Sazerac Cocktail

A powerful, brawny cocktail of rye, absinthe, and Peychaud's bitters, the Sazerac is timeless for a reason.

Nouveau Carré

Inspired by the New Orleans classic Vieux Carre, the Nouveau Carre adds a couple of tweaks to the recipe, not only substituting anejo tequila (or anejo sotol) for rye and cognac, but swapping the original's sweet vermouth for the light orangey brightness of Lillet.

The Trident

The Negroni is a classic cocktail composed of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. The Trident takes the same formula, but swaps out each of the ingredients. In place of the herbaceous character of gin, the Trident uses the cumin-and-caraway flavors of aquavit ; sweet vermouth is replaced with the nuttiness of dry sherry; and for the bitter edge, Cynar takes the place of Campari.

Diablo

Really, who'd think that the zippy New-World spirit from the agave would match so well with a demure liqueur flavored with an Old-World fruit? But there's just some kind of romance between the two that defies explanation; all you need to know is that separately, they can be very entertaining, but together, they're dynamite.

Quill

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

Eeyore's Requiem

Eeyore's Requiem, invented by Toby Maloney of Chicago's Violet Hour, starts with Campari, then adds a dose of barrel-aged Fernet Branca, which is made with gentian, chamomile, bitter orange, myrrh, and saffron, among other things.

Sazerac and Cider

The true apple flavor of hard cider is a natural partner for a warming spirit like rye and even plays well with the anise and botanicals in Pernod, which can be a bit of an oddball to mix.

Frisco

The Frisco is the product of a long evolutionary process in 20th century mixology. Originating no later than the early 1930s--that's the earliest reference I've found for it, anyway--the drink crawled out of the cocktail equivalent of the primordial soup as a short, sharp burst of rye whiskey with a slight touch of the French herbal liqueur Benedictine and a twist of lemon peel for excitement.

Nacional

Riffing on the classic Hotel Nacional cocktail, which uses apricot brandy for a touch of fruity sweetness, Morgenthaler introduced Fee Brothers Peach Bitters to the mix--and it raises the refreshment bar while tossing in another layer of flavor complexity.

The Two-One-Two

Created by New York bartender and consultant Willy Shine, the Two-One-Two is brilliantly simple, yet has an engagingly complex flavor. Composed of a base of reposado tequila—Partida, one of the better brands to emerge in recent years, is recommended here—the Two-One-Two includes a couple of the agave spirit's most agreeable companions: fresh grapefruit juice, and the Italian amaro Aperol, a bright, bitter liqueur rich with orange peel and rhubarb.