Most people are fairly familiar with sickly-sweet frozen daiquiris, but the original Daiquiris weren’t slushy at all. That’s not to say that there isn’t a time and place for the frozen kind (booze-soaked vacations in tropical areas only), but at least give shaken daiquiris a try. After you’ve done that, if you’re looking for a variation on the theme, try this one with grapefruit.

It’s really not necessary to serve this drink out of a grapefruit skin; in fact I’d recommend not serving it that way, especially so if you’re interested in not having daiquiri on your carpet (and especially especially if you’re already pretty drunk), but it looks pretty, doesn’t it?

Recipe: Grapefruit Daiquiri

• 1.5 oz grapefruit juice
• 1.5 oz light rum
• .5 oz lime juice
• .5 oz simple syrup

Add the ingredients to an ice-filled shaker, shake vigorously for ten seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

If you don’t know how to make simple syrup here’s some instructions:

Mix together a cup of granulated sugar and a cup of water in a microwave-safe container and cover. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring the mixture each time, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Photo by Flickr user dwarfadam

Named after an Italian Count, the Negroni is pretty much the quintessential Italian cocktail. The main flavoring ingredient, Campari, is a bitter apertif (alcohol served before a meal to stimulate appetite) that by itself is pretty nasty, but combined with sweet vermouth and gin, can be pretty tasty.

If you like your drinks strong, the Negroni is for you, but if you don’t like alcohol-heavy drinks, it’s perfectly acceptable to add in some soda-water to lighten it up. Another variation substitutes sparkling wine for gin. I’ve also had a version that substitutes the gin with bourbon (tasty, but then again I love bourbon). Regardless of the ingredients, it’s extremely important to measure when making a Negroni, because an unbalanced Negroni can be very unpleasant.

Recipe: Negroni

• 1 oz. Campari
• 1 oz. Sweet Red Vermouth
• 1 oz. Gin

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and the ingredients and stir gently until mixed. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass (highball if adding soda water) and serve.

photo by Sunny Yau

The Bloody Mary is pretty much the only savory cocktail most people are familiar with, and as such, it’s subject to about a million variations. The traditional Bloody Mary is relatively simple, calling for just lemon juice, vodka, and tomato juice. There’s a lot of room for improvement and experimentation there, so feel free to play around and create your own version. If you want an idea of just how many variations of the Bloody Mary there are check out this New York Times article. Personally, I use thai basil infused vodka (previous article on how to infuse) instead of plain vodka, and substitute the celery salt rim with a mixture of salt and smoked paprika.

Bloody Mary

• 2 Oz. Vodka
• 4 Oz. Tomato Juice
• lemon juice to taste
• Worcestershire sauce to taste
• Hot sauce to taste
• Celery salt

Rim a highball glass with the celery salt, and fill with glass. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour into the highball glass.

Photo by Winnie Jeng

The Brandy Alexander is definitely (supposedly) the drink of royalty. It was created in 1922 for the marriage of a British Princess and a Viceroy (if this cocktail guide from the thirties is accurate), and was based off of an earlier drink called an Alexander (equal parts cream, gin, and white creme de cacao). From the Alexander, the gin was substituted for Brandy, and the white creme de cacao was substituted for dark, and the Brandy Alexander was born. Other variations from then on included replacing the creme de cacao with coffee liquer to create a Coffee Alexander, and replace the brandy with vodka, and you’ve created a White Russian.

But, if you’re in the mood for a creamy rich cocktail, the best of the line is the flavorful Brandy Alexander. Just remember, milk doesn’t exactly make the best substitute for cream, so it’s just better to drink fewer, tastier drinks rather than attempt to count calories.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Brandy or Cognac
• 1 oz. Dark Creme de Cacao
• 1 oz. Cream or half and half
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, and add the brandy, creme de cacao and cream. Shake vigorously for about ten seconds, and strain into a chilled martini grass. Grate the nutmeg on top, and serve immediately. Easy and delicious.

Moleskine recently released a book called (in english) “The Hand of the Designer” that explores the personal sketches of 150 internationally recognized designers, similar to a previously released book “The Hand of the Architect.” The idea is to promote hand-sketching in the age of AutoCAD and other design programs, and the proceeds go to a fund that specifically aids maintenance of Villa Necchi Campiglio, an important piece of 1932 Rationalist architecture. The book will release at Salone del Mobile Furniture Fair in Milan, Italy, April 14-19 and be available June for $70.00 online at Moleskine, as well as select design shops and bookstores.

I’m interested in seeing a fashion illustration version, and I’m sure others would be too. Maybe the next one.