Martinez Cocktail

The Martinez starts with equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, and this alone distinguishes it from the modern martini. You then add a teaspoon of maraschino liqueur and either Angostura or orange bitters.

Employees Only Martinez

Flavorwise, this cocktail is somewhere between a traditional Martinez and a Martini.

Sherry Martini

Pair gin with vermouth and you get botanicals on top of botanicals. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but bring sherry into the mix and you'll find something both more smooth and electrifying, with hints of marcona almonds and a wonderful savory bite.

Martini Oaxaqueño (Mezcal Dirty Martini With Castelvetrano Olives)

This drink, slightly adapted from Cala in San Francisco, is really a hybrid of a martini and a mezcal margarita, made savory, rich, and somewhat salty with the addition of Castelvetrano olive brine.

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.

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.

Siesta

This spin on the Hemingway Daiquiri was created in 2006 by Katie Stipe. Tequila adds warmth to bitter Campari; it's a luxurious cocktail that's a bit like sipping candied grapefruit peel.

Darkside

This smooth sipper from Adam Bernbach of Proof in Washington, DC has undertones of cherry and anise.

Prado

Pairing the agave spirit with its old friend, fresh lime juice, the Prado substitutes the margarita's orangey triple sec for a dose of aromatic maraschino liqueur, with the white of half an egg added for extra body (since accurately dividing an egg white can be a pain, you can go ahead and mix two drinks and share one with a friend).

Tuxedo

Did I mention this drink is dry? Good lord, it's nothing less than arid—your typical dry martini is positively flamboyant next to a cocktail as reserved as the Tuxedo. But don't take this dryness as a sign that it's boring; rather, the sherry brings a touch of its distinctive nuttiness to the drink, which puts a new spring in the gin's step and makes this relative of the classic martini a worthwhile variation.