Lawhill Cocktail

This is a very nice dry and herbal whiskey cocktail. I'm not sure that I'd have appreciated it as much years ago as I do now that I am drinking more Pernod and anise liqueurs. It is really well balanced, and I think that the recipe calling for blended whiskey is a good move. You don't want a whiskey with too much character to stand out in this drink. The real stars are the bitters, maraschino and Pernod in this cocktail, so Black Velvet Special Reserve was appropriately reserved as stated.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Black Velvet Special Reserve used)
• 1 oz. dry vermouth
• 1/2 tsp. maraschino liqueur
• 1/2 tsp. Pernod
•  dash Angostura bitters

 Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Seaboard

The word seaboard refers to the direction toward the coast, so it is fitting for such a light and tropical punch drink. And when I say punch, don't assume that this drink is weak by any means. It belongs to a maritime family of cocktails that include Navy Grog, the Poop Deck, Any Port In A Storm, and a number of Admiral themed drinks. You see that these drinks are pretty stiff with a combination of gin (always presents) and maybe a rum or whiskey. The liquors don't always suggest the tropics, but they imply the presence of stiff English gin and other colonial spirits consumed by sailors on those trans-Atlantic voyages.

• 2 oz. whiskey (Black Velvet Special Reserve used)
• 1 oz. gin (Vigilant London Dry used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• mint sprig

Combine all ingredients except for mint sprig in a shaker full of ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. Garnish with the mint sprig. 

New Yorker Cocktail

I've said before that New York themed drinks need to be pink. That's a Cosmo with cranberry juice, New York Sour with red wine, and then there's the New York and New Yorker with grenadine. I'm pretty certain that the New Yorker is the blended whiskey version of the rye New York Cocktail. Both are whiskey sour like drinks with grenadine for color and sweetener and a lemon twist, not a cherry.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Black Velvet Special Reserve used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. grenadine
• 1 tsp. sugar syurp
• lemon twist

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist.

Double Standard Sour

This is a great drink and a strong one too. I have a feeling I've made it before, but I have no evidence to prove it.

An equal measure of whiskey and gin give this sour the punch for both a gin and whiskey sour combined. I chose Common Wealth gin because of its whiskey-like flavor and soft botanicals. Not much juniper in this gin to make it off-putting in a sour cocktail.

There's so much hooch in this cocktail that I was sure it wouldn't fit in a sour glass. I used a double Old Fashioned glass, which fits the name pretty well, and gave it to my wife. Will anyone notice a woman enjoying what amounts to a double-size cocktail? Probably not. Must be a double standard.

• 1 1/2 oz. blended whiskey (Black Velvet Special Reserve used)
• 1 1/2 oz. gin (Common Wealth used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. grenadine
• orange slice
• maraschino cherry

Combine all ingredients except cherry and orange slice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled sour glass (pour into a double Old Fashioned glass optional). Garnish with cherry and orange slice. 

Klondike Cooler

So the Yukon region of Canada has to have a drink featuring Canadian whisky. The higher quality, the better in my opinion. Some may scoff at my Black Velvet 8-year-old reserve, but it is quite tame and plenty smooth for a ginger ale drink.

As the name suggests, it is a cooler for hotter days--something handed down from the great white North. The preparation of this drink is a little counter-intuitive. There's no shaker needed.

• 2 oz. Canadian whisky
• 2 oz. club soda
• ginger ale
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• long lemon peel

Combine ginger ale (about 1 ounce) and sugar in a highball glass and stir gently until sugar is dissolved. Add whiskey and ice and stir until chilled. Add more ice and top with soda. Garnish with long lemon peel.

Opening

The Opening is really just an easy drink to make for someone who is not used to the bite of whiskey. I was hoping that it would be an "opening" to a series of complimentary whiskey drinks I could make, but it turns out that this one is too sweet as the recipe is written. It comes off a little like candy and less like a cocktail.

Carpano Antica Formula does great work in keeping a bitter edge to this drink, and I wanted to add bitters as well just to make it more interesting. Look, with Canadian whisky, you already have the most drinkable whiskey on hand, 1/2 ounce of grenadine is overkill. But this might just be your opening to Manhattan drinking.

• 2 oz. Canadian whisky
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz. grenadine (1/4 oz. recommended)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Canadian and Campari

I like the alliteration of this drink's name, but I find that it is a little uninspired and not even as helpful of a reminder of its ingredients as, say, a Gin and Tonic. That's because dry vermouth and a lemon twist are essential ingredients. Beyond that, these two spirits seem made for each other. Campari, which is almost too bitter to enjoy on its own, is mellowed by soft whisky--Canadian whisky being some of the best brown liquors for mixing. I will probably make this for guests at the bar.

• 1 1/2 oz. Canadian whisky
• 1 oz. Campari
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• lemon twist

Combine all ingredients except lemon twist in a shaker or mixing glass with ice. Shake or stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

New York Sour

There's something kind of "holiday" about the New York Sour. It's the only sour with red wine, and it is rich and warming on cold nights. It is not a bourbon drink, so blended whiskey is required. I have my go-to Black Velvet Special Reserve for these occasions. Too bad it is hard to find on the East Coast.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Black Velvet Special Reserve used)
• 1 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1 tbsp. dry red wine

Combine all ingredients except wine in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a sour glass (lowball used) and top with red wine.

Candaian Apple

Like a whiskey sour but made spicy and fruity for fall, the Canadian Apple is perfect for when the leaves change and the wind blows. Cinnamon is key to getting this drink out of the summer lulls.

• 2 oz. Canadian whisky
• 1/2 oz. apple brandy (Catoctin Creek used)
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juce
• ground cinnamon
• lemon slice

Combine whiskey, apple brandy, sugar and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a chilled highball glass. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and garnish with the lemon slice.