The Irish Derby

An Irish spin on a vintage cocktail recipe that originally called for bourbon.

The Bitter Irishman

This St. Patrick's Day-appropriate cocktail is way better than green beer. The whiskey is light and almost floral, and the amaro is spicy and rich. Fresh lemon gives the drink a punch of refreshing sour flavor, and the drink finishes up with the whiskey's bite and a little bitterness from the amaro.

The Emerald

There are pitifully few decent cocktails mixed with Irish whiskey—like scotch, it just doesn't play well with other ingredients—but here's one that's not only suitable for the day, but absolutely enjoyable: the Emerald.

Quill

This classic twist on a Negroni adds in some absinthe to bring great herbal and light anise flavor that lingers in the background.

Improved Gin Cocktail

Genever and Cointreau: odd, but oh-so-compelling.

Modern Cocktail No. 2

The Modern Cocktail No. 2 shows how wonderfully blended scotch can work in a cocktail. As written in the Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930, the Modern #2 matches the smooth richness of blended scotch with the sharp tang of sloe gin, with dashes of absinthe, grenadine and bitters lending additional complexity.

Cocktail à la Louisiane

First documented 70 years ago in Arthur's Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em, the Cocktail à la Louisiane has been largely ignored since then. It's worth the effort to search out the ingredients (or a talented bartender in a well-stocked establishment) and bring this drink into the 21st century.

EVR's Whiskey Sour

Two whiskeys (Irish and single-malt Scotch) come together in this rich, leathery-textured sour from Orson Salicetti of EVR in New York.

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.

Atty Cocktail

A good gin contains floral elements in its mix of botanical flavors, and the creme de violette nicely calls the floral notes to the fore.