4 classic cocktails, with variations for spring and summer entertaining

By J.M. HIRSCH, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street

The arrival of spring means summer entertaining season isn’t far behind, which is an excellent excuse for a home bartending refresher. Because like changing a tire and ironing a shirt, crafting a cocktail is one of those skills adults should have at least a passing familiarity with.

Equipping yourself is simple. Mid-shelf bottles of the basics — vodka, bourbon, rye, gin, white and aged rums, and blanco tequila — will get you on your way. Add some inexpensive dry and sweet vermouths, maybe an orange liqueur and a bottle of Angostura bitters, and you’ll be set.

The gear is minimal and affordable. A shaker, a stirring glass, a long-necked spoon, a strainer and a 2-ounce measuring cup are all you need. The whole lot can be had for under $50.

As for the recipes? Try a two-for-one approach that iterates on the classics. This means learning a few classic cocktails as they traditionally are made, but also mastering an easy twist on each, a simple way to show some creative chops without having to learn a new recipe.

Where to start? A gin martini, bourbon old fashioned, rum daiquiri and tequila margarita are popular classics that readily lend themselves to innovation.

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, it’s easy to experiment and craft ideas of your own.

Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned began life at least 150 years ago as little more than whiskey with a sugar cube and cocktail bitters, sometimes a splash of water. Things went sideways during Prohibition, when the poor-quality liquor Americans were able to drink no longer could be appreciated in such simple form. Cue the addition of fruit to the Old Fashioned. Luckily, in recent years there has been a renewed reverence for the pre-Prohibition-style Old Fashioned. This is the drink for people who like whiskey and like it strong.

The Classic: In a rocks glass, stir 3 ounces bourbon, ¾ teaspoon agave or simple syrup, a dash Angostura bitters and 1 small ice cube.

Rum Old Fashioned: For this warm weather take on the classic, just substitute 2½ ounces white rum and ½ ounce aged rum for the bourbon. If you have orange bitters, they are a delicious addition.

Gin Martini

Created during the late 1800s, the Gin Martini is the original martini, though it has worn many masks over the years. Most agree that the basic recipe should be a simple stir of gin, dry vermouth and orange bitters. Making it dirty means adding a green olive and a spoonful or so of the olive brine from the jar. This is for anyone who likes cocktails strong, clean and herbal.

The Classic: In a stirring glass with ice, combine 2 ounces gin, ¾ ounce dry vermouth, a dash of orange bitters, 1 to 2 spoonsful of olive brine and 6 to 10 granules kosher salt. Stir for 10 seconds. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with 1 green olive, such as Castelvetrano, on a cocktail skewer.

Vodka Martini: A classic in its own right, the Vodka Martini often is maligned by purists who prefer its gin sibling. But the vodka martini is a lovely cocktail with ample clean, bright flavors. To make it, replace the gin with 3 ounces of vodka and reduce the dry vermouth to ½ ounce.

Daiquiri

The basic Daiquiri is a model of simplicity and balance. Variations date to at least the late 1880s, but it was during the early 1900s in Havana that the drink became the icon of white rum, lime juice and sugar we know today. This is for fans of sweet and sour.

The Classic: In a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, combine 3 ounces white rum, ½ ounce lime juice, ¼ ounce agave or simple syrup and a dash Angostura bitters. Shake, then strain into a coupe.

Whiskey Sour: Consider the Whiskey Sour sort of a bourbon Daiquiri. Swapping a brown liquor for white delivers a huge difference in flavor. What was tropical and refreshing becomes rich, though still bright. To make it, substitute an equal amount of bourbon for the rum, and an equal amount of lemon juice for the lime.

Margarita

The classic Margarita is part of the Daisy family, referring to drinks made from a mix of a primary liquor, orange liqueur, citrus juice and soda water. Leave out the soda water, and you get a Margarita. A note about salt: All the flavors at play here love a little salt. But don’t put it on the rim of your glass, where it blows out your ability to taste anything else. Instead, add just a few granules to the drink itself to heighten and highlight all the other flavors.

The Classic: 

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine 2½ ounces blanco tequila, 1 ounce lime juice, ¾ ounce orange liqueur, ¼ ounce agave syrup and 6 to 10 granules kosher salt. Shake, then strain into a rocks glass with 1 large or 2 standard ice cubes.

Navy Grog: The original grog, introduced to the British Royal Navy back in the 1700s, wasn’t much more than rum, lemon and lime juices, cinnamon and sugar. Jump to the 1950s, and it was reinvented as a tiki classic. To make this simplified version, substitute 1½ ounces white rum and 1½ ounces aged rum for the tequila and use lemon instead of lime juice.

J.M. Hirsch is author of the cocktail book, “Pour Me Another: 250 Ways to Find Your Favorite Drink,” and editorial director of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street. Follow him at @jm_hirsch.