PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Woodford Reserve bourbon o ¾ ounce light Crème de Cacao o ¾ ounce Lillet Rouge o ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice Garnish o lemon twist Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with lemon twist. Remarks: This is a surprising cocktail. At first glance the ingredients don't seem like they would play well together, but they do. It is a tart but well-balanced cocktail with a hin

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Bombay gin o ½ ounce light Crème de Cacao o ½ ounce Lillet Blanc o ¼ ounce fresh lemon juice Garnish o lemon peel Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with lemon peel. Remarks: This is a cocktail with a noble history. The Crème de Cacao suggests that it would be good after dinner. Something to sip in the dining car as you watch the landscape fly

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o ¼ ounce Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 2 ounces 1800 Silver tequila o ¾ ounce light Crème de Cacao o ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice Garnish o lemon peel Method: 1. Swirl absinthe to coat the inside of a chilled cocktail glass and discard the excess. 2. Shake remaining cocktail ingredients over ice. 3. Serve up in the prepared glass. 4. Garnish with lemon peel. Remarks: The taste of this cocktail is not easy t

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Mount Gay XO rum o ½ ounce dark Crème de Cacao o ½ ounce fresh lime juice o 3 dashes Hella Ginger bitters o 1 bar spoon agave syrup Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. Remarks: Maybe we’re spoiled by all the well-balanced cocktails we've tested but we felt the original recipe for this cocktail lacked subtlety. We added bitters and syrup, increased the cacao

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Finlandia vodka o ½ ounce dark Crème de Cacao o ½ ounce Kahlúa o ½ ounce Licor 43 (Cuarenta Y Tres) o 1 large scoop vanilla ice cream Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients except ice cream over ice. 2. Strain into martini glass. 3. Top with ice cream. 4. Serve with a spoon and a smile. Remarks: Never thought of putting ice cream in your martini? Think again. . . .

PH factor:  10 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o 2 ounces 1800 Silver tequila o ½ ounce Chambord o 1 ounce light Crème de Cacao o 1 ounce cream Garnish o sliced strawberry Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with sliced strawberries. Remarks: We debated the rating of this creamy confection. Then we decided if your first reaction is, “Wow, that’s a ten.” Then perhaps it should rate a

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Bombay Sapphire gin o 1 ounce dark Crème de Cacao o 2 ounces cream Garnish o grated nutmeg Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with nutmeg. Remarks: In 1915 this cocktail called for equal parts of the ingredients. After testing we found that we liked it better with less Crème de Cacao. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 sugar cube o 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters o 1 ounce light Crème de Cacao o champagne Garnish o lemon twist Method: 1. Place bitters-soaked sugar cube in a champagne flute. 2. Add Crème de Cacao. 3. Top with champagne. 4. Garnish with a lemon twist. Remarks: This is a traditional Champagne Cocktail where Crème de Cacao takes the place of cognac. That’s where the similarity ends. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Johnnie Walker Red Label scotch o ½ ounce Bombay Sapphire gin o ¾ ounce light Crème de Cacao o ¾ ounce cream Garnish o grated nutmeg Method: 1. Shake vigorously over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with nutmeg. Remarks: It's a creamy cocktail that may not seem like the type of thing denizens of the Barbary Coast would be sipping. But perhaps we’re just being prejudiced. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Finlandia vodka o 1 ½ ounces Godiva White Chocolate liqueur o ½ ounce light Crème de Cacao o 2 ounces cream Garnish o ground cinnamon o cinnamon stick Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into a martini glass. 3. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon. Remarks: In honor of the true heroism of Lady Godiva. Often overlooked or made light of in spite of the enormity of her

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Hennessy VS cognac o 1 ounce dark Crème de Cacao o 1 ounce cream Garnish o grated nutmeg Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with nutmeg. Remarks: This is a slightly later version of the 1915 Alexander Cocktail, a classic in its own right. It's not a mistake. We often use Hennessy VS cognac in place of brandy if we think it appropriate. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces dark Crème de Cacao o 4 ounces milk Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass 2. Strain into an ice-filled collins glass. Remarks: Simple enough. Perhaps a bit too simple. If you're worried that you've outgrown your taste for chocolate milk, this drink might ease your angst. In more ways than one. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Finlandia vodka o 1 ounce light Crème de Cacao o 1 splash Cointreau o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice Garnish o 1 Hershey’s Kiss Method: 1. Moisten the rim of a martini glass and invert it into a shallow dish of cocoa powder to coat the rim of the glass. 2. Lightly press a chocolate kiss onto the bottom of the g lass. 3. Shake remaining cocktail ingredients over ice. 4. Serve up in the prepared glass

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Old Forester bourbon o ¾ ounce light Crème de Cacao o ¼ ounce grenadine o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice o 1 dash Angostura bitters or to taste Garnish o lemon twist Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with lemon twist. Remarks: The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book called for Bacardi rum and followed a path that led to a sweeter cockta

PH factor:  10 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Woodford Reserve bourbon o ½ ounce Pedro Domencq Fundador brandy o ½ ounce dark Crème de Cacao o ½ ounce Godiva Chocolate Liqueur Garnish o 2 Tillen Farms BaDa Bing cherries Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with cherries. Remarks: This is the perfect cocktail for chocolate lovers, dessert lovers, cocktail lovers, and any other kind of lovers

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Finlandia vodka o 1 ounce light Crème de Cacao o ½ ounce Licor 43, Cuarenta Y Tres o ¼ ounce strawberry jam o 2 ounces Lindemans Strawberry Lambic Method: 1. Drizzle chocolate syrup on the inside of a large cocktail glass. 2. Shake cocktail ingredients except lambic over ice. 3. Strain into the prepared glass. 4. Top with lambic. Remarks: You will taste the chocolate in this one. We used Ghirarde

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o ¼ ounce Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 2 ounces 1800 Añejo tequila o ½ ounce light Crème de Cacao o 1 dash Angostura bitters or to taste Garnish o orange twist Method: 1. Swirl absinthe in chilled cocktail glass and discard the excess. 2. Stir remaining cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 3. Strain into the prepared glass. 4. Garnish with orange twist. Remarks: We were a little divided on

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch o ¼ ounce Ilegal mezcal o ¾ ounce Lillet Blanc o ½ ounce Amontillado sherry o ¼ ounce light Crème de Cacao Garnish o grapefruit peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with grapefruit peel. Remarks: This is a strong and attractive cocktail. The five spirits needed to make it will have a

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o ½ ounce Campari o ¼ ounce dark Crème de Cacao o 1 dash Hella Orange bitters or to taste Garnish o orange twist Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with an orange twist. Remarks: Usually, a cocktail with Campari is all about Campari. But this is not your usual Campari cocktail. . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Woodford Reserve bourbon o ¼ ounce dark Crème de Cacao o 2 dashes Angostura bitters Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with an orange peel. Remarks: An interesting pairing that is made complete, in our opinion, by the bitters. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Hennessy VS cognac o ¾ ounce light Crème de Cacao o ½ cup vanilla ice cream Garnish o grated nutmeg Method: 1. Add a quarter cup of ice to the cocktail ingredients and blend to a milkshake-like consistency. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with grated nutmeg. Remarks: Makes you wonder why you'd ever have a vanilla shake any other way. We used Hennessy VS cognac. Feel free to follow our ex

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¾ ounce Galliano o ¾ ounce light Crème de Cacao o ¾ ounce cream Garnish o ground cinnamon Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Strain into in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with ground cinnamon. Remarks: In a word, pleasurable. Not too much chocolate. Not too much anise. Not too creamy. Just pleasurable. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Finlandia vodka o 1 ounce Sambuca Romano o ½ ounce light Crème de Cacao Garnish o 1 licorice stick Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice to chill in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into a martini glass. 3. Garnish with licorice stick. Remarks: Stir well. It should be well chilled and a little dilution is not a bad thing here. By the time you get to enjoying the garnish, you will understand.

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Bombay gin o ¼ ounce dark Crème de Cacao o ¾ ounce decaf cold-brew coffee o ½ ounce Cardamom Allspice Cordial (see: Syrups etc.) o Fever-Tree Premium Tonic Water Garnish o mint sprig Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients except tonic over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled collins glass. 3. Top with tonic water. 4. Garnish with mint sprig. Remarks: When we first looked at this we said, “Really?"