Combo

This vermouth cocktail is light and dry. With vermouth as a base, the Combo is lower proof, more like a glass of wine than a spirits combo. It is spicy too, with vermouth's herbs and Angostura bitters. Do this as a wine cocktail for any of your vermouth-loving friends.

• 2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 tsp. brandy
• 1/2 tsp. Cointreau (Triplum used)
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• dash Angostura

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

Pineapple Cooler

This is a very exotic tasting drink that is somehow familiar and re-assuring after so many strong tasting tropical drinks I usually make. Viognier is a semi-sweet white wine with a lot of character that won't be hidden in a cocktail. That is why it makes for an ideal spirit for this low-alcohol cocktail you can enjoy any time of the day.

• 3 oz. white wine (Gayda viognier used)
• 3 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• sparkling water
• lemon twist

Combine wine, pineapple juice, lemon juice and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a chilled Collins glass. Top with sparkling water and garnish with the lemon twist.

Xeres Cocktail

Manzanilla sherry has this light dry taste, with a good boozy punch. It is so good chilled by itself. This cocktail adds orange zest flavors to an already citrusy tasting spirit.

• 3 oz. Manzanilla sherry
• dash orange bitters
• orange twist

Combine sherry and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange twist.

Vermouth Cocktail

Plenty tasty and low ABV means that this cocktail is enjoyable all evening. It looks like a Manhattan but is very sippable and even refreshingly herbal.

This is a swap of the traditional nationalities of vermouths here in this photo. I am using an Italian dry vermouth, which the French are better known for making. Conversely, I'm using a French sweet vermouth that usually is the specialty of Italian vintners.

• 1 1/2 oz. dry vermouth 
• 1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• dash Angostura bitters 
• maraschino cherry

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

Sherry Cocktail

I want to save this Sherry Cocktail for an article on lower-proof drinks. It's one to drink when you want to slow things down and not get too tipsy from one drink. It even looks like a pretty stiff cocktail, too, but it is only as strong as the sherry you used. Keep in mind, though, that sherry is still fortified wine and if you drink this all night you'll get a wine hangover if you're not careful.

• 3 oz. sherry
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• orange twist

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