3/4 ounces gin 1/2 ounces brandy 1/2 ounces dry vermouth 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth Stir with ice and serve “up,” in a cocktail glass, with a lemon twist. I have lifted my recipe from Mr. Boston; many a drinksman has tampered with a fine recipe so that he might add his own name to it, [...]

“Martinis, both of them, the guy and the girl both. That’s the kind of couple that stays together.” — Daniel Handler, in his short story “Delmonico“

My long-lasting bottle of gin has given up its last gin and tonic. If I drank this thirst-quenching summer drink more frequently, I’d undoubtedly have settled on a favorite brand by now. Rather than an indeterminate period of experimentation, however, I am turning to you. What are the middle-of-the-road gins (for party situations, say, when [...]

“I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning…that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.” — Frank Sinatra

Is it a cocktail, this feeling of joy? — Cole Porter, “At Long Last Love” Cocktail Nation is dead. Take Mel Tormé — please — off the hi-fi. Unplug the lava lamp and closet your monogrammed bowling shirts. The ersatz hepcats have fallen on their own swizzle sticks and bleed blue curaçao from their wounds. [...]

Do you have a drinking problem? I’m sorry to hear it. I’ll do my best to assist you. Please bear in mind that I’ll do a sight better answering queries such as, “Which is the appropriate whisky to serve in hot weather?” than “How do I quit drinking?” I have an opinion as to the [...]

1 & 1/2 ounces bourbon 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth healthy dash bitters The greatest cocktail of all time. Can be served either “up” or on the rocks. A stemmed maraschino cherry is optional. Rye whiskey may be substituted for bourbon, giving it a historical flavor. I recommend stirring rather than shaking, unless you enjoy crunching [...]