PH factor: 9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce o grated Graham cracker o 2 ½ ounces Finlandia vodka o ½ ounce Woodford Reserve bourbon o ½ ounce Licor 43, Cuarenta y Tres o 1 ounce cream o 2 scoops Häagen-Dazs Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle ice cream Garnish o shaved chocolate Method: 1. Invert a martini glass into a shallow dish of chocolate sauce to moisten the rim of the glass. 2. Invert that into a dish of grated Graham crackers to coat the rim of the glass. 3. Blend remaining cocktail ingredients until smooth. 4. Serve up in prepared glass. 5. Garnish with shaved chocolate. Remarks: It’s okay to have fun with your cocktails especially if your fun is in good taste and this drink sure tastes good. . . .

PH factor: 8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Finlandia vodka o ½ ounce Triple Sec o ¾ ounce cranberry juice o ½ ounce fresh lime juice Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Serve up in a martini glass. 3. Garnish with orange peel. Remarks: You can substitute Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice for the fresh lime juice. We prefer to use the fresh in this cocktail and reserve the Rose’s for our gimlets. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Finlandia vodka o 1 ½ ounces cranberry juice o ½ ounce agave nectar o 3 ounces Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer Garnish o ½ orange slice o rosemary sprig o cranberries Method: 1. Combine all cocktail ingredients except ginger beer in a copper mug with ice and stir well. 2. Top with ginger beer. 3. Garnish with an orange slice, rosemary sprig, and cranberries. Remarks: There are many spins on the classic Moscow Mule and we feature quite a few. This Mule ranks highly among them. The cranberry juice and garnish in this version add depth to the classic. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Clase Azul Reposado tequila o ¾ ounce Southern Comfort o ¼ ounce Monte Alban mezcal o 1 ounce fresh lemon juice o ½ ounce agave nectar Garnish o peach slice o lemon wheel Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve over ice in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with peach slice and/or lemon wheel. Remarks: This is an appropriate pairing since tequila and mezcal are as related as can be. What do you think? Peaches? Lemon? Both? . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¼ ounce Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 2 ounces 1800 Añejo tequila o ½ ounce light Crème de Cacao o 1 dash Angostura bitters or to taste Garnish o orange twist Method: 1. Swirl absinthe in chilled cocktail glass and discard the excess. 2. Stir remaining cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 3. Strain into the prepared glass. 4. Garnish with orange twist. Remarks: We were a little divided on this one. But we agreed that it is a smooth and potent cocktail. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 teaspoon grated ginger o 2 ounces Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch o 1 ounce grapefruit juice o ¾ ounce Honey Syrup, see: Syrups etc. Garnish o grapefruit peel Method: 1. Muddle ginger a shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining cocktail ingredients and shake. 3. Fine strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 4. Garnish with grapefruit peel. Remarks: We feel this is an improvement over the Penicillin Cocktail. But the name still needs work. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 fresh raspberries o 1 ½ ounces Tullamore DEW Irish whiskey o ½ ounce Aperol o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice o ½ ounce pink grapefruit juice o ½ ounce grenadine o 1-2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters or to taste o 1 splash of Fever-Tree Premium Club Soda Garnish o lemon peel and raspberry Method: 1. Muddle raspberries in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add ice and remaining except soda and shake to chill. 3. Fine strain into an ice-filled collins glass. 4. Top with soda. 5. Garnish with lemon peel and raspberry. Remarks: Perhaps named after Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, who met his bloody fate on the 23rd of April 1014. Despite all that, this is a summery drink that is good with food. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 3 ounces Finlandia vodka o 1 ½ ounces Chambord o 1 dash of pineapple juice Garnish o fresh raspberries or a long lemon peel Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Strain into a martini glass. 3. Garnish with lemon peel or raspberries. Remarks: Identical to the French Martini except in proportions which is to be expected. It wouldn’t be Hollywood if it weren’t a little derivative. That is why there wasn't a “Star Wars: Episode One and Done”. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 5 ounces water o 1 teaspoon brown sugar o 1 dash ground cinnamon o 1 dash ground nutmeg o 1 dash ground allspice o 1 splash vanilla extract o 1 pat of soft butter o 2 ounces Goslings Black Seal 151 proof rum Garnish o cinnamon stick Method: 1. Combine cocktail ingredients except rum in a saucepan. 2. Bring to a simmer stirring. 3. Pour into a glass mug. 4. Add rum. 5. Garnish with cinnamon stick. Remarks: This is 100% what it says it is. It's easy to see why this has long been prescribed to treat colds and flus both real and imagined. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 2 ounces Johnnie Walker Red Label scotch o ½ ounce Demerara Syrup, see: Syrups etc. o 1 ounce fresh lemon juice o ½ ounce Crème de Mûre Garnish o blackberry o lemon slice Method: 1. Fill an Old Fashioned glass with cracked ice. 2. Shake cocktail ingredients except Crème de Mûre over ice. 3. Strain into the prepared glass adding more cracked ice if necessary. 4. Gently layer the Crème de Mûre on top and let it settle. 5. Garnish with a blackberry and lemon slice. Remarks: You probably don’t often hear, "I’ll have a scotch on the rocks and make it sweet and taste like berries." Why is that? . . .

PH factor: 8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 3 lime wedges o 3 ounces grapefruit juice o 2 ounces Goslings Black Seal 151 proof rum Method: 1. Squeeze the juice from the lime wedges into an ice-filled double Old Fashioned glass and drop them into the glass. 2. Add remaining and stir. Remarks: An eclectic looking cocktail but if you like citrus… . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Boulard Calvados VSOP o ¼ ounce Johnnie Walker Red Label scotch o ¾ ounce Woodford Reserve bourbon o 1 dash Angostura bitters o 1 teaspoon Demerara Syrup, see: Syrups etc. Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve over a large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass. Remarks: These ingredients go together well and result in a cocktail that will get your attention. If you would prefer a different scotch, perhaps one that's "peatier" than Red Label, feel free. . . .