You’ve found The Bartender’s Cure bonus content! I’ve gathered together some recipes you might find interesting if you want to learn more about home bartending. First up, original recipes – a number of the house cocktails mentioned in the novel (at both Joe’s Apothecary and Timothy’s bar) come from my own inventions, including a few that have appeared on menus at The Shanty and the now-defunct BKW. Credit is due to past coworkers and collaborators, Nicole Kanev and Marissa Mazzotta.
Second, Daniel Han’s essential classic cocktail list. This was crucial to the novel, and I did actually make a list, which you can check out below. Thanks for reading, and happy mixing!
Original Cocktails
Aladdin Sane
2 ounces rye whiskey
1/2 ounce Aperol
1/4 ounce Cynar
1/2 lemon juice
Egg white
Peychaud’s bitters
Reverse double shake everything but the bitters and strain into a chilled coupe. Paint the top with the bitters.
American Dream
1 ounce rye whiskey
1/2 ounce Smith & Cross overproof rum
3/4 ounce Zucca
1/4 ounce creme de cacao
Stir over ice and strain into a rocks glass over ice. No garnish.
Apothecary Spritz
1 ounce Cynar
1 ounce Chinato
1/2 ounce triple-sec
3 dashes yuzu bitters
sparkling wine
Build in a Collins glass over ice. Garnish with an orange peel.
Breakfast of Champions
1 1/2 ounce coffee-infused rum
3/4 ounce Campari
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
Stir over ice and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with an orange peel.
Chai Spice Flip
2 ounces scotch
1/2 ounce Pedro Ximenez sherry
1/2 ounce chai spice syrup
1 egg
Reverse double shake and strain into a port glass. Grate nutmeg over top.
Sea Change
1 ounce añejo tequila
1 ounce aquavit
1/2 ounce Strega
1/2 ounce blanc vermouth
1/4 ounce Kummel
Stir over ice and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit peel.
Daniel Han’s Fifty-ish Cocktails Every Bartender Should Know
Americano
1 1/2 ounces Campari
1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
Seltzer
Build in a Collins glass over ice. Top with seltzer and garnish with an orange slice.
Aperol Spritz
2 ounces Aperol
1 dash lemon juice
1 dash simple syrup (optional; Han’s addition)
Sparkling wine
Build in a wineglass or Collins glass over ice. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a slice of orange or lemon and an olive.
Aviation
2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/4 ounce crème de violette
1 dash simple syrup (optional)
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry.
Bamboo
1 1/2 ounces dry sherry (amontillado?)
1 1/2 ounces dry vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
Bee’s Knees
2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce honey syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Bloody Mary
2 ounces vodka
Tomato juice
Worcestershire sauce
Lemon juice
Hot sauce
Salt and pepper
Optional: pickle juice, red wine, smoked paprika, lime juice, horseradish, celery salt, etc. etc. etc.
Build to taste in a Collins glass or a large tumbler over ice, or gently toss over ice from one tin to the other and pour into your glass. Garnish with whatever you want.
Boulevardier
1 1/4 ounces rye whiskey
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Stir over ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Brooklyn
2 ounces rye whiskey
3/4 ounce dry vermouth
1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/4 ounce Amer Picon
Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry.
Caiparinha
2 ounces cachaça
1/2-1 lime, sliced into wedges
1 heaped barspoon brown sugar
Muddle sugar and lime wedges in a rocks glass. Add cachaça, stir, and add crushed ice. Alternatively: muddle sugar and lime in a cocktail shaker, add cachaça, shake, and dump into a rocks glass. Either way, no garnish necessary.
Champs-Elysees
2 ounces cognac
1/2 ounce green Chartreuse
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Clover Club
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce raspberry syrup
1 egg white
Reverse double shake and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a raspberry or paint some bitters across the white frothy top.
Corpse Reviver #2
3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce Lillet Blanc
3/4 ounce lemon juice
Absinthe
Rinse a chilled coupe glass with absinthe. Shake other ingredients with ice, then strain into the prepared coupe. Garnish with a cherry.
Cosmopolitan
1 1/2 ounces citron vodka
3/4 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce cranberry juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a twist of orange or lime.
Daiquiri
2 ounces light rum
1 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.
Dark’N’Stormy
2 ounces Gosling Black Seal Rum
1 ounce lime juice
gingerbeer
Build in a collins glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.
El Diablo
2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce crème de Mûre
1/2 ounce lime juice
Ginger beer
Build in a Collins glass over ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wheel or a blackberry.
Diamondback
1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
3/4 ounce applejack or apple brandy
3/4 ounce yellow Chartreuse
Stir over ice and strained into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Espresso Martini
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce espresso
1/2 ounce coffee liqueur
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with three coffee beans.
French 75
1 ounce gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
Sparkling wine
Short shake the first three ingredients with ice. Strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.
Gimlet
1 1/2 ounces overproof gin
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.
Hemingway Daiquiri
2 ounces light rum
3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce grapefruit juice
Shake or blend with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry.
Jack Rose
2 ounces applejack
1 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce grenadine
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.
La Rosita
1 1/2 ounce reposado tequila
1/2 ounce Campari
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1 dash Angostura
Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Last Word
3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce green Chartreuse
3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
3/4 ounce lime juice
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry.
Mai Tai
2 ounces aged rum (Jamaican or Spanish style or a combination of the two)
1/2 ounce curaçao
3/4 ounce lime juice
1/4 ounce orgeat
1/4 ounce demerara syrup
Shake with ice and pour over crushed ice in a double-old fashioned glass. Garnish with half a lime and a sprig of mint.
Manhattan
2 ounces rye whiskey
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir over ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a cherry or an orange
twist.
Margarita
2 ounces tequila
1 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce triple-sec
1 dash simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe, or into a rocks glass over ice. Optional salt rim, and lime slice garnish.
Martinez
1 1/2 ounces gin, preferably Old Tom or barrel-aged
1 1/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce maraschino
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Martini
2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce dry vermouth
Optional: olive brine, orange bitters, etc.
Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe or a martini glass. Garnish according to preference – generally with olives or a twist of lemon.
Mint Julep
2 ounces bourbon or cognac
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Mint
Very gently muddle a handful of mint with the simple syrup at the bottom of a julep cup, if you have one, or a large rocks glass if you don’t. Add the whiskey and fill halfway with crushed ice, stir down, add more ice, stir down. Add a dome of crushed ice on top and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Mojito
2 ounces light rum
1 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
Mint
Very gently muddle a handful of mint with the simple syrup at the bottom of a Collins glass. Add the lime juice and rum and fill with crushed ice, pausing a couple times as you go to stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Moscow Mule
2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce lime juice
Ginger beer
Build over ice in a copper mug, or in a collins glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Negroni
1 1/4 ounces gin
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Stir in a mixing glass over ice. Strain into a rocks glass over ice; garnish with an orange twist.
Negroni Sbagliato
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Sparkling wine
Build in a flute (or in a rocks glass over ice, if you prefer). Top with sparkling wine and garnish with an orange peel.
Old-Fashioned
2 1/4 ounces rye whiskey
1 sugar cube
Angostura bitters
Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters and muddle it in a mixing glass. Add the whiskey and stir with ice, then strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with an orange twist.
Old Pal
1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
3/4 ounce Campari
3/4 ounce dry vermouth
Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Paloma
2 ounces tequila (blanco)
1/2 ounce Aperol
1 ounce grapefruit juice
1/4 ounce lime juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Seltzer
Build in a Collins glass with ice, top with seltzer, and garnish with a lime wheel.
Piña Colada
2 ounces aged Spanish-style rum
1 1/2 ounce coconut cream (Coco Lopez, traditionally)
1 1/2 ounce pineapple juice
Shake with ice and strain over crushed ice, or blend with ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge or a sprig of mint, maybe a little umbrella if you have one.
Pink Lady
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce applejack
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce grenadine
1 egg white
Reverse double shake and strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.
Pisco Sour
2 ounces pisco
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
Reverse double shake and strain into a chilled coupe, or a rocks glass over ice. Paint the top with Angostura bitters. You can use all lime juice instead of a blend; the mix is to accommodate for the difference between Peruvian and American citrus.
Ramos Gin Fizz
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3 dashes orange flower water
1 ounce heavy cream
1 egg white
Seltzer
Shake everything but the seltzer over ice for as long as you possibly can. Strain and dry shake, strain again into a Collins glass over ice. Top with seltzer.
Remember The Maine
2 ounces rye whiskey
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce Cherry Heering
Absinthe
Stir first three ingredients over ice and strain into an absinthe-rinsed coupe. Garnish with a cherry.
Sazerac
2 1/4 ounces rye whiskey
1 sugar cube
Peychaud’s bitters
Absinthe
Soak the sugar cube in Peychaud’s, muddle in a mixing glass, add the whiskey. Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe. Stir the whiskey, sugar, and bitters over ice, and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Seelbach
1 ounce bourbon
1/2 ounce Cointreau
5 dashes Angostura bitters
5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Sparkling wine
Build in a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange twist.
Sidecar
2 ounces cognac
3/4 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce lemon juice
1 dash simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe (with an optional sugar rim). No garnish.
Southside
2 ounces gin
1 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
Mint
Shake gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and a generous handful of mint with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a mint leaf.
Tom Collins
2 ounces gin (ideally Old Tom)
1 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
Seltzer
Short shake the first three ingredients, then strain into a Collins glass over ice and add seltzer to top. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Twentieth Century
1 1/2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce creme de cacao
3/4 ounce Lillet Blanc
3/4 ounce lemon juice
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Vesper
1 1/2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce vodka
3/4 ounce Lillet Blanc
Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Vieux Carré
1 ounce cognac
1 ounce rye whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce Bénédictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Stir over ice and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with an orange peel.
Whiskey Sour
2 ounces whiskey (any whiskey)
1 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
Angostura bitters
Reverse double shake everything but the bitters. Serve up or on the rocks, and paint the top with bitters.