The Long-Stemmed Rose
Open a bottle of this delicate honey-and-rose-flavored vodka for one seriously romantic sip.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Shakers Rose Flavored Vodka
- Rose petal (for garnish)
Combine vodka and ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Pour into a thin flute or chilled martini glass. Float one rose petal in glass.
Silverplate and glass Challis toasting flutes, $75 per pair; Vera Wang Silver and Gifts, 888-747-0475, verawang.com.
Champagne Apricato
Apricot and gin put a sophisticated spin on the modern mimosa.
- 1 oz. Tanqueray Gin
- 1 oz. Marie Brizard Apry (apricot liqueur)
- ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz. simple syrup
- 2 oz. premium champagne
- Apricot slice
- Edible flower (for garnish)
To make simple syrup, bring 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature. Combine gin, liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup with ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Strain into a flared glass; top off with champagne. Add apricot, and garnish.
Cocktail created by Audrey Saunders, the Pegu Club, NYC. Crystal Tuscany Classics martini glass, $54 for set of four; Lenox, 800-635-3669, lenox.com.
Saketini
Warm day, cool drink: Sake replaces vermouth in this Asian-style martini.
- 2 oz. Ketel One Vodka
- 2 oz. Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri Sake
- Strip or slice of seedless cucumber (for garnish)
Combine vodka and sake with ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with cucumber.
Cocktail created by Koi at the Bryant Park Hotel, NYC. Cirrus martini glass, $43 for set of four; Dansk, 800-293-2675, dansk.com. Sterling-silver Her martini pick (part of Him/Her set), $85 per pair; Janet Torelli, 773-388-2388, martinipic.com.
Hotel Nacional Special
Pineapple and lime juice pack this retro Cuban quencher with tropical punch.
- 2 oz. Bacardi 8 Year Rum
- 1 oz. pineapple juice
- ½ oz. fresh lime juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- ¼ oz. Marie Brizard Apry (apricot liqueur)
- Pineapple slice and leaves (for garnish)
To make simple syrup, bring 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature. Combine rum, juices, simple syrup and liqueur with ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with pineapple and leaves.
Crystal Air Twist martini glass, $22.50; Miller Rogaska, 800-343-1383, reedbarton.com. Classic Light green party pick, $12 for set of six (assorted colors); Talisman Designs, 612-372-5810, talismandesigns.com.
El Diablo
The snap of ginger beer, the fire of tequila and the silky sweetness of cassis combine in a devil of a drink.
- 1½ oz. Partida Blanco Tequila
- ¾ oz. cassis
- ¾ oz. lemon juice
- ¼ oz. simple syrup
- 1 oz. ginger beer
- Finely chopped candied ginger and simple syrup (for rim)
To make simple syrup, bring 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature. Dip rim of a highball glass in simple syrup, then dip in ginger, and let dry. Combine tequila, cassis, juice and simple syrup with ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Strain into a glass filled with ice cubes. Top with ginger beer, and stir.
Crystal Celebration highball, $19.50; Nachtmann, 732-346-8960, nachtmann.com. Silverplate champagne straw, $115 per pair; Christofle, christofle.com. Green silk cocktail napkin, $30 for six; ABH Design, 212-249-2276.
Rum and Pomegranate Izze
This island breeze of a cocktail in stunning scarlet gets its tang from pomegranates.
- 1½ oz. Bacardi White Rum
- ¼ oz. Cointreau (orange liqueur)
- Splash of lime juice
- 2½ oz. Izze sparkling pomegranate juice
- Colored sugar (for rim)
Dip rim of glass in water, then in colored sugar. Combine rum, liqueur and juices with ice in the glass, and stir.
Cocktail created by the W Bar, W Hotel, Seattle. "O" glass, $20 per pair; Riedel, 888-474-3333, riedel.com. Stainless steel Residence 14-inch tray, $75; Couzon USA, 800-242-2774, luntsilver.com.
Triple Shot Espresso
Bean there, done that? Create a cuppa joe cocktail that delivers a java jolt.
- 1 shot Van Gogh Espresso Vodka
- 1 shot Kahlúa coffee liqueur
- 1 shot espresso coffee, chilled
- Simple syrup, ground espresso beans and Demerara sugar (for rim)
To make simple syrup, bring 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature. Dip rim of chilled martini glass in simple syrup, then in a mixture of ground espresso beans and Demerara sugar; let dry. Combine vodka, liqueur and coffee with ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Strain into the glass.
Cheers Too martini glass, $30 for set of four; Mikasa, 800-833-4681, mikasa.com.
Lemon Meringue Cocktail
Beware: It's easy to get pie-eyed with this citrusy confection of a cocktail.
- 2 oz. Boru Citrus Flavored Vodka
- 1 oz. Pallini Limoncello
- 1 oz. simple syrup
- 1 oz. half-and-half, chilled
- Whipped cream; peeled and minced lemon zest (for garnish)
To make simple syrup, bring 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature. Combine vodka, limoncello, simple syrup and half-and-half with ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Top with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle lemon zest on the cream.
With a Twist martini glass, $9; Ceskà, 201-891-4108, ceska.com.
Strawberry Watermelon Mojito
It was mint to be: a sunny drink filled with a summer favorite-and no seeds.
- 1½ oz. Smirnoff Strawberry Vodka
- ½ oz. fresh lime juice
- ½ oz. mint-infused simple syrup
- 1 cup fresh seedless watermelon, cubed and chilled
- 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
- Club soda
To make mint syrup, bring 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and add 8 to 10 mint leaves. Let cool for 30 minutes. Strain. Combine vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, ½ cup of watermelon and about 10 mint leaves in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 10 seconds. Strain into a glass with ice and remaining watermelon. Top with club soda. Garnish with additional mint leaf.
Cocktail created by the Four Seasons Resort, Palm Beach, Florida. Jocasta margarita glass, $81; William Yeoward Crystal, 800-818-8484, williamyeowardcrystal.com. Sterling Rope stirrer, $100 for set of four; Lunt Silversmiths, 800-242-2774, luntsilver.com. Monogrammed stirrer flag; Ellen Weldon Design, NYC, 212-925-4483.
Bronx Cocktail
Sweet or dry? Give a cheer for a cocktail with the good sense not to choose.
- 1½ oz. Martin Miller's Gin
- 1½ oz. orange juice
- ¼ oz. sweet vermouth
- ¼ oz. dry vermouth
- Orange slice (for garnish)
Combine gin, juice and sweet and dry vermouths with ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Serve in a martini glass. Garnish with orange slice.
Cheers Too martini glass, $30 for set of four; Mikasa, 800-833-4681, mikasa.com. Sterling-silver Him martini pick (part of Him/Her set), $85 per pair; Janet Torelli, 773-388-2388, martinipic.com.
