Effervescent, juniper, lime
Simply exhilarating paired with a Caesar salad or a plate of cucumbers, sliced and salted.
A Rickey is a sugar-free cocktail made with spirits, lime, and seltzer water. It purportedly got its start in a Washington D.C. bar called Shoomaker’s, where a charismatic lobbyist by the name of “Colonel” Joe Rickey took a shine to this simple combination. He encouraged others to try it, and launched a fad that reached the local press. The Washington Post ran his claim that seltzer and lime cooled the blood, whereas sugar “heated” it. The colonel preferred his Rickey with whiskey, but gin became much more popular. It’s our go-to highball—a clean, quick fix after a long day at work.
2 ounces (60 ml) London Dry gin (Beefeater)
½ ounce (15 ml) lime juice
2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 ml) seltzer or mineral water
Lime wheel, for garnish
Pour lime juice into an ice-filled highball glass. Add gin and top with sparkling water. Stir briefly and garnish with a lime wheel on the rim of the glass.
A COCKTAIL FOR ALL SEASONS
SPRING
Lean on Fizzes and Sours for light and enlivening drinks that feature green herbs or slivers of spring produce. A sprig of mint or dill tucked along the edge of a glass can be reviving on a gray day. This is a perfect time to make a Strawberry Shrub (page 248) with fresh berries from the market and to incorporate the first cucumbers into a Pimm’s Cup (page 171). Floral flavors from bottles of St. Germaine or crème de Violette are reminiscent of the first wildflowers along forest paths. We suggest:
Gin Fizz (page 42)
St. Germain Cocktail (page 209)
The Last Tango in Modena (page 141)
Moral Suasion (page 34)
Aviation (page 65)
Chartreuse Swizzle (page 198)
Juniper and Tonic (page 233)
SUMMER
Break out the highball glasses for tall coolers featuring melon, berries, or stone fruit. This is barbecue weather, so consider incorporating coconut milk and layered tiki drinks into your repertoire, especially for evening affairs. Or, expand your tequila selection to include smoky mezcal. This is a great season to explore rum and rhum agricole, or to pick up a bottle of cachaça. In the afternoons, low-proof cocktails (page 231) can be less dehydrating for those who enjoy imbibing in the sun. The sharply herbaceous flavor of absinthe revives after a day on the beach, as does homemade ginger beer (page 247). We suggest:
Gin Basil Smash (page 142)
Highland Cooler (page 174)
Red Snapper (page 158)
Absinthe Frappé (page 161)
Mezcalada (page 160)
Sky Juice (page 201)
FALL
Move to warming flavors and umber colors in the fall. Try a cocktail featuring dark beer or hard cider, and play off notes of apple, pear, or pumpkin. Use this season to experiment with applejack and Calvados, two apple-based spirits that appear in numerous recipes, adding musky fruit tones. As the days shorten, serve hot drinks and heavier flavors with cocktails that feature sherry or an amaro made with bitter herbs; this is a good time to break out a bottle of Fernet-Branca or Cynar. We suggest:
Doctor Cocktail (page 100)
Butternut and Falernum (page 138)
Claret Cup (page 211)
Roasted Apple Toddy (page 216)
Lion’s Tail (page 108)
WINTER
Spirituous drinks, like Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, are especially welcome during the cold months—they’re dark and warming, yet festive. It’s a good time to work your way through some of the finer vermouths on the market, such as Carpano Antica or Vya, and to experiment with boozy infusions, like bacon-infused bourbon, for gifting or for serving at a holiday party. Creamy nogs and Milk Punch (page 157) can be used in place of dessert after a heavy meal. They’re ideal pairings for gingerbread, candied fruit, nuts, and spice cookies. We suggest:
Benton’s Old Fashioned (page 140)
Penicillin (page 135)
Sazerac (page 37)
Grasshopper (page 229)
Brandy Alexander (page 223)
Blood and Sand (page 71)
Tom and Jerry (page 219)