Three Stripes Cocktail

Super easy and straight-forward for a Martini/ Bronx Cocktail variation, the Three Stripes is so easy to drink that it is dangerous. Vigorous shaking changes the color of this orange juice drink to a cloudy white, which is awesome! And dry vermouth keeps it from turning into a lollypop.

I've used Battle Standard gin by KO distillery before and it is usually a good call. It is dangerously strong, so it goes a little farther in a cocktail with a lot of low or non-alcoholic ingredients like this.

• 2 oz. gin (Battle Standard used)
• 1 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 oz. orange juice

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

Beauty Spot

I really liked this cocktail, and I don't usually like juicy drinks. The proportion of gin to orange juice is perfect, and I like that, while there are two dashes of grenadine, the real sweetness comes from the sweet vermouth. And that is a little bitter as well.

So I don't usually drink Hendrick's gin because I think it is slightly overpriced for a gin. There are plenty of New Western style gins out there that do much the same thing for a lot less money. Then again, you pay for advertising and the brand Hendrick's created. And yet it was almost the perfect gin with lots of floral notes and not so much juniper. So Hendrick's fans can rejoice in this cocktail.

• 2 oz. gin (Hendricks used)
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 2 tsp. orange juice
• 2 dashes grenadine

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

Opal Cocktail

You'd think that a drink named after a multi-colored stone would be more than just orange, but the flavor, depending on the gin you use, is more than the flavor of oranges. Green Hat gin really helped take this cocktail in an herbal direction. The juniper presence was strong, as well as other citrus fruits and spices.

• 2 oz. gin (Green Hat used)
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup

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

Income Tax Cocktail

I love this photo. I don't love taxes. But this cocktail will definitely make you feel a little better about them. This one is in the vein of the Bronx Cocktail--those alluring series of orange juice, gin and vermouths. The difference here is that a specific amount of Angostura bitters is specified. And because of this, there is an appreciable bitter center to this appropriately named drink.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 1/2 oz. orange juice
• 1 tbsp. sweet vermouth
• 1 tbsp. dry vermouth
• 3 dashes of Angostura bitters

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

Maurice

The name of this cocktail is as unexpected as the line from the Steve Miller Bands The Joker: "Some people call me Maurice." It's just not an especially sexy  or sophisticated sounding name. And I can see that this cousin to the Bronx Cocktail is not especially sophisticated, but more like a gateway gin cocktail. That said, much can be made of a juicy drink like this as long as there's some good ingredients.

First off, Caorunn Gin is this native Scotland gin with plenty of local botanicals to remind you that you've been away from good gin for too long. Then I opted to use Byrrh Quinquina instead of standard sweet vermouth to give the drink a whiff of violet bitterness.

• 2 oz. gin (Caorunn used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Sole used)
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Byrrh Quinquina used)
• 1 oz. orange juice
• dash Angostura bitters

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

Bronx Cheer

Ever read the instructions on a Whoopee Cushion? It says, "emits a Bronx cheer." This is another word for a fart sound, also known as a raspberry. And raspberry is the key, or most conspicuous, ingredient here. This Bronx Cocktail series outlier, has no juice or gin, so it doesn't fit the family. But someone had to make use of such a funny name!

• 2 oz. apricot brandy
• raspberry soda
• fresh raspberries
• orange peel

 Build drink in a highball glass with ice by adding apricot brandy and topping with soda. Stir gently and garnish with berries and orange peel. 

Bronx Terrace Cocktail

This is the driest and most tart of the Bronx Cocktail series. It's like a pissed off gimlet with no sugar except what is stuck on that cherry and that which comes in small proportions in dry vermouth. This makes it an excellent drink to have if you are dieting or craving vitamin C!

I don't really know why the drink is called a "Terrace." I have to think that a Bronx terrace might be a little loud and uncomfortable, just like this drink.

• 2 oz. dry gin
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 oz. lime juice
• maraschino cherry

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

Bronx Silver

The Bronx Silver belongs to the Bronx Cocktail series of drinks involving gin and juice. I used fresh squeezed orange juice in this one because it is clearer than store bought juice somehow and it will give you the requisite silver sheen on top.

Egg white is responsible for the opaque quality of this cocktail, and its richness. But don't let that fool you. This is a dry tasting drink despite the juice. There's only dry vermouth and gin otherwise, so it is more tart and stiff tasting than the original Bronx Cocktail.

• 2 oz. dry gin
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 egg white
• 1 oz. orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill. Use a fine strain mesh to strain out orange pulp while pouring into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Bronx Cocktail

This is the first and original of the Bronx series of cocktails. It is also known as a gateway cocktail. Those too gentle-palated for a dry Martini will find the wetness of this gin cocktail a nice starter course on gin served up. Sweet vermouth really adds complexity to what would simply be a gin and juice drink.

• 2 oz. dry gin
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 oz. orange juice

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker full of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Hudson Bay

I liked this juicy drink, one that stands as a more complex version of a Bronx Cocktail that is just orange juice. Here there is lime and 151-proof rum, albeit in small proportions. Use a dry and spicy gin for this one if you have a choice. You want to taste all the botanicals when juice tends to soften things out. When I was making this, I threw in a pinch of sugar knowing that it would be needed to balance the tartness of the juices. It was a good move.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 oz. cherry brandy (kirschwasser and whishniak used)
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1 tbsp. 151-proof rum
• 1 tbsp. lime juice

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