Cocktail of the Hour -- the Aviation

To truly enjoy the Aviation and appreciate its name, you have to think back to when air travel was a luxury. Picture a elegant seating area inhabited by suave gentlemen and well-coifed ladies. Imagine full-service dinners on tables with real table cloths served by happy stewardesses (term used for historical effect).

In that context, the Aviation's name and makeup makes more sense. It's a bit of a mystery -- I couldn't find much background on this Prohibition-era cocktail other than it was inspired by the air travel available around that time. It's a crisp cocktail with a tart bite and a dry finish. Per the recipes I found online, it's also incredibly versatile.

Per Wondrich's article on Esquire, it's made with maraschino liqueur, but no crème de violette. This recipe first appeared in Harry Craddock's 1930 edition of the Savoy Cocktail Book, and makes the drink reminiscent of the icy cloudscape that passengers experience when they fly.

According to most other sources, the crème de violette is essential: it provides the drink's recognizable hazy purple-blue color. Either way, it's a gorgeous drink that can call up memories of a simpler -- and more glamorous -- time. To find your way back, experiment with the proportions until you find what takes you back.

Recipe: 1 tsp Crème de Violette (optional) 1/2 oz maraschino liqueur 3/4 oz freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice 2 oz gin

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, and shake vigorously until chilled, about 12-18 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry (optional).

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Ramos Gin Fizz

The Ramos Gin Fizz is one of the most time-intensive and physically challenging drinks for bartenders. In fact, its original instructions call for a 12-minute-long hard shake. Though most modern bars will shake it for two to five minutes, it still requires an intense physical effort. As a result, some bars will charge a lot more for this libation if it's ordered during peak service hours.

Out of respect for my fellow bartenders, I'd been hesitant to post about it. With the advent of spring, this delicious, traditional New Orleans cocktail is something I've been craving on a regular basis. As well, its surprisingly straightforward place in history should be discussed and respected.

With all that said, please be considerate of your bartender when ordering this drink.

Historically, this drink has its origins  in the 1880s. Henry Ramos, a New Orleans bartender of the time, created this drink and ignited a craze. It became so popular that he had at least ten bartenders on the clock every night to keep up with demand. It's not hard to see why -- its creamy, fluffy texture is reminiscent of Lebanese ice cream and its taste is light, delicate, floral and entirely tasty.

As with most classics, variations on this drink have been made with different syrups, juices and garnishes. As spring approaches, experiment with different gins (I prefer either the Old Tom style) or different proportions to fit your taste.

Recipe:

1 dash orange flower water (orange blossom water is the same thing) 1 egg white .5 oz fresh lemon juice .5 oz fresh lime juice .5 0z simple syrup .75 oz heavy whipping cream 2 oz gin

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake vigorously without ice for at least 45 seconds. Add ice and shake vigorously for several minutes until the tin is frosty. Strain into a chilled Collins glass and top with soda water to create the foam cap.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Sherry Flip

After ten months of bartending, I've tasted through quite a few different sherries. Before that, I considered sherry to be a product only for cooks and older women. Needless to say, the range of styles and flavors quickly turned my apprehension into appreciation. In cocktails, this ingredient can add aspects such as dryness or a sweet, round nuttiness. High quality sherry also adds a lovely rich, velvety body. Flips are the oldest defined class of cocktail. Modern variations usually involve an egg, sweetening agent and base liquor or liqueur, but the earliest flips were most likely variations of a spiced, sweetened and beer-based punch. This cold weather drink was probably also heated with a poker, causing sugars to caramelize and the whole brew to hiss and boil. The result was a complex mix of sweet and bitter from quickly heating the mix with the poker.

About 150 years ago, the first references to cold flips appear. As rum and other spirits became more available within Europe and elsewhere, they replaced beer as the base for the flip. Some bartenders (or home bartenders) added egg and sometimes cream to the mixture, and the cold flip was born. Though the inclusion of cream is now categorized separately, this class of drinks has a long and well-established history.

Since most bars no longer stock fire-heated pokers (can haz industrial heating rod?), cold flips have become the more prevalent cocktail option. These creamy, sweet, rich confections are the perfect nightcap or post-dinner dessert.

Recipe: 2 dashes Chocolate molé bitters 1 whole unpasteurized farm egg* 1 tsp Grade B maple syrup 2 oz sherry (NOT CREAM OR COOKING SHERRY) Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds without ice. Add ice and shake for an additional 20 seconds or until combined and chilled through. Strain into a chilled rocks glass.

*If you're apprehensive about using an uncooked egg in a cocktail, read my primer on the subject here.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Manhattan

After researching a lot of cocktails with contentious origins, it comes as no surprise that the ever-popular Manhattan has many origin legends. The drink was definitely a bar staple by the 1860s, but the details of where and when it was created are largely lost to history. One of the most interesting stories was that it was invented for a party thrown by Winston Churchill's mother at the Manhattan Club. Unfortunately, the historical record indicates that she was across the pond giving birth during the time of this party. Other sources give credit to a bartender named Black who worked in another bar in Manhattan. If this was the case, it's likely that this libation was created to be one of the five cocktails named for New York City's five main boroughs. Despite its lack of historical figures, this tale is likely the most true.

Interestingly, putting together an original Manhattan is almost as  impossible as piecing together its backstory. The oldest recorded recipe calls for a few dashes of Boker's bitters in equal parts rye whiskey and sweet vermouth. A few decades ago, the original Boker's bitters went out of production, so unless you're willing to shell out some serious cash for a vintage bottle, you're unlikely to ever taste the most historic Manhattan.

As well, modern palates (and bartenders) favor spirit-heavy drinks over vermouth-heavy drinks. As a result, the most popular recipe for a Manhattan calls for a 2:1 ratio of whiskey to vermouth. Thanks to a few marketing campaigns featuring the Manhattan, bourbon has largely eclipsed rye in common recipes. Though this substitution doesn't affect the presentation, it gives the drink a much smoother, sweeter taste overall than a rye Manhattan.

The rye Manhattan is a dark, slightly sweet cocktail with a hint of spice from the whiskey. An orange peel garnish adds a citrusy nose that compliments the wine and dark fruit of the first sip. Garnishing with a maraschino cherry, by contrast, adds a very sweet finish to a sweet, but balanced drink. Though the origins of this practice are unclear, written records would seem to indicate that the orange peel garnish came first.

Choosing complimentary vermouths and whiskeys is one of the biggest parts of making a delicious Manhattan. For example, a more bitter vermouth like Punt e Mes won't necessarily compliment either the boldness of Rittenhouse rye or a smooth bourbon. However, a more rounded, earthier vermouth like Cocchi Vermouth di Turino or Carpano Antica Formula can bring out the best qualities in either liquor.

Since no two people have the exact same taste preferences, experimentation is the best way to find our your favorite drink recipes. Try out different combinations and see what works for you.

Recipe: 3 dashes Angostura bitters 1 dash Heering cherry liqueur 1 oz sweet vermouth 2 oz rye whiskey

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well incorporated. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel or maraschino cherry depending on your preference.

Cocktail of the hour -- the Tom Collins

Over the past two weeks, the weather in Alabama has ranged from snowy and cold to severe thunderstorms and highs in the 70s. Since we're quite confused about whether to turn on the heat or air conditioning, I thought it would be a great time to feature a cocktail named for a troublemaker -- the Tom Collins. Cocktail historians will tell you that this drink was named for a 19th century bartender, a prank that shares his name or both. The prank was pretty simple: a mischievous chap would pick a target and convince him that a fellow named Tom Collins was either looking for him or had been taking full advantage of him. It was such a popular gag that the height of its popularity has been dubbed the Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874.

Some commerce-minded bartender proceeded to name a drink after the hoax. After that point, unsuspecting victims who barged into pubs clamoring for Tom Collins would find themselves served a rather delicious beverage. Credit for the drink's creation is where the story gets murky. Many sources give this honor to John Collins, a waiter from London's Limmer's Old House. If the drink originally bore his name, it's likely that the change came from substituting Old Tom gin for another style.

Though its exact origin may be unclear, the Tom Collins first appeared in Jerry Thomas's 1876 The Bartender's Guide. Since then, it's become one of the most iconic and refreshing summer cocktails. Like the French 75, its light, fizzy, citrusy deliciousness is built around a potent base spirit that packs a wallop. As the Girl Scouts say, be prepared.

Recipe

1 oz simple syrup 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 oz gin (preferably Old Tom gin)

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake for 12-15 seconds or until cold. Strain into a chilled Collins glass over ice. Top with club soda or sparkling water to taste.

Cocktail of the hour -- the Harvard

Before high fructose corn syrup was king, colleges had cocktails. Not the sugar-soaked-violently-neon-OMG-Spring-Break cocktails, but more sippable drinks that packed a wallop. During the early 1900s, the Harvard was one such cocktail. This cognac-based Manhattan variation has a rich, earthy and spicy from the brandy that's balanced by the warmth and sweetness of vermouth.

The Harvard first appeared in print in George Kappeler's 1895 Modern American Drinks. Like the Manhattan, the Harvard's original recipe calls for equal parts liquor and vermouth. After these ingredients are mixed, the Harvard's recipe diverges with a splash of soda water. In the original proportion, the brandy gets lost under the additional dilution.

Within the first 20 years of the 20th century, this cocktail was rebalanced to be more spirit-forward. This newer recipe has endured to present, and changes the ratio to two parts cognac to one part vermouth. Changing the ratio balances the liquor content with both the vermouth's sweetness and prevents over dilution, leading to a much more balanced drink.

Interestingly, Harvard variations including Chartreuse, citrus juice, maraschino liqueur and other sweeteners are occasionally mentioned in pre-Prohibition documents. That said, these Fancy (or Improved) Harvards have mostly been lost to history. Besides, this solidly balanced cocktail needs very little tweaking; it's lush and delicious in its original form.

Recipe 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters 1 oz sweet vermouth 2 oz brandy

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 12-17 seconds or until well combine. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and top with some club soda. Garnish with an orange peel if feeling citrusy.

Cocktail of the hour -- the Pimm's Cup

In the craft cocktail world, many drinks can fall under the umbrella of a single name. The Pimm's Cup definitely belongs in this category, but it's also special because the name only comes with two requirements: it must contain Pimm's and it must be served in a cup. As a result, it's rare to find two bars -- or even two home bartenders -- who make this libation the same way. Many variations on this theme are tangy, sweet and refreshing. Originally, Pimm's made six different liqueurs from different liquors that were infused with their proprietary blend of herbs, spices and juices. Due to changes in management and demand, Pimm's No. 2 - 5 were discontinued about 40 years ago. Now, the only Pimm's available in the U.S. is Pimm's No. 1: a tea-colored, gin-based herbal liqueur.

This citrusy liqueur does well when combined with citrus, spice, berries or herbs. Thanks to its deep flavor, each of these different ingredients brings out unique qualities in its taste. Though the first Pimm's cup is thought to have been created by a British bartender named Pimm's, the historical record is entirely fuzzy on its origins. Historically, New Orleans and Britain have both claimed the Pimm's cup as their quintessential drinks, so you should create your own house Pimm's cup to suit your own taste.

Recipe:

1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 oz simple syrup 2 oz Pimm's No. 1

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Add ice and shake for 12-15 seconds or until chilled through. Strain into a chilled Collin's glass full of ice and top with ginger beer to taste.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Ward 8

Out of all the contentious drinks I've featured so far, the Ward 8 might just top them all. With at least three origin stories and hundreds of recipes, the diversity of its manifestations almost rivals the Old Fashioned's. In fact, when a New York Sun writer called for readers to submit their Ward 8 recipes in the 1940s, he received more than 500 replies.

People get territorial over their whiskey cocktails.

According to the available mishmash of cocktail history, Boston was definitely the Ward 8's birthplace. It was probably created within a decade of 1900, and is most likely named for one of the city's voting districts. The most popular backstory is that it was created to celebrate a political boss's election victory in north Boston, but this story seems to have originated in 1951. Other sources credit other bartenders who worked at the hotel where this alleged party occurred and yet others give credit to other venues.

The Ward 8 is a whiskey sour sweetened with grenadine. The use of orange juice and the amount of grenadine varies by recipe, but however it's made, it usually turns out light, spicy and slightly dry. Since so many recipes for this beverage exist, I'm not going off the reservation by saying that if my recipe doesn't suit your fancy, tweak it until it does.

Ward 8 1 tsp - .5 oz grenadine (to taste) .5 oz lemon juice .75 oz orange juice 2 oz whiskey Add all ingredients to a shaker tin. Shake vigorously for 13-17 seconds or until cooled through and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Cocktail of the hour -- the French 75

Since it's my birthday week, I thought that an easy, bubbly cocktail would be perfect for the Cocktail of the Hour re-inauguration. The French 75 is just gin, citrus, sugar and champagne (or prosecco, if you're partial). Despite its simplicity, the drink packs a kick much like its namesake -- an accurate and quick-firing field gun used in World War I. Per cocktail lore, this lovely libation was most likely named by a Parisian bartender around 1915ish, but its roots go back much further. In the 19th century, upper class folks on both sides of the pond drank a mixture of bubbly, citrus, sugar and ice. Dump in a little bit of readily available gin and voila, the French 75.

Other stories indicate that the French 75 was also, in some circles, a brandy drink. The shift away from brandy may have been caused by the wine shortage that also changed the Sazerac's base liquor. Personally, I prefer gin to brandy here -- gin makes the cocktail herbaceous while brandy slightly spices and sweetens it. If I can get my hands on a bottle of Pierre Ferrand 1840, I'll try it again and report back.

It's also possible that a bartender subbed champagne for soda in a Tom Collins as some early versions of the recipe specify that the drink is served over ice. In this version of the French 75's origin story, it's not clear if the substitution was intentional. Regardless, the result was delicious.

Like the daiquiri and gimlet, this cocktail probably existed for decades before it was named, so history buffs and cocktail nerds alike can savor its qualities.

Recipe: 1 oz gin .5 oz lemon juice .5 oz simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake for 12-18 seconds or until chilled through. Strain into a champagne flute or coupe glass and top with 1 - 2 ounces of champagne.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Corn 'n Oil

Though today's Blog Like Crazy topic is to tackle a controversial subject, I'm not going that far...yet. This cocktail's name may be provocative given the current "debate" over farm subsidies and fossil fuels, but it's named for neither of these things. With origins rumored to be in Barbados, the earliest recipe is a three ingredient highball.

Interestingly, none of the three ingredients resembled corn or oil. Some speculate that the oil part of the name comes from the thick black Black Strap rum, but the earliest iterations of the recipe call for aged rum, not its darker counterpart. This substitution was made rather recently by Murray Stinson of Seattle's Zig Zag Cafe -- the man responsible for bringing the Last Word back.

Stinson also changed the proportions of the ingredients. According to the label on John D. Taylor Velvet Falernum bottles, the drink is traditionally 3:1 Falernum to rum, but Stinson's version calls for the opposite. Each recipe creates a very different flavor profile: the bottle's recipe is a light, sweet summertime drink that would take the edge off a tropical summer. Stinson's drink, on the other hand, is a spicy, rich, deep concoction that brings out a different type of complexity in the cocktail. Others have riffed on this recipe, adding Coke and other ingredients for completely different ends.

As with most other drinks, the most important part is that it's to your taste. I've included both recipes so you can try both and draw your own conclusions.

Recipes:

Modern Corn n Oil

2-3 dashes Angostura bitters .5 oz lime juice or two lime wedges .5 oz John D. Taylor Velvet Falernum 2 oz Cruzan Black Strap

Fill a glass with ice. Add Falernum, top with rum and squeeze the lime juice on top. Add bitters and stir ingredients in the glass until chilled and fully combined.

Old School Corn n Oil

2 dashes Angostura bitters .5 oz lime juice or two lime wedges .5 oz rum from Barbados 1.5 oz John D. Taylor Velvet Falernum

Fill a glass with ice. Add Falernum, top with rum and squeeze the lime juice on top. Add bitters and stir ingredients in the glass until chilled and fully combined.

Cocktail of the Hour -- Blood and Sand

As much as I love all things whisk(e)y, I'm still dipping my toes in the peaty waters of scotch and scotch cocktails. One of my recent favorites is the classic Blood & Sand. Composed of equal parts blended scotch, Heering cherry, orange juice and sweet vermouth, the drink is surprisingly smooth and sensuous. This tipple first appears on the radar in Henry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book. Its name is most likely derived from the 1922 movie that starred Rudolph Valentino, but its history is otherwise unknown. More recently, its revival was almost halted by its ingredient list. In fact, master bartender Dale DeGroff rediscovered the recipe in the mid-1990s and was so intrigued by the combination that he both doubted its value and had to try one.

Though the ingredients might seem incompatible at first glance, the result is a rich, almost-tropical-punch drink. Rich cherry liqueur adds weight, sweetness and velvety texture that's balanced by the orange juice's acidity. The scotch gives the drink the smoky, peaty notes that are grounded by the rich wine-y-ness of the sweet vermouth. On paper, it appears of be a cacophony of tastes, but in reality, it all comes together for a right, delicious experience.

Recipe:

.75 oz orange juice .75 oz Heering cherry .75 oz sweet vermouth .75 oz blended scotch 

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until well-mixed, about 13-17 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and serve.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Negroni

Despite all of the amazing alcoholic products exported from Italy, it's not a place known for its cocktails. Since the country didn't have to get creative to make illegal spirits palatable, few recipes have emerged. However, a few Italian cocktails have become critical parts of cocktail history.

One that has inspired endless variations is the Negroni. Like many other cocktails, this one doesn't have a clear cut backstory. Its origin is traced by some back to 1919. At that time, Count Camillo Negroni is said to have ordered an Americano (equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth) with gin and no soda.

The result was and is a cocktail with a beautiful ruby tone. Taste-wise, the Campari adds a bitterness and sweetness that plays around the gin's herbaceous bite. Sweet vermouth balances these flavors with a smoky, wine-y earthiness. Though many bartenders have rebalanced this cocktail to please modern palates, others argue passionately that these variations are not actually Negronis.

For that reason, I've included the original recipe. By what I can tell, it's also the most historical, so it's the best suited for my purposes. Other interesting variations to try include the Boulevardier (sub bourbon for gin), a 1794 (sub rye for gin) or a Boulevarista (sub tequila for gin). With one Google search, I uncovered more than twenty variations, and scores of others exist in books and bars all over the world. With the number of possibilities available, it's just a matter of finding one that's to your taste.

Recipe:

1 oz Campari

1 oz sweet vermouth

1 oz gin

Combine in a mixing glass and stir for 12-15 seconds or until combined to taste. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Martinez

As you might have gathered, cocktail history is equal parts interesting, contentious and vague. For every cocktail with a crystal clear genealogy, five more exist in a much more nebulous place. Such is the case with the Martinez.

Sometimes called the father of the Martini, this drink is supposedly named for the town in California where it originated. Other cocktail lore suggests it is one of Jerry Thomas's creations or is named after the bartender who invented it. Unfortunately, there is little information to back up any of these stories.

Even if the Martinez didn't have a direct impact on the creation of the Martini, each drink represents a different route for mixing gin-based drinks. The Martinez is basically a gin Manhattan complete with sweet vermouth, while the Martini gets the dry vermouth treatment.Interestingly, recipes for each cocktail have varied widely over the last century. Thomas's How to Mix Drinks (etc) presents a cocktail that has a 2:1 vermouth to gin ratio, while The Savoy Cocktail Book inverts these proportions.

Personally, the more modern recipe is more pleasing for my palate. Though you can occasionally catch me drinking straight vermouth, I prefer cocktails that accentuate the base spirit rather than covering it. In this case, the vermouth tends to overpower the Old Tom gin. This style is heavier on botanicals than the now-popular London Dry gin, and is not as widely available. In fact, only one store in the entire state of Alabama carries a brand of Old Tom.*

The result is a light, nutty drink with a sweetness balanced by the addition of bitters. Even though it finishes dry, the addition of the sweet vermouth provides a depth of flavor beyond the Martini's searing dryness.

Recipe

2 dashes orange bitters

1 tsp maraschino cherry liqueur

1 oz sweet vermouth

2 oz Old Tom gin

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, stir for 12-15 seconds or until the drink is to your taste. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

*Hayman's Old Tom gin is available at Lou's Pub in Birmingham. Disclaimer: I have not been paid or compensated to mention them in this post.

Cocktail of the hour -- the Moscow Mule

As a disclaimer, the Moscow Mule is the first and will probably be the last vodka drink I feature here. With a name that translates literally as "little water," this colorless and tasteless spirit doesn't add anything to cocktails other than alcohol content. Too many other delicious products exist to focus much energy on a substance that is renowned for its ability to blend in.

Ranting aside, the Moscow Mule is almost solely responsible for making vodka popular. Back in 1934, Rudolf Kunnett bought the rights to a French vodka brand called Smirnoff. Five years later, employee Jack Martin convinced the Heublein Inc. corporation to buy out Kunnett. They then bottled all of the remaining stock with whiskey corks from another unsuccessful venture. Despite its popularity with a certain faction of day drinkers, the product still hadn't caught on by 1946.

At this time, Martin started hanging out in a Hollywood joint called the Cock 'n' Bull Pub. The bar's owner was having an equally bad time trying to sell the spicy ginger beer he had been bottling. When both ingredients were dumped into a copper mug (made by yet another struggling businessman) and a lime wedge squeezed on top, the Moscow Mule was born. Topped with a meaningless but catchy name, this mixed drink was marketed well and helped popularize vodka.

Though we have this drink to blame for the increasingly sweet and artificially fruity vodka drinks that followed, this simple and refreshing concoction may just serve as the gateway to  drinking a Southside or Tom Collins. If that's the case, this vodka drink may just be able to cancel out a little bit of the harm it's done to the popular palate.

Recipe

.5 oz lime juice

2 oz vodka

ginger beer

Squeeze or pour lime juice into a chilled Collins glass or copper mug. Add a few cubes of ice, then add vodka and, if desired, a splash of simple syrup. Fill to the brim with ginger beer and lightly stir to combine. 

Cocktail of the hour -- the Sazerac

Do you regularly pronounce New Orleans as "nawlins?" Would you rather chug a Jaeger Bomb than sip an Old Fashioned? If you've answered yes to the second question, the Sazerac may not be the drink for you. If you said yes to the first, you might need to befriend some actual New Orleans natives. Either way, if you're feeling adventurous or like whiskey at all, give it a chance -- you might be surprised.

As another descendent of the 18th century cocktail (liquor, sugar, bitters and maybe a splash of water), this variation adds in a few elements that will please drink nerds: a cool history and boldly flavored, relatively hard to find ingredients.

Though the  first written recipe for the Sazerac wasn't printed until the early 1900s, the history of the drink itself starts around 1850. At that point, Sewell T. Taylor gave up his bar and went into the liquor import business. One of his products was Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils. Aaron Bird, the man who bought Taylor's bar, renamed it the Sazerac House. Their specialty was the Sazerac Cocktail, a brandy-based drink made with Taylor's brandy and (supposedly) bitters made by the neighborhood apothecary, Antoine Amedie Peychaud.

Since then, the Sazerac House was bought and sold many times. At some point during Thomas Handy's ownership, he either wrote down the Sazerac recipe or shared it with someone. In any case, it ended up in the 1908 edition of The World's Drinks and How To Mix Them -- with one change: this cocktail called for "good whiskey," not Sazerac cognac.

During that time, Europe's grape crops were decimated by an infestation of American aphids. In just four years, French wine production was cut by 67 percent, and dedicated cognac drinkers switched to whiskey. For New Orleans, that meant switching to rye whiskey that was shipped to the city down the Ohio River to the Mississippi.

However the change happened, the spice of the rye compliments the bitters beautifully. Using just a touch of absinthe to rinse the glass gives the drink an herbal nose, and finishing the drink with a lemon peel adds depth and a light, citrusy note.

Recipe:

2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

1 dash Angostura bitters*

.25 oz simple syrup (or a sugar cube)

2 oz good rye whiskey (don't skimp -- use the good stuff)

lemon peel for garnish

Combine all ingredients except the lemon peel over ice in a mixing glass. Stir well to combine. Roll a few drops of absinthe around in a chilled rocks glass to rinse, and strain the mixture into the rinsed glass. Garnish with a lemon peel and enjoy.

*Angostura bitters aren't part of the original recipe, but they're a traditional ingredient.

Cocktail of the Hour: the Improved Whiskey Cocktail

I'm not much for the idea that the certain spirits should only be drunk during certain times of the year. If I waited for cold weather in Alabama to drink red wine or whiskey, I would still have a long time to wait. Luckily, even a spirituous* cocktail can revive a thirsty soul and cool him or her down. One such beverage is the Improved Whiskey Cocktail. With recipes dating back to the 1876 edition of Jerry Thomas's How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant's Companion or The Bartender's Guide, this cocktail sprang from a source similar to the Old Fashioned. In the days of yore, few drinks had defined names. Simply enough, patrons wanting any sort of mixture of whiskey, water and sugar would order a Whiskey Cocktail.

As maraschino liqueur, absinthe and other spirits came on the scene, their introduction into this family of beverage spawned a new creation -- the Fancy Whiskey Cocktail. About fourteen years later, the Improved Whiskey Cocktail joined its fancy counterpart in Thomas's book. Since that time, both of the cocktails have been reformulated to fit more modern standards of measurement by David Wondrich in Imbibe! which was later picked up by The PDT Cocktail Book. This recipe is the one below.

Currently, the PDT recipe is my favorite riff on this particular cocktail. It's a simple drink with sweet and bitter notes that balance and soften the edges of the rye whiskey. As they say, rye whiskey makes the band sound better, makes your baby cuter, makes itself taste sweeter, oh boy!

Recipe:

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 dash absinthe (or rinse the glass with absinthe)

.25 oz simple syrup

.25 oz maraschino liqueur

2 oz overproof rye whiskey

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and drop in a handful of crushed ice. Put a few whole cubes on top and stir til the drink is diluted to your taste or about 13-17 seconds. Garnish with a lemon peel.

*spirituous: A drink that contains (almost) all liquor and no citrus.

Cocktail of the Hour: the Daiquiri

In much of the restaurant industry, "blender" is a curse word. They are not only loud, breakable and time-consuming, but also pretty much useless in classic recipes. Believe it or not, one such drink is the daiquiri.

Named for a Cuban beach, this beverage's root date back to before the Spanish-American War. From there, its history gets hazy. Some sources suggest that the classic daiquiri's proportions mimic the daily rations of rum, citrus and sugar given to British sailors, suggesting that their grog was a less refined version of this cocktail. Other stories suggest that, since sugar cane and lime are indigenous to Cuba, that it was a combination of available resources.

What we know for sure is that this drink -- and many of its many variations -- has served up inspiration for writers and artists of all kinds. Hemingway himself frequented Cuba's La Florida (the self-proclaimed "Cradle of the Daiquiri"), and his drink made it into 1937's Bar La Florida Cocktails as "The Henmiway Special." Boasting translation skills on par with its spelling, this book is entertaining, but probably not the most reliable source.

After that point, the daiquiri became popular again in the 1940s and 1970s. Like many other cocktails, its most recognizable present form is actually a re-imagining from the 1960s/70s/80s that ratcheted up its sugar content to appeal to the public palate. Its most classic form, however, is a humble beverage that balances tart with sweet. Mix one up today to find out why it's inspired countless variations.

Recipe:

2 oz white rum

1 oz lime juice

1 oz simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake for 10-12 seconds or until cooled through. Strain and serve straight up.

Cocktail of the Hour: The Southside

As the story goes, the Southside was named for the South Side of Chicago's bootlegging joints. During Prohibition, citrus and sugar were mixed with bathtub gin to make it drinkable. Even if it wasn't one of the creations of that era, it is still a delicious gimlet variation. In the years since, it has become an institution at many country clubs. Even Tory Burch has claimed a vodka-based version of this drink as her favorite. The version documented in Townsend's The Bartender's Book is gin-based, and the spirit's botanicals add a layer of complexity to the taste. Fortunately, we don't live during Prohibition, and many of the products previously unavailable in Alabama are now here. Experimenting with different gins will yield slight changes in the cocktail's flavor and body, but the citrus and mint are somewhat forgiving.

This beverage is best made while the weather is warm and mint is in season. Since we've only got a few weeks left that meet both requirements, shake one (or few) up for the perfect picnic/tailgating/afternoon tipple.

Recipe:

4-6 mint leaves

1 dash Angostura bitters*

1 oz lime juice

1 oz simple syrup

2 oz gin of your choice

Lightly bruise -- do not pulverize -- mint leaves in the shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake for 10-12 seconds to combine. Strain into a chilled glass.

*Editor's note: the traditional Southside isn't made with bitters, but they add depth of flavor. Try it both ways!

Introducing -- Cocktail of the Hour

At Octane, we bartenders use the daily dinner hour lull to Instagram pictures of drinks and their ingredients. Many of the cocktails are both beautifully colored and cleverly named. As a result, I've become somewhat engrossed in research on the subject.

Weekly Cocktail of the Hour posts will highlight one cocktail and its history as told by the books and online sites I frequent and love. This week, the Last Word hits the top of the list. Though the exact quantity varies, the basic recipe calls for equal parts gin, Maraschino liqueur, Green Chartreuse and lime juice.

Developed in Detroit right before the start of Prohibition, this cocktail is almost more famous for its disappearance than for its origin. Interestingly, the name's origin remains a mystery.

After its introduction in the early 1920s, the Last Word almost entirely disappears from the historical record for 80 years. Though it resurfaced in Ted Saucier's 1951 Bottoms Up, it remained obscure until it was rediscovered and brought back to fame in 2004 by Seattle's Zig Zag Cafe.

Though summer is drawing to a close, the Southern heat will most likely endure until early or mid-October. The lime's acidity, Chartreuse's earthiness, Maraschino's sweetness and gin's herbaceousness all come together to create a light, sippable cocktail you'll want to keep in your glass all day long.

Recipe:

3/4 oz lime juice

3/4 oz Green Chartreuse

3/4 oz Maraschino liqueur

3/4 oz gin

Shake for 10-15 seconds or until cooled through. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.