The Vancouver

Every great city should share its name with a great cocktail—but with the notable exception of the Manhattan (and some of its borough and neighborhood-named relations), few actually do. Here's a drink that may not qualify as "great" but still does pretty well for itself in the glass: the Vancouver.

Atty Cocktail

A good gin contains floral elements in its mix of botanical flavors, and the creme de violette nicely calls the floral notes to the fore.

The Gypsy

Unlike many vodka-based drinks that simply use the spirit to lend alcoholic oomph to a mixture of soda and fruit juice, the Gypsy uses vodka's neutral character to soften the powerful flavor of the drink's other main ingredient, the French herbal liqueur Benedictine.

Bijou Cocktail

With equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and green Chartreuse, accompanied by a dash of orange bitters, the Bijou is bombastically herbaceous.

A Beginners Guide To Making a Martini

Today we make the classic Vodka Martini 3 ways based on some secrets I’ve learned from New York City Bartenders.

Vermouth Cocktail

The Vermouth Cocktail illustrates the flavorful beauty of good vermouth, with just a little adornment. If you're prone to dismiss this drink out of hand because it's based on vermouth, then you're denying yourself the opportunity to see what the original fuss from the nineteenth century was all about.

Journalist Cocktail

The Journalist Cocktail goes back to at least 1930, when it appeared in the Savoy Cocktail Book. Essentially a perfect martini—"perfect" in the cocktail sense meaning it's made with equal parts dry and sweet vermouth—with a dash of this and that for flavorful accents, the Journalist is dry and crisp, yet has a complexity and hint of richness that make it especially endearing.

Cosmopolitan Cocktail

This Cosmopolitan may well be the best vodka sour around.

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."

Martinez Cocktail

The Martinez starts with equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, and this alone distinguishes it from the modern martini. You then add a teaspoon of maraschino liqueur and either Angostura or orange bitters.