Queen's Park Swizzle

Several months ago I spoke with Forbidden Island owner Martin Cate for an article I was writing about ice and cocktails (the article is in the September/October issue of Imbibe). While talking about swizzles--a classic style of Caribbean drink made with well-packed crushed ice, hence a slow-sipper of a drink--Martin recommended the ancestral swizzle, a true tropical drink that launched countless imitators, called the Queen's Park Swizzle.

Chartreuse Swizzle

Let's start the weekend right--with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke of The Cocktail Chronicles. Need more than one? Hit up the archives. Cheers! In a recent diatribe against oppressive summer heat, I praised the class of crushed ice drinks...

Twelve Mile Limit

Rum, rye, and brandy are a triple threat in this boozy but balanced cocktail.

The Wayland's Bermuda Black

If you drink a Dark 'n Stormy and think, "I'd like to turn this up a notch," this is the cocktail for you, courtesy of The Wayland in NYC. Fresh ginger juice adds heat, rum adds richness, and lime juice keeps it bright.

Test Pilot

This Don the Beachcomber classic was created around 1941. As Paul Clarke notes on his blog, Cocktail Chronicles, the key is the combination of Angostura bitters and Pernod.

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.

Partly Cloudy

A riff on a Dark and Stormy; the resemblance comes in the pairing of ginger and rum (and, well, the name). At the Spotted Pig, bar manager Ryan Gannon makes his own falernum: a sweet syrup that uses allspice and ginger and clove and lime zest steeped in over-proof rum "until it gets nice and happy," when it's combined with simple syrup with almond extract; in the drink, it commingles with lime and grapefruit juice along with Mount Gay rum, Aperol, and ginger beer.

Upgraded Mind Eraser

Despite the name, the classic Mind Eraser is really just a watered down Black Russian. This version subs in mighty 151-proof rum to give it a little more kick. It's worth seeking out Lemon Hart 151 for its rich, bold flavor.

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.

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.