Fog Cutter

The Bay Area's best food & drink bloggers have recently lauded the Fog Cutter, and with good reason: it's a delicate, fruity blend of several spirits and juices. Be forewarned: it packs a punch.

Blood and Sand

Scotch, orange, and sweet vermouth: An unlikely-sounding trio that come together flawlessly.

Napoleon's Vice from Lolinda

"We ended up with a perfect compromise between the dryness of the sherry and the richness of the rum," he says. "Toss a little nutmeg on top for garnish and you have winter Tiki. Boom!"

Silver Daisy (Sparkling Rum Cocktail)

The French 75 goes tropical in this tart rum-based rendition from Jesse Cyr of Rob Roy in Seattle. Instead of the classic lemon, this version has lime and a little orange curaçao. The drink is festively fizzy, fruity, and tart, with an underlying vanilla flavor thanks to the rum.

Honey and Marmalade Sour

Orange marmalade may be sweet, but it also offers an underlying bitterness reminiscent of burnt caramel. Lemon juice helps the citrus sing while honey mellows the whole thing out in this intensely flavorful vodka sour. It's the kind of versatile cocktail that's equally appropriate day or night, all year round.

Basin Street Blues

This cocktail, adapted from Domenica in New Orleans, is pretty low in alcohol, but not at all low in flavor. It reminds us of caramel and lemon drops, with an essential smoky addition from a few drops of Scotch.

Sparkling Apple Sherry Cocktail

Juicy apples meet bubbly prosecco, rich sherry, and sweet orange liqueur in this fall cocktail.

Bamboo

I love well-made vermouth, and this is a good drink to showcase its potential. The Bamboo dates to at least the early 20th century, and unlike most cocktails you come across, it has a more modest payload, being based on equal parts dry vermouth and dry sherry (I like the bone-dry crispness of manzanilla in mine, though you could explore the range of dry sherries with this drink; an oloroso or amontillado could have interesting results).

Bourbon Renewal Cocktail

This recipe comes from Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Portland's Clyde Common. Sweet crème de cassis mixes with oaky bourbon to produce a delicious take on the classic whiskey sour.

New York Shrub

To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.