Tom Neuberger's Toddy

Contrary to popular belief, a Toddy is not a hot drink (that's the Hot Toddy). It is actually mixture of spirits, water, honey and lemon that is used as a curative. Tom Neuberger's Toddy is the kind of cure you need on a hot day.

My first inclination was that adding equal parts spirits and water to a recipe will create something that tastes watered down, and that does happen to an extent. But that is just what you need when looking for a refreshing rocks sipper. All spirits and ice don't go over well when you are sipping in the sun, at least not for very long.

Another thing to consider is making any cold drink with honey means you get a lump of honey that doesn't dissolve into the cocktail like it does when the water is hot. It actually takes a lot of work and creates too much variation when mixing multiple drinks. Bartenders resort to a half-honey/ half-hot water solution that further dilutes the cocktail. You can do that or you can just use MurLarkey honey whiskey.

Either option is good. I enjoyed how much honey presence MurLarkey gave the drink without adding too much sweetness. There's only a twist of lemon in the drink, so it isn't so much a question of balance as it is about having honey represented alongside cinnamon, lemon and whiskey.

• 1 tsp. honey (or 1/2 oz. MurLarkey Honey whiskey)
• 2 oz. water
• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's 7 used)
• dash maraschino liqueur
• lemon twist
• cinnamon stick

 If using honey, add honey and water to a chilled Old Fashioned glass and stir until the honey dissolves. (For better results try a 1:1 ratio of honey and hot water syrup plus the 2 oz. of cold water.) If you have honey whiskey skip the first step and use the honey whiskey. Add blended whiskey and maraschino liqueur to the glass and fill with several ice cubes. Stir well before twisting the lemon peel over the drink and dropping it in. Garnish with the cinnamon stick. 

7 Stinger

A good Stinger is a work to be treasured. I never felt that I'd come across one that I like as much as a Brandy Stinger. If you don't know, these are pretty basic cocktails that involve white peppermint schnapps and some other strong spirit to space it out. They have been done frozen and on the rocks. Stingers make good shots and awesome dive bar drinks. So it is not surprising to find America's most mixable whiskey in a Stinger recipe.

• 1 oz. Seagram's Seven Crown whiskey
• 1 oz. peppermint schnapps (white creme de menthe used and recommended)

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

Shamrock-7

You don't see too many Grasshopper taste-alikes made with whiskey, or with white creme de menthe for that matter. The effect is a snow-white cocktail that has the exact, if not better, mint and chocolate flavor of a classic Grasshopper with a whiskey kick. What I like, though, is that it isn't as sweet or as creamy. There's milk and a lot less of it, and the cordials are held in balance as well. You can do this drink anytime--and I mean breakfast is not off limits--and it won't fill you up.

• 1 1/2 oz. Seagram's Seven Crown whiskey
• 1/2 oz. white creme de cacao
• 1/2 oz. white creme de menthe
• 1 oz. milk

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

Old Orchard Sour

One expects apples not strawberries in an old orchard. Even so, this sour is fizzy and fruity with strawberry liqueur standing in for plain sugar.

I feel like a fizzy drink needs a light tasting whiskey like Seagram's 7 Crown. You don't need your whiskey and soda to taste heavy or overly spicy. Now that I think of it, an Irish whiskey would do equally well. And it is the citrus and strawberry liqueur that really stand out here. My homemade strawberry liqueur is rum-based from Vitae distillery in Charlottesville, VA.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's 7 Crown used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1 tsp. strawberry liqueur (homemade used)
• club soda
• berry and citrus garnishes

Combine liquid ingredients except soda in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Collins glass full of fresh ice. Top with soda and stir. Garnish with fruit.

7 of Diamonds

This is the only one of the playing card series of Seagram's Seven cocktails that is served up. I half wonder if it was created by mistake: shouldn't it be made with orange juice and some kind of red liqueur like Campari?

Like as not, this was the most popular of the many different attempts to come up with two distinct tasting whiskey cocktails with a red color. Given that the agreed-upon recipe probably came about during the "dark ages" of cocktails, the 1970s-1990s, I can understand why the only other ingredient available on most bars that will suffice was creme de cassis.

Too bad that creme de cassis is made with black current--or at least it is colored and flavored like black current--and it isn't very red. The color is a little deep, like a cloudy ruby, and the flavor is unbalanced and too sweet, like the rest of the playing cards series. But you can respect that given that they are all long drinks. This cocktail is neither promoting casual cocktail mixing nor is it classy enough to warrant a cocktail glass. But you  can't police taste, and the fact that this drink is still with us means that enough of them were consumed once upon a time to make their mark on history.

• 1 1/2 oz. Seagram's Seven Crown whiskey
• 1 oz. creme de cassis
• dash of lemon juice (make it a heavy half ounce)

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

7 of Clubs

That's right! I have Mexican Coke! What's so great about Mexican coke? Real sugar: you can tell it tastes a bit more rich, the cola less citric. It's a throwback flavor for some of us who miss the way Coca-Cola used to taste.

Here the classic Seagram's Seven Crown playing cards series experiments with the idea of a mint flavored cola. It is not as bad as it sounds. The sweet long drink known as the 7 of Clubs has a cool minty finish. I rather like how it is cleansing and a little like a classic soda fountain treat from bygone years. When sipped through a straw, it comes across like a quaint but almost forgotten luxury.

• 1 1/2 oz. Seagram's 7 Crown whiskey
• 3/4 oz. peppermint schnapps (white creme de menthe used)
• 6 oz. cola (Mexican Coke used)

Build cocktail with whiskey and schnapps in a Collins glass. Add ice and top with cola. Stir gently with the straw.

7 of Spades

I'm ticking off the Seagram's 7 playing cards drinks while I have a bottle of the blended whiskey. Whatever you may think of this American standard, especially now that Bourbon and local whiskey are in full swing, Seagram's 7 is smooth. It is made with seventy-five percent grain neutral spirit. That means that the remaining twenty-five percent is what tastes like aged whiskey. The rest is as smooth as vodka. This is useful when mixing a basic cocktail, one or two mixers that are nominally very sweet ingredients.

I'm not saying that these cocktails are bad or good. They are good if you are in the mood for a flavored Coke with an alcoholic kick. And if you are going to throw together a sweet long drink, Seagram's Seven Crown is as good as any other whiskey, and probably better, really. Of course, you're welcome to mix your best bourbon with Coke, but I bet you won't. I wouldn't.

• 1 1/2 oz. Seagram's 7 Crown whiskey
• 1/2 oz. amaretto 
• 6 oz. of cola (Mexican Coke used)
• several dashes of lemon juice (optional, but very nice)

Build drink with whiskey and amaretto in a Collins glass. Add ice and top with cola. Stir gently and add lemon juice dashes if desired. 

7 of Hearts

One of the Seagram's Seven cocktails associated with playing cards, the Seven of Hearts is a rich and rewarding long drink that satisfies the sweet tooth. How do you make America's smoothest whiskey even easier to drink? Add amaretto and orange juice. That's basically it.

I used Tempus Fugeit creme de noyaux as an amaretto substitute since they are basically equivalent. Since the seven of hearts is a red suit, I thought that noyaux actually made an improvement with its bright red color.

• 1 1/2 oz. Seagram's Seven Crown whiskey
• 1/2 oz. amaretto (Tempus Fugeit creme de noyaux used)
• 1 tsp grenadine
• 6 oz. orange juice

Build drink in a Collins glass by adding the first three ingredients. Then add ice and top with orange juice. Stir gently before serving. 

Whiskey Curacao Fizz

Not exactly a Fizz, but very fizzy. It gets a great reception from those who are not big whiskey drinkers and are looking for something refreshing and clean tasting in the afternoon. That doesn't mean it isn't potent or full of flavor. It is bursting with vanilla and orange from the juice and curacao!

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's Seven Crown used)
• 1/2 oz. curacao (Vitae Orange Liqueur used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• club soda
• orange slice

Combine juice, sugar and liquor in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass full of ice. Top with soda and stir gently. Garnish with the Orange slice.

Parisian Manhattan

I guess you can call a Manhattan a Parisian if you use any French liqueur, but then it might not taste like a Manhattan. It depends on the flavor of that several dashes of liqueur you choose. That is why I felt that this Manhattan Variation was especially adroit!

Amer Picon is essentially an orange bitters recipe. Yes, it is a little sweeter--easier to drink by itself--but since many Manhattan recipes call for orange bitters, Picon is really an easy way to slip something French into an American classic without really changing the overall profile.

• 1 1/2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's Seven Crown used)
• several dashes Amer Picon
• maraschino cherry

Combine whiskey and Amer Picon in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry. 

Sherry & 7 and Sherry Twist #3

Sometimes a cocktail is known by more than one name, especially when it is simple and easy to riff on. The Sherry & 7 makes a lot of sense. It is a soft, before dinner drink that makes the best of its two ingredients. The maraschino cherry (one of those ice cream topping cherries) perfectly ties in the oak of the whiskey. It's a simple pleasure like so many Seagram's 7 cocktails.

Why we need three Sherry Twist cocktails, however, is beyond me. To change it up, I used MurLarkey Heritage whiskey for its "old country" corn whiskey taste. Incidentally it is white wine cask finished, so Heritage pairs well with fino sherry. The lemon twist is perfect here to tame the Heritage's assertive bite and tie it in to the citrus scent of the sherry.

Sherry & 7

• 1 1/2 oz. Seagram's 7 Crown whiskey 
• 3/4 oz. dry sherry (Lustau fino used)
• maraschino cherry

 Stir liquors in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry.

Sherry Twist #3

• 1 1/2 oz. blended whiskey (MurLarkey Heritage used)
• 3/4 oz. dry sherry (Lustau fino used)
• lemon twist

Stir liquors in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a thinly peeled lemon zest.

Candy Pants

Sometimes an easy to drink Whiskey Sour is just what you need. Sometimes Seagram's 7 Crown is the perfect initiation to whiskey cocktails. That is the case with the Candy Pants. It's used as an insult: someone is "candy pants" if they can't handle something challenging. A cocktail is "candy pants" for those noobs who whine when they can actually taste booze in their drink. This cocktail is a little about both.

Cherry brandy is a cheap way to sweeten a cocktail and cover over boozy flavors. I don't use cheap cherry brandy. I use Heering.

• 1 1/2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's 7 Crown used)
• 1/2 oz. cherry brandy (Heering used)
• 1 tsp. grenadine
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• dash sugar syrup (optional for those really needing a sweet drink)

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

Whiskey Sangaree

As I've said before, Sangaree is just another word for punch that was used during colonial times. I imagine that this cocktail is the single-serving version similar to that shared between Native Americans and colonists, if not a little stronger.

What we have here is an Old Fashioned with porto dessert wine instead of fresh fruit. Here's the rundown.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's 7 used)
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. water
• 1 tbsp. ruby port

Combine sugar and water in an Old Fashioned glass and stir until sugar dissolves. Add whiskey and ice and stir. Float port on top.

(Blended) Whiskey Collins

The John Collins is specifically a blended whiskey Collins, but usually implies an Irish whiskey. I wanted to showcase an American blend for this entry--a necessary entry if a little redundant in the New York Bartender's Guide.

• 3 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's 7 used)
• 2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• sparkling water
• orange slice
• maraschino cherry

Build drink in a Collins glass with whiskey, lemon juice and sugar syrup and ice. Top with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with the orange slice and cherry. 

7 & 7

This is the original cocktail known by the shorthand 7&7. Only two ingredients, Seagram's 7 Crown and 7up, and it's a winner, a culinary masterpiece on par with Moon Pies and Cheer Wine, chocolate and peanut butter, and bacon and eggs.

The thing is, nobody drinks 7up anymore. Am I right? When is the last time you were at a restaurant and the lemon-lime soda they had was 7up? But it wasn't always so. 7up used to be the big soda on the block. So much so that I'm sure that Seagram's 7 marketed this drink to latch on to the much more popular soft drink's ubiquity. While I'm sure that the cocktail developed organically, the folks at Seagrams had a good run until 7up went by the wayside.

Now that you can find Seagram's 7 at almost every bar, as it is an extremely popular whiskey, I'm betting that 7up is getting most of its market share as a mixer with whiskey.

• 2 oz. Seagram's 7 Crown whiskey
• 7up

Build drink in a Collins glass with whiskey and ice. Top with 7up and stir.

Whiskey Sling

So that Whiskey Sour you love and always order at the bar? It's really a Sling. A Sling is spirit, citrus and sugar served on the rocks. A Sour usually has egg white in it and it should be served up in a Sour glass.

I only saying this to point out that the Sour is a little harder to do, so it has devolved into the simpler Sling. Do what you wish with this information.

I got an inexpensive bottle of whiskey to do some of those summer cooling cocktails. Seagram's Seven Crown boasts that it is made with 75 percent grain neutral spirit. That's like vodka. Then there's the blend of aged whiskies, which may add some color, but Seagram's 7 is pretty pale. It doesn't explain where that rich wood taste comes from, and the blend is pretty smooth. Careful not to drink too much, it is known to give headaches.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's Seven Crown used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. water
• orange twist

Combine sugar and water in a shaker and mix to partially dissolve. Add whiskey, lemon juice and ice and shake. Pour into an Old Fashioned glass and garnish with an orange twist.