Larchmont

One of the most highly sought-after books is The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, a volume first printed in 1948, written not by a bartender but by a New York lawyer named David Embury who was determined to establish a system of proper rules for mixing drinks. Most of the drinks he covered were ones that were already in regular rotation in New York bars. Here's one of his originals, the Larchmont.

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.

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.

Gramercy Tavern's Expat

Sometimes on a cold fall evening all you want to drink is a bright, sunny cocktail to remind of warmer days recently passed. This Gramercy Tavern creation draws inspiration from both the classic Hemingway Daiquiri and Audrey Saunders' Old Cuban. It's at once tart and refreshing with a touch of richness from the golden rum.

Man About Town

This cocktail from Gramercy Tavern in NYC is a take on a Boulevardier (which is like a Negroni, but with bourbon instead of gin). Here, however, spicy rye is the star, complemented by the bittersweet Sicilian amaro, Cynar.

Spiced Cranberry Rum Fizz

Incorporating the classic flavors of cranberry sauce--tart cranberries, the warm spice of orange zest, and a kick of ginger--this drink re-imagines the timeless flavors of the season.

Anejo Highball

Anejo Highball. [Flickr: teamperks] During the dark, dry years of Prohibition, thousands of thirsty Americans made it a point of vacationing in Cuba. Not only did the island nation offer an alluring Caribbean climate, but Havana was home to...

Southern Baptist

Sother Teague of Amor y Amargo in NYC shared this rye cocktail with us, and it's a winner, spicy with lots of fresh ginger and bright from a bunch of fresh lime.

Kenny McCoy's Peg Leg Punch

Brugal Extra Dry Rum meets Cocchi Americano and Gran Classico in this punch from Kenny McCoy of Ward III and The Rum House. If you're used to thinking of rum punches as sugary, tropical concoctions, this will change your mind.

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.