (sweet) Oloroso. We strive for balance in all things.

* French (preferably a decent cognac) or Spanish.

** Amontillado or Oloroso.

American Whiskey & Canadian Whisky

Ingredients

• 1 bottle whisk(e)y

Instructions

Pour in glass with or without ice. Drink.

Asylum Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 dash grenadine
• 1 ounce Pernod
• 1 ounce London dry gin

Instructions

Pour slowly, in this order -- grenadine, Pernod, gin -- into an Old-Fashioned glass. Add 2 or 3 ice cubes; serve with stirring rod. Best to let the ice melt a bit before stirring so you can watch the pretty pictures the Pernod makes as it clouds up.

Brandy Daisy

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces brandy
• 1 1/2 ounces Benedictine
• 1 1/2 ounces Cointreau
• 4-6 ounces Brut champagne

Instructions

Combine the brandy,* Bénédictine, and Cointreau in an Old-Fashioned glass. Top off with room-temperature brut champagne. That's the original formula. We found it much, much improved by cutting the liquor back to a still-hefty 1 ounce of each and -- this is key -- stirring them together briskly with cracked ice before straining them into a chilled glass. The champagne should be cold, too -- about 3-4 ounces will do. In either case, if you're going to drink more than two of these, make sure your helmet is on; you'll need it.

* We doubt the Nazis would've stockpiled anything less than a VSOP cognac, but we're willing to gear down to a younger, cheaper VS cognac -- no farther, though, for the sake of authenticity.

Aviation

Ingredients

• 2 ounces London dry gin
• 2 teaspoons Maraschino
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice

Instructions

Shake the gin, the Maraschino,* and the fresh-squeezed lemon juice** well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve ungarnished.

* The colorless bitter-cherry liqueur, not the juice from the celluloidic drink-garnish.

** Strained through a fine mesh, if possible.

Black Velvet

Ingredients

• Guinness stout
• Brut champagne

Instructions

Half-fill a Collins glass with stout and top up slowly with champagne. Stir gently with glass or plastic rod

Brainstorm

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Irish whiskey
• 1/2 tablespoon French vermouth
• 1/2 tablespoon Benedictine

Instructions

Shake the whiskey,* vermouth, and Bénédictine well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with twist of orange peel.

If you're sipping one of these after dinner, build it on the rocks (it'll stay cold longer). Just pour the ingredients into an Old-Fashioned glass, add a couple ice cubes, and give it a stir. Even better, turn it into a so-called "mist" by shaking everything together and pouring the mixture over a glass packed with crushed ice; serve with two short straws.

* In our 1956 Drink Book we print a version with rye whiskey; that works, too.

Brandy Julep

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
• 1 ounce water
• 5 to 6 sprigs mint
• 3 ounces cognac
• 1/2 tablespoon dark rum

Instructions

In a chilled silver julep cup or highball glass, dissolve the sugar in the cold water. Add 3 mint sprigs and gently crush them against the sides of the glass. Remove them, fill the glass with shaved or finely crushed ice, and pour in the cognac. (Use the good stuff.) Add more ice and stir vigorously, trying not to touch the outside of the glass with your hands, until the glass frosts. Float the rum on top (a Bermudan or Jamaican one will work fine), insert 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh mint, and serve.

For a Georgia Julep, cut the sugar in half, use 2 ounces cognac, and add 1 ounce peach brandy.*

* Most domestic peach brandies are sticky to a fault; if possible, use an imported peach eau-de-vie; the 100-proof Southern Comfort will also yield excellent results, even though it's got a bourbon (i.e., whiskey) base (steer clear of the 80-proof, though).