Basic recipes for bar drinks

Stripped down to their very most basic, here are some cocktail recipes to build on.

Vodka martini

1½ oz. vodka

¾ oz. dry vermouth

Shake vodka and vermouth together with several ice cubes in a shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with an olive and serve. Add olive juice for a dirty martini; substitute gin for a gin martini.

Apple martini

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. Sour Apple Pucker

Pour into shaker with ice. Shake, serve.

Cosmopolitan

1 oz. vodka

½ oz. triple sec

1 teaspoon lime juice

1½ oz. cranberry juice

Another shake-and-serve.

Screwdriver

1 oz. vodka

6 oz. orange juice

Pour orange juice into tall glass of ice, then add vodka. Stir and serve.

Seabreeze

1½ oz. vodka

2 oz. cranberry juice

1 oz. grapefruit or orange juice

Serve over ice, stirred, or in in cocktail glass, shaken.

Margarita

1½ oz. tequila

1 oz. lime juice

½ oz. triple sec

If using salt on glass, fill a shallow dish with salt. Moisten rim of glass with a damp paper towel, then dip in salt. Fill glass with ice, add ingredients, stir until chilled; or, use cocktail shaker and serve

Petro also offers his own recipe for an original autumn cocktail, the Golden Harvest, with warm, spicy flavors.

Golden Harvest

½ oz. dark rum (A spiced rum like Captain Morgan would also work)

½ oz. Amaretto

½ oz. apple schnapps

Ginger ale

Pinch of cinnamon

Mix liquors into a Collins glass over ice. Fill the rest of the glass with ginger ale. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the drink for a garnish. Enjoy.

About the Author