Italian Buck (Amaro and Ginger Beer Highball)

This fizzy, spicy, sweet-tart, and bitter drink was created by Jamie Boudreau of Canon in Seattle, and appears in Amaro by Brad Thomas Parsons. It's a little like a bitter, gutsy take on a Dark 'n Stormy, but instead of rum, the drink is made with two bittersweet Italian liqueurs: orangey Montenegro and vegetal Cynar.

Vermouth Cocktail

The Vermouth Cocktail illustrates the flavorful beauty of good vermouth, with just a little adornment. If you're prone to dismiss this drink out of hand because it's based on vermouth, then you're denying yourself the opportunity to see what the original fuss from the nineteenth century was all about.

Apricot Bellini

This spin on a bellini adapted from 101 Champagne Cocktails by Kim Haasarud is a little richer, a little boozier, and a little more fun than your standard brunch drink.

Guns of Barbaresco

This cocktail softens potent 100-proof apple brandy with bright lemon and Barolo Chinato, a bittersweet, herb- and spice-dosed digestivo made from one of Italy's best wines. The results are rich, fruity, and spirituous.

Palpable Apathy (Braulio Boulevardier Cocktail)

Mixed with rye and sweet vermouth, Braulio adds richness and a distinctive herbal, almost menthol-like character to this drink. If you're a fan of whiskey and you like fernet, you'll love this cocktail.

Americano

Tall, refreshing, and bittersweet.

Cotogna's Aperol Fizz

This recipe from Jason "Buffalo" LoGrasso of Cotogna in San Francisco is a frothier, creamier version of the classic Aperol Spritz.

Contessa

[Photo: Jessica Leibowitz] Mojitos and mint juleps are wonderful warm-weather drinks. But sometimes a late-spring or early-summer day requires a drink with a bit of an edge, a spark bright enough to match the waning light of a late sunset....

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).

Beretta's Pamplemousse

We're always a bit wary of elderflower liqueur, but it doesn't take over in this supremely balanced and fresh-tasting gin cocktail, a signature brunch drink at Beretta in San Francisco.