PH factor: 8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¾ ounce maple syrup o 1 dash Hella Orange bitters o orange peel o 2 ounces 1800 Reposado tequila Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Lightly muddle syrup, bitters, and orange peel in a mixing glass. 2. Add tequila and ice and stir until well chilled. 3. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass. 4. Add one large ice cube. 5. Garnish with orange peel. Remarks: Combining maple syrup and tequila may seem a little odd. We tried it and liked it but we were not sure when it would be appropriate to drink. Then it occurred to us. It would be the perfect drink to have with pancakes. . . .

PH factor: 8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces 1800 Reposado tequila o ½ ounce Campari o ½ ounce Lillet Blanc o ½ ounce Lillet Rouge o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice o 1 dash Angostura bitters Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Express orange peel over the cocktail and drop it in for a garnish. Remarks: The Campari and the lemon add some unexpected strength to this cocktail. A bit like shaking hands with someone in a business suit you didn’t know was into weight lifting. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch o ½ ounce Amontillado sherry o ½ ounce Galliano liqueur o 1 ounce Lemon Squash, see: Syrups etc. o ½ ounce fresh lime juice o 1 egg white Garnish o Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry o orange slice Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients without ice. 2. Add ice and shake again to chill. 3. Fine strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 4. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry. Remarks: As Jerry Thomas wrote in 1862 a sour is a cocktail with a base spirit, a sweetener, fresh lemon or lime juice, and an egg white. The “Gold Mine” has all of that and more. . . .

PH factor: 9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch o 1 ½ ounces Plymouth Sloe Gin o 1 dash of Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 1 dash Hella Orange bitters o 2 teaspoons Lemon Squash, see: Syrups etc. Garnish o Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry Method: 1. Combine ice and cocktail ingredients in a shaker and shake. 2. Strain into a cocktail glass. 4. Garnish with a cherry. Remarks: We initially thought this looked interesting. After we tried it we realized that interesting wasn't the right word, unique was more like it. David Wondrich specified Johnnie Walker Black Label in his original recipe. We feel with scotch you should follow your heart. We did. Enjoy. . . .

PH factor: 8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 5 raspberries o 3 cilantro sprigs o 1 ounce Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch o 1 ounce sake o ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice o ¾ ounce agave syrup Garnish o cilantro sprig o raspberry Method: 1. Muddle sprigs and berries in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake. 3. Strain into an ice-filled double Old Fashioned glass. 4. Garnish with additional sprig and berry. Remarks: Jacques Pepin once said, “If you try cilantro and don't like it, you should keep trying.” That may not be the greatest advice but if you have tried cilantro and liked it, then you should definitely try this cocktail. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch o ½ ounce Drambuie o ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice o ¼ ounce Lavender Syrup, see: Syrups etc. o ¼ ounce Honey Syrup, see: Syrups etc. Garnish o lavender sprig Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with lavender sprig. Remarks: A Rusty Nail this is not. The lavender and honey see to that. . . .

PH factor: 9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Johnnie Walker Black scotch o ¾ ounce Schladerer Edel-Kirsch liqueur o ¾ ounce Lillet Rouge o ¾ ounce fresh orange juice Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve up in a martini glass. 3. Garnish with orange peel. Remarks: You may have noticed that when recipes call for cherry brandy we will often substitute Schladerer Edel-Kirsch. That's because we appreciate its authentic cherry flavor. . . .

PH factor: 8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Chivas Regal scotch o 1 ounce Campari o 1 ounce fresh lemon juice o 1 ounce orgeat syrup Garnish o lemon peel o ground cinnamon Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with lemon peel and a pinch of cinnamon. Remarks: Not everyone will be happy with our scotch to Campari ratio. But you don’t need get bitter about it. Just change the ratio to suit your personal preference. Geeez! . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Heaven's Door Straight Rye Whiskey o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice o ½ ounce Simple Syrup, see: Syrups etc. o egg white (optional) Garnish o orange slice o Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry Method: Plain (without egg white) 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with a cherry and orange slice. Fancy ( with egg white) 1. Shake cocktail ingredients without ice then add ice and shake again to chill. 2. Fine strain into a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with a cherry and orange slice. Remarks: This is a classic cocktail. We like it both plain and fancy. The rating reflects that we like the fancy version a little more. Try it both ways and judge for yourself. . . .

PH factor: 8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1¼ ounces Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o 1¼ ounces Amontillado sherry o ½ ounce Grand Marnier o 1 dash Angostura bitters or to taste Garnish o Tillen Farm's Merry Maraschino cherry Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with cherry. Remarks: A dry and pleasant cocktail. It is easy to imagine whiling away an afternoon with a good book and a couple of these. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o 1 ounce Lillet Rouge o 1 tablespoon yellow Chartreuse o 1 dash Angostura bitters or to taste Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. Remarks: An old-time neighborhood in Brooklyn and the birthplace of Awkwafina, Pat Benatar, and Mickey Rooney, as well as Betty Smith who wrote the famous A Tree Grows in-wait for it- Brooklyn. Where else? . . .

PH factor: 8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Crown Royal o 1 ounce Lillet Blanc o ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice o ¾ ounce grenadine o 1 dash Hella Orange bitters or to taste Garnish o orange wheel Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with an orange wheel. Remarks: A populist movement, abetted by evangelical white women, elected a government to intrude into places it had no right to be so as to advance its own agenda. Hmmm? . . .