PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Woodford Reserve bourbon o 1 ounce Plymouth Sloe Gin Garnish o 1 Tillen Farms Bada Bing cherry Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into a cocktail glass or an Old Fashioned glass over one large ice cube. 3. Garnish with the cherry. Remarks: A one-dimensional cocktail, It's all about the sloe gin. While the bourbon tries to assert itself, it’s really a backup dancer here. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Pedro Domencq Fundador brandy o 1 dash Angostura bitters o 1 teaspoon orgeat syrup Garnish o orange or lemon peel Method: 1. Stir over ice in an Old Fashioned glass. 2. Express peel over the glass. 3. What you do with the peel after that is entirely up to you. Remarks: The Cóctel Japones has the body of a classic cocktail and it is also very smooth. Try it. We are sure you will be calling out, "okawari kudasai." . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Chivas Regal scotch o 1 ounce Boulard Calvados VSOP o ¾ ounce Lillet Rouge o ¼ ounce Bénédictine D.O.M. o 1 dash Angostura bitters o 1 dash Peychaud’s bitters Garnish o orange twist Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with orange twist. Remarks: The balance of sweetness and bitterness is crucial. Take care when using multiple bitters. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 3 ounces Bombay gin o 1 ounce Triple Sec o ¾ ounce fresh orange juice Garnish o ½ orange wheel o 1 Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with ½ orange wheel and a cherry. Remarks: To be drunk the morning of the season’s first baseball g ame. It is to be followed with a Bronx Cocktail, if it’s a Yankee home opener. GO YANKEES (or your favorite team) . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Ilegal mezcal o 1 ounce Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o ½ ounce Bénédictine D.O.M. o 1 dash Peychaud’s bitters or to taste Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into a double Old Fashioned glass over one large ice cube. 3. Garnish with orange peel. Remarks: The oversized ice cube allows you the time to enjoy the flavor without too much dilution. Plus they are fun to use. . . .

PH factor:   10 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Tullamore DEW Irish whiskey o 1 ounce Ilegal mezcal o ½ ounce Bénédictine D.O.M. o 1 dash Peychaud’s bitters or to taste Garnish o apple slice Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into a cocktail glass or an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with an apple slice. Remarks: Adapted from a recipe by Phil Ward of NYC’s Mayahuel Bar. This is an excellent example of a well-balanced cocktail. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Mount Gay XO rum o ¾ ounce Campari o ½ ounce fresh lime juice o ½ ounce agave nectar o 1 ½ ounces pineapple juice Garnish o pineapple wedge and leaves Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with pineapple wedge and leaves if available. Remarks: The rum and Campari define this drink. If that’s not for you, try a little more pineapple juice. As always, your choice. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ½ ounce Mount Gay Eclipse rum o ½ ounce Chambord liqueur o 1 teaspoon Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao o ½ ounce fresh lime juice Garnish o lime wheel o raspberries Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Garnish with a lime wheel and raspberries. Remarks: An interesting assemblage of ingredients that don’t play together quite as nicely as you might expect. Nevertheless, it's a strong and refreshing drink, . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Mount Gay XO rum o ½ ounce Kahlúa o 2 ounces cream Garnish o grated nutmeg Method: 1. Combine spirits in an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 2. Add cream. 3. Garnish with nutmeg. Remarks: He loves her. She loves him. He leaves her. She leaves him. Somehow a doctor is involved. Approximately, fifty-one years later they are reunited. Farfetched? No, not really. ¡Camarero! Uno mas. Por favor. . . .

PH factor:  10 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey o ¾ ounce Drambuie o ¼ ounce Cointreau o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice o 3 ounces Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer Garnish o lemon twist Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients except ginger beer over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Top with ginger beer. 4. Garnish with a lemon twist. Remarks: This is a different, delicious, and refreshing cocktail. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Jim Beam Bonded bourbon o 2 ounces cold espresso o 4 ounces cold 2 % milk Garnish o whipped cream o caramel sauce Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 3. Top with whipped cream. 4. Garnish with caramel sauce. Remarks: A drink combining whipped cream and bourbon which is fusion cuisine in Kentucky. . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Finlandia vodka o 1 ounce Kahlúa o 1 ounce cream Method: 1. Combine spirits in an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 2. Add cream and let settle. Remarks: We felt this was remarkably like its black sibling. The idea of a blindfold taste test occurred to us but was abandoned due to the difficulty inherent in making cocktails while blindfolded. . . .