Cherry Cooler

When did a "cooler" begin to imply a cola drink? I've seen more than one cola "cooler," but this one stands out as the best. It has to do with Kammer Kirsch's high 45-percent ABV and its bright cherry flavor that is not unlike rum. Yes, this is just a cherry cola (Pepsi pictured), but it is also a good drink, specifically because of its simplicity.

• 2 oz. kirschwasser (Kammer Kirsch used)
• cola
• lemon slice

Build drink in a Collins glass full of ice. Pour kirsch into the glass and top with cola. Stir gently and garnish with the lemon slice. 

Bongo Cola

Yes, there is cola in this drink, so the temptation is to view it as a special Rum and Coke. It's more than that. Actually, the Bongo Cola is very tiki-themed. The ugly color of the liquid after juice and liqueurs are added almost requires a tiki mug (pictured left) just to hide the drink. But there's reason to put Bongo Cola on full display--namely it's surprising simplicity and unexpected flavor experience.

The recipe calls for gold rum, but I think any aged rum will do so long as it isn't heavily molasses flavored or spiced. You want the drink to taste light and fizzy, not like Christmas. I used equal parts of Cruzan 151 and white rum to achieve this, and that made it pretty strong.

My own coffee liqueur suffices for that rich cold brew coffee and coke flavor that's made in heaven. Kirschwasser is a curious addition that I think would be more effective if substituted with maraschino liqueur, but I have kirsch so I use it when directed.

• 2 oz. gold rum (Cruzan rums used)
• 1 oz. coffee liqueur
• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• dash kirschwasser
• dash lemon juice
• cola
• maraschino cherry

Combine juice and liquors in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled highball glass full of fresh ice. Top with cola and stir gently. Garnish with the cherry. 

Coco Cola (Non-Alcoholic)

Turn your Coke into a tropical dessert drink with the Coco Cola. It's non-alcoholic and good any time of the day. It is on the sweet side, but fortunately the coconut milk balances out the lime and changes the texture of the cola a little.

• 2 oz. coconut milk
• 1 oz. lime juice
• cola
• lime wedge

Combine coconut milk and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass full of ice. Top with cola and stir. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Mandeville

Despite using good ingredients--or I should say in spite of these ingredients--some drinks just don't work out. Maybe it's because I've been making all the best drinks in the New York Bartender's guide because I have to drink them, then I am left with less desirable ones going forward. If that's the case, I'm going to have to suffer through some pretty bad ones in the coming years. The thing is, I really wanted to like this drink and had been looking forward to having all the ingredients and finally doing it. It just goes to show that balance is everything when it comes to mixology.

The Mandeville is a Jamaica rum drink that is supposed to make a point of drinking a lot of rum. It's nearly an all-liquor cocktail, which is not always a bad thing, but there could be less of it. Look at how if fills this double Old Fashioned glass with just two ice balls!

Upon tasting, I decided that the point of this drink is to recreate the flavor of Jägermeister using rums, absinthe, grenadine, lemon juice and cola. It works very well for all that. There's the sweet and dark cola center that's backed by the caramel of dark rum. Lemon and fruity tartness are there to balance the heat of white rum, and there's the licorice and herbal absinthe flavor that's a hallmark of
Jägermeister. But I rarely want to drink a double of Jägermeister. If I did, I'd rather have the real thing.

• 2 oz. light rum
• 2 oz. dark rum
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. grenadine
• 1 tbsp. Pernod (Absinte Refined used)
• 1/2 oz. cola

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. (I recommend chilling the cola separately and adding after shaking. Shaking cola is a bad idea.) Pour into a double Old Fashioned glass (add cola and stir).