StupidlyBrave 

I had an interesting work-related event earlier this month. I was required to register for it, and then promptly forgot about it. A few days before the event, I get a box from some mail-order wine company. I was initially confused. But when I opened it, I found the following:

2x 1oz Vodka
2x 1oz Blanco Tequila
1x 1oz Grand Mernier
1x small bottle of prosecco
2x small tubes of agave syrup
Several limes and lemons.

So as part of the work presentation, we were instructed to make two drinks, a French 75 and a Margarita. As my drinking experiences were largely whiskey neat (rare) or beer (frequent), I was a little unprepared. But I made the two cocktails and they were delicious. At least once a week, I am now making cocktails for my wife and me (her favorite so far is the French 75). But I have also dabbled in Old Fashioned and Sazeracs.

What are your favorites?

Polaris OBark

EJ123

There is a drink my gf had mentioned she tried years ago called a Barbarella and while I was not there to try it, when we were out on the town she asked the local bartender there to try and recreate said drink. It was apparently made with some apricot liquor among other mixes when she first tried it, and even the re-creation attempt at a different bar, this drink was fantastic! It must be the apricot liquor

Darth Lefty 

My present jam is a gin and tonic with some help...

Collins glass or equivalent full of ice
1 shot gin
1/2 shot Campari
1 lime juiced
top up with tonic

In autumn and winter time I like root beer and Sailor Jerry

Darth Lefty 

A friend of mine is into tiki drinks and seems like he's basically volunteering himself to be teased about it. He sent me a recipe for "Beachcomber's Rum Barrel" with fourteen ingredients, and I reply back "half cup well rum, half cup sour mix, tablespoon of something nasty"

Same friend also pointed out that punches and build drinks are the same drink with different business models. One for parties and one for bars

ooga-booga

will be doing some intensive margarita "research" and critiquing in puerto vallarta in a few weeks.

zandoval 

Only way ta go...

Neat!

Juan Foote

In my younger days we used to dabble with "cocktails" and even went to bartending school/worked in bar for a while.

I have to say that my personal favorite would be something like a Long Island Iced Tea, which is reality is pretty much everything in the well with a small amount of sour mix and coke. Other highlights were Cape Cod, Gimlet (which either of which probably don't really qualify). I tend to agree with OP in that my thing now is mostly only bourbon with a hint of cola to color it darker. Read as easier way for unknowns not to know you are basically drinking straight whiskey.

ahsposo 

On a summer afternoon, I enjoyed Tom Collins or Gin and Tonics.

StupidlyBrave 

I have been experimenting with simple syrups. I am very surprised that many people prefer to buy something so easy to make. The two I am experimenting with now are Demerara Sugar based and Rick Bayless' recipe: https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/simple-syrup/

genec

We've used the Bayless recipe to make whisky sours, by adding more lemon juice to the glass with the whisky. Adjust to taste. (as sour as you like).

Darth Lefty 

I still haven't figured out why you can't just put a teaspoon of sugar in the cocktail

genec

In fact, speaking of lemons... my go to G&T is to add a half a lemon to a glass with a shot and half of Tanqueray, lots of ice and tonic water. I seem to have read somewhere the original G&T was with lemon vice lime, even better with Meyer Lemon.

Apparently there are tons of variants on this... including bitters and or sugar.

Whatever floats your boat on a hot day.

Hondo Gravel

100 outside so I’m inside the AC listening to Led Zeppelin on vinyl 1-2-3 and 4. In a bit when it ain’t so hot is when Colorado finest beverage meets Texas style chicken quarters from the best grocery chain in Texas. Mesquite smoke for 2:45 to 3 hours.

dedhed

I'm in Wisconsin so it's a brandy old fashioned (sweet or sour) with your Friday fish fry or Saturday prime rib at the supper club.

​​​​​​https://www.wisconsincheese.com/the-...4/supper-clubs

​​​​​​

Wilbur Bud

Negroni. Equal parts gin (Hendricks for me), sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica), Campari. Campari is quite bitter so the negroni mix has a kind of oscillating bittersweet taste.

timdow

Screwdriver, or even better a Harvey Wallbanger:
1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce Galliano L’Autentico liqueur
3 ounces orange juice

Stadjer

Screwdriver with fresh blood orange juice.

roadcrankr

My go-to lately is a nice margarita. Just eyeball the measured ingredients.
40% of glass cold organic lemonade
40% cheap or good tequila (Casamigos tastes top-end enough. lol)
Trickle of Grand Marnier
Squeeze about half of a small fresh lemon
Squeeze about half of a lime
Large ice cube. Sometimes place it in the freezer an hour ahead of time, with a straw. No salt.

Bob Ross

I'm mostly a beer guy, but when I do drink cocktails they're almost always one of these fairly normal three:
- Manhattan (3 or 4 parts bourbon -- usually Maker's Mark -- and 1 part sweet vermouth, plus a dash or two of Angostura bitters, shaken over ice, then poured neat into a martini glass with a couple of maraschino cherries)
- classic Martini (3 or 4 parts dry gin -- usually Tanquery -- and 1 part dry vermouth, shaken over ice, then poured neat into a martini glass with more than a couple of olives...preferably a half dozen, and preferably stuffed with anchovies or bleu cheese or garlic cloves)
- Gin & Tonic (equal parts dry gin -- usually Tanquery -- and sparkling quinine water, served in a tumbler over ice with a couple of squeezed lime wedges)

...or occasionally this slightly abnormal one:
- "The Educated Cosmopolitan" (4 parts vodka, 3 parts cranberry juice, and 1 part each Cointreau, Chambord, and lime juice, shaken over ice, then poured neat into a martini glass with a single squeezed lemon or lime wedge)

DMC707

There are a million ways to make a Bloody Mary and everyone likes theirs slightly different , so i wont get into the subtleties there -- but i will go into what happens when you are desiring one and find out you have no Vodka !

Enter -- the Bloody Maria ! - delicious and nutritious

take your favorite 'Mary recipe and simply substitute Tequila for vodka

nomadmax 

Red wine. Specifically, Pinot Noir.

GhostRider62

Was in Vermont last week and had my very first Martini or maybe my very first mixed drink.

I hated it.

Wait, I lied. I used to fly every Sunday at sunrise down to the DR. Flight attendant brought me a bloody mary once, said I looked hung over or something, It was pretty good. He would give me one of those every flight, surprising how often he was working that flight. I got stuck in coach once.....he snuck one back for me. I don't know why but I could not taste any alcohol it in. I could feel it.

Darth Lefty 

I tried so much to like Negronis but I just don't. Taste like cough syrup.

GhostRider62

I don't what they put in the Martini but is smelled like toilet bowl cleaner. For 15 bucks, i drank it