PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Hennessy VS cognac o ½ ounce Lillet Blanc o ½ ounce Pimm’s No.1 Cup o 1 dash Hella Orange bitters or to taste Garnish o Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry 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 a cherry and orange peel. Remarks: A straightforward cocktail. It is based on the Manhattan but the substitution of Pimm’s No.1 and cognac does tend to place it in a neighborhood of its own. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Bombay gin o 1 ounce sake o ½ ounce Triple Sec o 1 ounce fresh orange juice Garnish o orange slice Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Strain into a cocktail glass or into a double Old Fashioned glass over ice. 3. Garnish with orange slice. Remarks: Often you’ll find this made with gin, sake, and Triple Sec. You’ll also find it with orange juice in place of Triple Sec. But here you can have it all. Enjoy. . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o salt o 2 ounces Finlandia vodka or Bombay gin o 4 ounces grapefruit 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. 2. Shake remaining cocktail ingredients over ice to chill. 3. Serve over ice in the prepared glass. 4. Garnish with lime wedge. Remarks: There once was the Greyhound Cocktail. Someone then came up with the insanely good idea of coating the rim of the glass with salt. Et voila! The Salty Dog. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 teaspoon grated ginger o 1 teaspoon apricot preserves o ¼ ounce fresh lemon juice o 2 ounces Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey o ½ ounce Bénédictine D.O.M. Garnish o lemon twist Method: 1. Muddle ginger, preserves, and lemon in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake to chill. 3. Double strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 4. Garnish with lemon twist. Remarks: A combination of flavors that is impossible to ignore. But don't let that trouble you. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail     o 1 ½ ounces Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o 1 ½ ounces Plum Gekkeikan wine o ½ ounce Campari Garnish o orange twist Method: 1. Stir over cracked ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with orange twist. Remarks: We feature nearly forty cocktails made with Campari. It is safe to say that Campari is the defining element in all of them. It is here as well. Still we recommend that you try this as it may well be the tastiest of them all. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail       o 2 ounces 1800 Silver tequila o ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice o ½ ounce agave nectar o ¾ ounce Lillet Rosé Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients except Lillet over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Top by pouring the Lillet over the back of a bar spoon. Remarks: A very pretty drink if you float the Lillet on top. Floating the Lillet isn’t just for looks as the taste of the drink changes as you drink your way through the blush. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Finlandia vodka o ½ ounce Cointreau o ½ ounce Grand Marnier o 1 dash Hella orange bitters or to taste o 2 ounces fresh orange juice Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with orange peel. Remarks: Alternative recipe: Combine equal parts of Herbicide 2,4,5-T and Herbicide 2,4-D. Mix well. Spray on friends and foes alike. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces 1800 Silver tequila o ½ ounce Kahlúa o ¾ ounce Triple Sec o 1 chilled espresso Garnish o grated coffee bean (optional) Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Lightly grate coffee bean over drink for garnish if using. Remarks: No surprises here. This tastes like it’s flavored by Kahlúa, sweetened by Triple Sec, and made interesting by tequila. . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Bombay gin o 1 ounce Campari o 1 ounce Lillet Rouge o 2 ounces cold brew coffee 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. Garnish with an orange peel. Remarks: After a day of testing Campari recipes, we weren’t expecting too much from this caffeinated cocktail. But we were surprised with the result. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Kahlúa o ½ ounce Grand Marnier o 4 ounces cold strong coffee Garnish o orange peel o cinnamon stick Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Strain into Old Fashioned glass. 3. Add one large ice cube. 4. Garnish with cinnamon stick and orange peel. Remarks: We tested this with Patrón XO Cafe and Carajas coffee and it seemed a little bitter. We then made it with Illy Intenso coffee and Kahlúa and that seemed to be better balanced to us. . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 half jalapeño pepper o 1 ½ ounces Campari o 2 ounces cold strong coffee Garnish o lemon peel o jalapeño slice Method: 1. Muddle jalapeño in shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake. 3. Double strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 4. Garnish with lemon peel and a jalapeño slice. Remarks: This is not everybody's coffee. It is defined by the jalapeño. If you’re alright with that you will find this a different and vibrant coffee. . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 thick orange wedges o 1 ounce Woodford Reserve bourbon o 1 ounce Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Method: 1. Lightly muddle orange wedges in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake to chill. 3. Pour entire contents of the shaker directly into a double Old Fashioned glass. Remarks: The Curaçao Smash seems to be stronger than some of the other smashes we feature. It is also very refreshing. If oranges are your thing this smash is for you. . . .