PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Hennessy VS cognac o ½ ounce Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch o ½ ounce Drambuie liqueur o 1 bar spoon Monte Alban mezcal Garnish o Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients except mezcal over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Float mezcal on top of the drink. 4. Garnish with a cherry. Remarks: There is smoke here thanks to the mezcal floater. The cognac and scotch prove that where there's smoke... . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch o ½ ounce Schladerer Edel-Kirsch o ½ ounce Amontillado sherry Garnish o pineapple wedge o Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with a cherry and a pineapple wedge. Remarks: This cocktail may have the most interesting ingredients of any we feature. Like a trip to Venice this will be an experience that you'll long remember. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 3 mint leaves o 3 blackberries o ½ ounce fresh lime juice o 2 ounces Flor de Caña Extra Seco rum o 1 ounce Crème de Mûre o 3 ounces pineapple juice o 1 ounce Fever-Tree Premium Club Soda Garnish o blackberries o mint leaves Method: 1. Muddle lime juice, mint leaves, and blackberries in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients except soda and shake to chill. 3. Strain into an ice-filled double Old Fashioned glass. 4. Add soda and stir lightly. 5. Garnish with additional blackberries and mint leaves. Remarks: Not a Mojito, though it has rum and mint. Not a Bramble, even though it has Crème de Mûre and blackberries. And not your usual pineapple based tropical drink either. We can agree that it’s a smash. Hit that is. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o 3 blackberries o 2 ounces 1800 Silver tequila o ¾ ounce Crème de Mûre o ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice o ¼ ounce agave nectar Garnish o blackberry o lemon wheel Method: 1. Muddle 3 blackberries in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients except the Crème de Mûre and shake to chill. 3. Fine strain into an ice- filled Old Fashioned glass. 4. Gently add Crème de Mûre. 5. Garnish with a blackberry and lemon wheel. Remarks: An exemplar well-balanced cocktail. No one ingredient steals the show, and they all bow together at the end of the last act. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself calling. "Encore!” . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail       o 2 ounces Pedro Domencq Fundador brandy o 1 ounce Remy Martin VSOP cognac o ½ ounce Campari o 1 teaspoon grated ginger o 1 pinch cayenne pepper o juice of one medium orange Method: 1. Combine all but juice in an Old Fashioned glass and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 2. Add orange juice and stir. 3. Serve. Remarks: This is quite appropriate when circumstances such as exhaustion, overwork or simply an excess of sobriety are calling for a pick-me- up. Here is a well-tested recipe to fit the bill. Let us stress another advantage of this particular pep- up concoction is that one doesn’t have to make the sour face that usually accompanies the absorption of a remedy.” —Salvador Dali The above is his recipe and his quote, which is appropriate as it’s his world. We're just living in it . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 strawberry o 1 ½ ounces Grey Goose vodka o ½ ounce yellow Chartreuse o ½ ounce orgeat syrup o ¾ ounce fresh lime juice o Fever-Tree Premium Club Soda Garnish o mint sprig o strawberry slice Method: 1. Muddle strawberry in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients except soda and shake to chill. 3. Fine strain into an ice-filled double Old Fashioned glass. 4. Top with soda. 5. Garnish with mint sprig and strawberry slice. Remarks: This is a very well-balanced cocktail. Normally we ascribe to the premise that in cocktails vodka should be present but should not be noticed. However, the slightly herbaceous quality of the Grey Goose plays well with the Chartreuse and mint in this cocktail. . . .

PH factor:  10 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o ¼ ounce Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 1 dash Angostura bitters or to taste o 1 dash Hella Orange bitters or to taste o 1 teaspoon sugar o 1 ½ ounces 1800 Reposado tequila o ½ ounce Crown Royal Garnish o grapefruit peel Method: 1. Swirl absinthe to coat the inside of an Old Fashioned glass and discard the excess. 2. Muddle sugar and bitters in a mixing glass. 3. Add ice and spirits and stir to dissolve the sugar. 4. Serve up in the prepared glass. 5. Express the grapefruit peel over the glass then rub the peel skin side down around the rim of the glass and discard it. Remarks: We enjoy the original Sazerac and we respect its position in cocktail history. We also feel this version of a Sazerac has a delightful complexity and that leaves us asking for more. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o salt o 1 wedge of fresh plum o 1 ½ ounces 1800 Silver tequila o ½ ounce Cointreau o ¾ ounce Plum Gekkeikan wine o ½ ounce fresh lime juice Garnish o lime wedge Method: 1. Moisten the rim of an Old Fashioned glass and invert it into a shallow dish of salt to coat the rim of the glass. 2. Add ice to the glass and set aside. 3. Muddle plum in cocktail shaker. 4. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake to chill. 5. Fine strain into the prepared glass. 6. Garnish with lime wedge. Remarks: A very pleasant way to satisfy the craving for something that is sweet, salty, and mixed with tequila. Come on, admit it. We have all have those cravings. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o 1 jalapeño pepper slice o 1 ½ ounces 1800 Silver tequila o ¾ ounce Cointreau o 1 dash of blue Curaçao o 1 ounce agave nectar o 1 ½ ounces fresh lime juice o 1-2 dashes of The Cocktail Experiment Lavender bitters Garnish o lavender sprigs Method: 1. Lightly muddle jalapeño in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients except bitters and shake to chill. 3. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 4. Top with bitters. 5. Garnish with lavender sprigs. Remarks: Lavender flavored cocktails may seem complicated. But with that can come a subtlety that is rare. This margarita is attractive and refreshing and it will make you think of summer with every sip. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Mount Gay XO rum o 1 ounce Ilegal mezcal o ½ ounce Pierre Farrand Dry Curaçao o ½ ounce fresh lime juice o ½ ounce orgeat syrup Garnish o lime wheel o mint sprig or orchid blossom Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve over crushed ice in an Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with lime wheel, mint sprig or an orchid if you want to go full-Hawaiian. Remarks: Created by Ivy Mix of Leyenda in Brooklyn. Yes, its name is an anagram of Mai Tai. But it is more than a rearrangement of letters. In the Tia Mia many of your usual tropical cocktail ingredients are also arranged to come up with something that seems familiar and different at the same time. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o salt o 2-3 slices Jalapeño pepper o 2 ounces 1800 Reposado tequila o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice o ¾ ounce maple syrup Garnish o lemon wheel Method: 1. Moisten the rim of an Old Fashioned glass and invert it into a shallow dish of salt to coat the rim of the glass. 2. Add ice to the glass and set it aside. 3. Muddle jalapeño in a cocktail shaker. 4. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake. 5. Strain into the prepared glass. 6. Garnish with lemon wheel. Remarks: Get you muddlers ready, this drink is all about the Jalapeño. The maple syrup is a unique touch, but the pepper defines this cocktail. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¼ teaspoon ground ginger o ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon o sugar o 1 ounce Finlandia vodka o 1 ounce Kahlúa o 2 ounces chilled espresso o 2 ounces whole milk Garnish o lightly whipped cream o molasses Method: 1. Moisten the rim of an Old Fashioned glass and invert it into a shallow dish containing a mixture of the sugar and spices to coat rim. 2. Shake remaining cocktail ingredients over ice. 3. Serve over ice in the prepared glass. 4. Top with whipped cream. 5. Garnish with a drizzle of molasses. Remarks: This is a very tasty, caffeinated cocktail. It’s like being able to drink a glass of dessert. . . .