The Lucien Gaudin Cocktail

A gold-medal drink named after a French Olympic champion

Lucien Gaudin was an Olympic fencing champ during the 1920s (more history in the Notes).

His namesake drink has lively aroma, terrific flavor, and good looks. It makes a great predinner drink. Or a nice tipple while watching the Olympics later this summer.

En garde! 

The Jungle Bird Cocktail

This Malaysian charmer may be the only Tiki drink to use Campari

Ahh, Tiki drinks: The soul of sweet laid-backness. Nothing bitter about them.

So what is Campari doing in this cocktail? Just enjoying a tropical vacation with its new friends, Jamaican rum and pineapple juice. The result sings like a nightingale and ruffles no feathers.

Mix up a Jungle Bird next time you’re yearning to fly away to Kuala Lumpur. And make enough for your friends. They’ll flock to this one.

The Old Pal Cocktail

Make friends with a Prohibition-era charmer

The Old Pal is practically cocktail royalty. His daddy is the classic Negroni. And his sibling is the charming Boulevardier Cocktail.

The Old Pal himself sports rye, dry vermouth, and Campari. That makes him the lightest, driest, and spiciest of the trio.

Just the personality you want in an old pal, no?

The Mezcal Negroni Cocktail

Smoky and intriguing – with a bit of bite

Mezcal has attitude. It’s sharper tasting than tequila (a close relative) and carries its smokiness with swagger.

So what happens when you mix mezcal with Campari and sweet vermouth? A Negroni-like cocktail with spellbinding charm.

Arriba!

The Bicyclette (aka Bicicletta) Cocktail

This Italian classic is perfect for wine lovers

It’s high summer here, so we’re looking for soothing sippers. Good thing The Bicyclette just rolled in.

This cocktail is tangy and full flavored, but not too high in alcohol. That’s because half the drink is white wine. So it’s a refreshing way to beat the heat.

And because the name means “bicycle,” it’s also the perfect drink for celebrating the Tour de France (our favorite sporting event) – which happens to start this weekend.

Ride – and drink – on.

The Boulevardier Cocktail

This bourbon “Negroni” is the perfect autumn drink

Ever had a Boulevardier Cocktail? Right, we didn’t think so.

But you probably know the Negroni — that delectable combo of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. It’s become trendy during the past few years. Well, just swap bourbon for gin, and you have the Boulevardier.

This cocktail has a bittersweet flavor that makes it perfect as a pre-dinner drink. And bourbon gives everything a nice, warm glow – so it’s welcome as autumn approaches in our part of the world.

Time to haul out those sweaters and mix up a Boulevardier. You’ll need to take the chill off.

The Americano Cocktail

An Italian thirst-quencher, named for American imbibers

Hot, humid summer afternoons can drag us down. But we perk right up when we sip an Americano—a compelling mix of astringent Campari and sweet vermouth, lightened with sparkling water.

The Americano makes a perfect hot-weather apéritif. And it’s fairly low in alcohol, so you can have two without worrying about the consequences.

Good thing. Because once you have one, you’re sure to want another.

The Rosita Cocktail

This beautiful drink tastes like a tequila Negroni

Quick, name a cocktail made with tequila. The Margarita, you say? Yeah, everybody knows that one. And maybe The Tequila Sunrise. But after that . . . ?

Well, meet the Rosita Cocktail: A colorful tequila-powered sipper that’s overflowing with flavor.

The Rosita is delicious enough all by itself. But because we’re publishing on April 1st this year, we’re giving you a second cocktail, as a special bonus. It’s the perfect drink for April Fool’s Day. You won’t want to miss it, so read on.

Negroni Cocktail

The Perfect Springtime Apéritif

Looking for a nice, perky drink to serve before your Easter dinner?  Something with a flavor that says zip, but without over-the-top alcoholic content?  And most of all, something that would be refreshing during the unseasonably warm (heck, hot) weather we’ve been experiencing in much of the US this spring?

Then I’d suggest a Negroni.
 
Never had one?  Or even heard of it?  Well, prepare your taste buds for a sunburst of refreshing flavor.