PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Ilegal mezcal o ¾ ounce Lillet Rouge o ½ ounce Patrón XO Cafe o 3 drops Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters o 1 espresso chilled Method: 1. Stir over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cup or mug. Remarks: The combination of Patron XO and Bittermens does make an interesting if bitter brew. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o 1 sage sprig o 2 ounces 1800 Reposado tequila o ¾ ounce Amontillado sherry o ¾ ounce pineapple juice o ½ ounce fresh lime juice o ½ ounce agave nectar o 1 dash Hella Citrus bitters or to taste Garnish o grapefruit peel, optionally flamed Method: 1. Muddle sage in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake to chill. 3. Fine strain into a martini glass. 4. Garnish with grapefruit peel. Remarks: If pineapplely were a word, we would say this cocktail tastes pineapplely. But since pineapplely is not a word we will just say this cocktail is a pleasantly fruity way to enjoy tequila. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o 1 slice fresh ginger o 2 ounces 1800 Silver tequila o 1 ounce yellow Chartreuse o ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice o ¼ ounce Simple Syrup, see: Syrups etc. Garnish o basil leaf o Angostura bitters Method: 1. Muddle ginger in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake to chill. 3. Fine strain into a cocktail glass. 4. Garnish with fresh basil leaf and a dash of Angostura bitters. Remarks: When we have no basil handy, we will use crystallized ginger as a garnish. It goes well with these ingredients and makes for an interesting nosh at the end of the drink. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Finlandia vodka o ¾ ounce fresh lime juice o 2 ounces Lemonade, see: Syrups etc. o 1 dash Angostura bitters o 3 ounces Fever-Tree Premium Tonic Water Garnish o lime wheel o mint sprig Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients except tonic water in an ice-filled highball glass. 2. Top with tonic water. 3. Garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig. Remarks: Definitely worth the extra few seconds. The bitters give your standard vodka tonic much needed complexity especially if you don’t drown it in tonic. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¼ ounce Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 2 ½ ounces Amontillado sherry o ¾ ounce yellow Chartreuse o ½ ounce Schladerer Edel-Kirsch o 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters Method: 1. Swirl absinthe to coat the inside of a cocktail glass and discard the excess. 2. Stir remaining cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 3. Serve up in the prepared glass. Remarks: Derived from a 1903 recipe for the Glee Club cocktail. Because of the Edel-Kirsch it would be an excellent after dinner drink. Given the sherry, however, it could also be something to sip in the afternoon as you wait for your dinner plans to develop. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ½ ounce Grand Marnier liqueur o ½ ounce St. Germain liqueur o 2 ounces espresso o 1 dash orange bitters Method: 1. Stir all in a heated cup. Remarks: Initially we had a name and a list of ingredients. We hoped to turn them into a cocktail. After a few attempts we brewed this. We tasted it, smiled, and said, “Our work here is done.” . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Mount Gay XO rum o 1 ounce Kahlúa or Patrón XO Cafe o 1 ounce cream or to taste o 4 ounces chilled coffee Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve over ice in a highball glass. Remarks: We liked this just as it is. But if you feel it is too assertive and find that to be distracting try it with a Jamaican rum and Tia Maria. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Hennessy VS cognac o 1 ounce Chivas Regal scotch o ½ ounce mezcal o 1 tablespoon agave syrup o 4 ounces coffee or espresso Garnish o lemon zest Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients in a heated cup or mug. 2. Garnish with grated lemon zest. Remarks: This is bracing when drunk by itself and it will go well with your just desserts. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ½ ounce Canadian maple syrup o 8 ounces strong hot coffee o 1 ½ ounces Crown Royal Garnish o heavy cream to taste Method: 1. Stir coffee and syrup in mug or cup. 2. Add whiskey. 3. Top with heavy cream. Remarks: A most Canadian of coffees. Not particularly assertive. Not trying to be extraordinary. Not at all bad. In a word, Canadian. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Old Forrester bourbon o 2 sugar cubes o 6 ounces strong hot coffee Garnish o whipped cream Method: 1. Add bourbon and sugar to a cup or mug and stir to dissolve the sugar. 2. Add hot coffee. 3. Top with whipped cream. Remarks: We didn’t know what to expect from this simple combination of ingredients. We tried it. It’s a keeper. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe (Serves Two) Ingredients: Cocktail o 12 ounces Godiva Hot Cocoa o 1 ounce cream o 5 black peppercorns o 2 cloves star anise o 1 broken 5" cinnamon stick o 3 ounces Plymouth Sloe Gin Garnish o grated nutmeg Method: 1. Prepare cocoa per the package instructions in a saucepan. 2. Add cocktail ingredients except the sloe gin and simmer for several minutes. 3. Divide sloe gin between two glass mugs and strain chocolate mixture into each. 4. Garnish with grated nutmeg. Remarks: This requires a bit of work, but you can always recover from that with a special someone in front of a fire. That’s why the recipe serves two. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o brown sugar o 1 scoop Dulce de Leche Caramel ice cream o 1 ounce 1800 Silver tequila o 1 ounce Kahlúa o 4 ounces strong hot coffee Garnish o whipped cream o ground cinnamon Method: 1. Moisten the rim of a glass or mug and invert it into a shallow dish of brown sugar to coat the rim of either one. 2. Caramelize the sugar using a kitchen torch. 3. Add ice cream to the prepared glass. 4. Add remaining cocktail ingredients. 5. Top with whipped cream. 6. Garnish with cinnamon. Remarks: You may also decide to opt out of either the caramelization or the garnish. Frankly, the flavor of the remaining ingredients is excellent on its own. . . .