Frisco Sour

A complex rye cocktail in which Benedictine plays a small but delicious role, the Frisco Sour marries the spiciness of rye to the sweet herbal qualities of Benedictine. But because Benedictine's sweetness can so easily overpower other ingredients, it's held in check here by lemon juice. In this dry, bracing drink, rye takes the forefront.

Old Timber (Rye Cocktail With Fernet)

If you like Old Fashioneds, you'll enjoy this simple stirred cocktail, created by Gabe Cothes of San Francisco's Salt House. It's deeply woodsy, with added depth and aroma from fernet, an Italian amaro, and orangey triple sec.

Buena Vista Fizz

You wouldn't think that citrus and coffee would go together, but we absolutely love this cocktail from Tradition in San Francisco, which brings together Jameson and chicory-infused rye whiskey.

Filibuster

This maple-sweetened rye cocktail was created by Erik Adkins of Heaven's Dog and the Slanted Door in San Francisco, and appears in Left Coast Libations, which is an excellent collection of cocktail recipes from West coast bartenders. If you tend to like cocktails from the family of Sours, this one will be right up your alley.

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.

Diamondback

Let's start the weekend right--with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? Hit up the archives. Cheers! [Flickr: Michael Dietsch] Sometimes, at this time of the year, you want a drink that's light and...

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.

Vieux Carré

Born in New Orleans, this stiff cocktail of rye and Cognac is a drink to sip and savor.

New York Shrub

To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.