Pamplemousse Cooler (Vodka-Cucumber Cocktail With Grapefruit LaCroix)

You'll be cool as a cucumber sipping this vodka drink, which gets a delicate vegetal flavor from muddled cucumber and a soft sweetness from elderflower liqueur.

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.

Jackson Cannon's The Squeeze

This beautifuly rosy vodka cocktail is fruity and lightly floral—it's one of the most delicate citrus cocktails we've tried.

Roses in the Snow Cocktail

The delicate aroma of roses is the star in this variation on a Gin Fizz cocktail.

Contessa

[Photo: Jessica Leibowitz] Mojitos and mint juleps are wonderful warm-weather drinks. But sometimes a late-spring or early-summer day requires a drink with a bit of an edge, a spark bright enough to match the waning light of a late sunset....

Lemongrass Sour

Lemongrass infused vodka—combined with lemon bitters suspended on a head of eggwhite foam—makes for a light and delicately citrusy spring cocktail.

The Pompier

Enter the Pompier. Also known as the vermouth cassis, this tall glass of icy goodness offers a gentle, sophisticated alternative for those looking to idle away a steamy afternoon. Based on vermouth--so it's lower in alcoholic horsepower than many other seasonal refreshers--the Pompier increases its allure with the robust fruitiness of crème de cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur.

Violet Beauregarde Part 2

A floral and sweet variation of the classic Champagne cocktail from Josh Berner of Ripple in Washington, DC.

Great Gatsby

This cocktail is light, bright, and easy. And, as Chef Frank Stitt says, it's "shockingly good—it makes you feel on top of the world, kind of like Gatsby."

Cosmopolitan Cocktails

Cosmopolitan Cocktails are a classic, elegant vodka cocktail made famous by the ladies of Sex and the City! Not to sweet, not too tart, super quick to make!