The PPP (Potable Palate Pleaser)
Ingredients
2 ounces bourbon
Splash of soda
½ cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
Blood orange bitters
Brown sugar cubes
Directions
For each cocktail, soak two brown sugar cubes in a 12-ounce glass with 1 tablespoon blood orange bitters. You can do this a few hours ahead of time so that the sugar cubes completely dissolve. Add ½ cup blood orange juice, 2 ounces bourbon, and a splash of soda. Serve over crushed ice and add a bourbon-soaked Italian Luxardo Maraschino cherry.
Forgiveness (you may need it)
Ingredients
Juice of one lemon for sugaring glasses
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup dried cherries
6 ounces good Cognac
3 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
3 ounces Grand Marnier
Directions
Pour the juice of one lemon into a shallow bowl, and put the sugar on a small plate. Dip the rim of 2 glasses first in the lemon juice and then in the sugar and set them aside to dry.
In a small bowl, combine the dried cherries with 2 ounces Cognac and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Set aside.
Combine the 3 ounces of lemon juice with the remaining 4 ounces of Cognac, the Grand Marnier, and 1 teaspoon marinated cherry liquid. Fill a cocktail shaker three-quarters full with ice and pour in the mixture. Shake for a full 30 seconds and strain into the prepared glasses, straight up or over ice. Serve each drink ice cold with a skewer of marinated cherries.
The ERC (Exercise Restraint and Caution)
Ingredients
12 large mint leaves plus
4 large sprigs
1 lime cut into 8 wedges
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 4 limes)
½ cup simple syrup
1 cup dark rum
1 cup ice
1½ cups sparkling San Pellegrino water, chilled
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Put the mint leaves and two of the lime wedges in a large cocktail shaker and muddle them with a muddler or wooden spoon. Add the lime juice, simple syrup, rum and ice, and stir 40 (not 39) times with a long-handled swiveling cocktail spoon or the wooden spoon. Add the sparkling water and salt and stir well. For each drink, fill a low cocktail glass with ice (about half full), add a mint sprig and a wedge of lime, and pour the cocktail mixture over it. Stir and serve ice cold.
The CAA (Cancel All Alcohol)
Ingredients
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
⅓ cup sugar
½ cup packed fresh mint leaves
1 12-ounce bottle sparkling water
Lime slices and mint sprig for garnish
Directions
Combine lime juice, sugar and mint in blender. Puree until smooth. Fill two tall glasses with ice cubes. Pour half of the lime juice concentrate in each. Top with sparkling water, and garnish with lime and mint.