The Supreme

The Supreme is a cocktail that shows off the spirit's abilities: crisp with citrus and with the ethereal nuttiness of orgeat, a French almond syrup usually laced with orange flower water. The Supreme promotes the rich and fruity flavor of apple brandy to a well-deserved starring role.

Pom Pomme

Pomegranates (the pom) and apples (the pomme) are the stars of this sparkling drink.

Fallen Leaves

This is a perfect autumn cocktail. With the color of its namesake foliage, the Fallen Leaves has a rich, delicate flavor derived from that most seasonal of spirits, aged apple brandy. It's fine to use Calvados in one of these, but I like to reach for the 8-year-old Eau de Vie de Pomme, from Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery. At a time when the autumn chill is becoming a little more apparent each night, a Fallen Leaves can be a great evening companion.

Gramercy Tavern's Old Orleans

Tart and aromatic cider blends with sweet orange curaçao, and spicy bitters to create a warming autumn cocktail.

Absinthe Frappe

Now that new bottlings of absinthe are all over, and it's high time to rediscover this pleasant drink. There are several ways of mixing an Absinthe Frappe. Here are two versions that are both very refreshing, and are sure to enliven a summer late afternoon.

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.

The Arnaud's Special

With the advance of autumn, it's time to break out the dark-spirit drinks suitable to the cooler seasons. The Arnaud's Special is a close cousin to the Rob Roy, and was the house cocktail for Arnaud's Restaurant in New Orleans during the 1940s and '50s.

Persephone

Smooth Dolin vermouth and sloe gin (Plymouth's is made with a high-proof infusion of real sloeberries) are offset by fresh lemon juice in this rich and fruity (but not over sweet) cocktail from David Slape, featured in The PDT Cocktail Book.

Basin Street Blues

This cocktail, adapted from Domenica in New Orleans, is pretty low in alcohol, but not at all low in flavor. It reminds us of caramel and lemon drops, with an essential smoky addition from a few drops of Scotch.

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.