New York Sour

This simple twist on the whiskey sour made the rounds for several decades during the late 19th century under an assortment of names. A base of American whiskey (rye is the desired variety here) is fleshed out with a little fresh lemon juice and smoothed over with a touch of sugar; the crowning touch comes with a float of dry red wine.

New Brunswick

This variation on the classic Brunswick cocktail from Ehren Ashkenazi of The Modern in NYC features fresh grapefruit juice along with rye whiskey. Ashkenazi uses Lillet Rouge to balance it out, but we like the richness of Carpano Antica sweet vermouth instead.

Tangy Cranberry–Black Pepper Shrub Cocktail

Back in colonial days, a shrub syrup was the best way of preserving fruit without refrigeration. This autumnal cocktail gets its sweet-tart flavor from a shrub made with cranberries and spiced with black pepper. Its tangy flavor counterbalances a meal's richer flavors, and the shrub is great for parties, since it can be prepped in advance. For guests who aren't drinking booze, mix the shrub with chilled sparkling water instead of wine.

Peach-Ginger Shrub

The delicate flavor of peaches is complemented by apple cider vinegar in this tangy shrub syrup. Serve it with white rum or simply add it to seltzer.

Rum Shrub

For the rum, choose something dark and, if you want to replicate the Colonial experience, something funky.

Rhubarb and Roses

Rhubarb is a noted ingredient in the Italian aperitif Aperol. Pairing Aperol with the rhubarb shrub really highlights this flavor note and lets the more savory side of rhubarb shine.

Rhubarb Shrub

Tart rhubarb practically begs to celebrated in a shrub.

Cranberry in a Can (Batched Rye-Cranberry Shrub Cocktail)

This warming and festive single-spirit drink recipe is perfect for wintertime entertaining: Make the easy cinnamon-spiced cranberry mixer far ahead of the last-minute chaos, add booze, and offer the drink in a pitcher for guests to serve themselves.

Mulled Cider Shrub

The great thing about this particular shrub is that it's ready to consume immediately, as a lot of the vinegar's intensity is cooked out. It's a lot more mild and sweet than most shrubs, and doesn't require anything but a splash of soda or a shot of your choice of booze to make a tasty beverage.

Mott and Mulberry

This cocktail was created by Leo Robitschek of The Nomad and Eleven Madison Park in New York City. It spices up apple cider with rye and Amaro Abano, an amaro that's a bit more bitter than Averna, and a bit less mentholated-tasting than Fernet.