PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Johnnie Walker Red Label scotch o ¾ ounce Drambuie o ¼ ounce fresh lemon juice o 2 ounces cold coffee or espresso Garnish o lemon peel Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with lemon peel. Remarks: The original recipe called for vodka and Drambuie. We just didn’t like it and switched to scotch. It’s probably more like your mother’s now. The amount of lemon may help you decide when to enjoy this. As above, it’s a great afternoon iced coffee. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Ilegal mezcal o ½ ounce Woodford Reserve bourbon o 2 drops Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters or to taste o 2 teaspoons orgeat syrup Garnish o cranberry (optional) o cinnamon ground or stick o lemon peel o orange peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with the above. Remarks: The orgeat adds sweetness. Everything else adds depth. A cocktail to be enjoyed year round. Don't feel you need to wait for those Thanksgiving cranberries to appear. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Hennessy VS cognac o 1 ounce Plum Gekkeikan wine o ½ ounce St. Germain liqueur o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice Garnish o lemon wheel or plum slice Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with plum slice or lemon wheel. Remarks: You may not have a veranda overlooking a lake, neither do we, but if you have a nice place to sit and an afternoon to kill, you should try one or more of these to keep you company. Enjoy. . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Bombay gin o 1 ounce Campari o 1 ½ ounces Lillet Rouge Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Express an orange peel over the drink and drop it in, skin side up, for garnish. Remarks: Traditionally a Negroni has equal amounts of its three ingredients. To us a little more gin, and a little less Campari makes for more Negronis in the long run. Try it both ways and don’t forget to also try it with vodka. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ¼ ounces 1800 Reposado tequila o ¾ ounce Schladerer Edel-Kirsch o ¾ ounce Lillet Rouge o ¾ ounce fresh orange juice o 1 dash Hella Smoked Chili bitters or to taste o 1 bar spoon Ilegal mezcal Garnish o Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients except mezcal over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled double Old Fashioned glass. 3. Float mezcal on top. 4. Garnish with a cherry. Remarks: Although there is quite a lot going on in this cocktail, it all comes together in a satisfying and unique manner. . . .

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 ten. The heart-shaped slices of strawberry would also make this great on Valentine 's Day. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Finlandia vodka o 1 ounce Campari o 1 ½ ounces Lillet Rouge Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Express orange peel over the drink and drop it in, skin side up, for garnish. Remarks: Traditionally a Negroni would have equal amounts of all the ingredients. But we think that less Campari and more vodka means more Negronis in the long run. Try it both ways and don’t forget to try it with gin. . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail    o 1 ounce Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch o 1 ounce Campari o 1 ounce Lillet Rouge o 1-2 drops Moroccan Orange Blossom Water Garnish o orange twist Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Express orange peel over the drink and drop it in as a garnish. Remarks: Essentially a Negroni-esque cocktail with scotch in place of the gin. The orange blossom water provides a bitter orange undertone which adds some additional complexity. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe (Serves Two) Ingredients: Cocktail o 4 ounces Finlandia vodka o 4 ounces Plum Gekkeikan wine o 4 ounces organic apple juice o 6 ounces green tea chilled Garnish o dried apple slice Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Serve up in double Old Fashioned glasses. 3. Garnish with dried apple slices. Remarks: We tried this several different ways to arrive at this recipe. We think this would be great with lunch on a summer’s day. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o salt o 1 ounce 1800 Silver tequila o ½ ounce Cointreau o 3 ounces grapefruit juice Garnish o 1 thin slice of grapefruit Method: 1. Moisten the rim of an Old Fashioned glass and invert it into a shallow dish of salt to coat the rim. 2. Shake remaining cocktail ingredients over ice to chill. 3. Serve over ice in the prepared glass. 4. Garnish with grapefruit slice. Remarks: An S.O.B. version of a Salty Dog. It could be made with white or pink grapefruit. We think that it looks pretty in pink. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Jim Beam Bonded bourbon o ½ ounce Lillet Blanc o ½ ounce Lillet Rouge o 1 dash Angostura bitters or 1 dash each of Peychaud’s and Hella Orange bitters Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into a cocktail glass or into an Old Fashioned glass over ice. 3. Garnish with an orange peel. Remarks: Perfection is worth striving for. So if at first you don’t succeed by all means have another. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o 2 ounces Hennessy VS cognac o 1 ounce white Crème de Menthe Garnish o lemon twist Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Strain into a cocktail glass or into an Old Fashioned glass over ice. 3. Garnish with lemon twist. Remarks: The Stinger was at one time considered to be a cocktail for the members of high society. It was rumored to have been a favorite of millionaire Reginald Vanderbilt and author Somerset Maugham. Today, though still uncommon, the International Bartenders Association lists it as one of it's Unforgettable Cocktails. . . .