Duchess

At the end of the night, I want a Pernod cocktail to settle my stomach, but sometimes a Pernod based cocktail is a little much. The Duchess is really well balanced, though and sweet enough to remain soothing and not to gripping. I felt over and over that this drink took me to a Paris cafe in the Montmartre village of the 18th arrondissement.

I also decided that a Pousse Cafe glass (or cordial glass) would be better suited to the smaller proportions of this cocktail than a full blown cocktail glass. It's pretty, isn't it?

• 2 oz. Pernod
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth

Combine all ingredients in a shaker (which really makes the Pernod turn cloudy green) with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Tulip

Tired of those fizzy Daisies? Drink a Tulip. This is a very rich and dessert-like drink, or at least one for after dinner. There's a gooey wallop of apple brandy and sweet vermouth in here. There's also Angostura bitters, so it is interesting. It doesn't change much as it warms up, though far from a one-note drink. Apples and wine are the dominant flavors, not apricot, as you might think. The lemon juice doesn't do much to take it in a tart direction, only enough to reinforce the apple pie flavors.

• 2 oz. apple brandy or calvados (Laird's Old Apple Brandy used)
• 1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
•  1/2 oz. apricot brandy
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters

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

Brazil

What a pleasant fortified wine cocktail. Sherry and vermouth add a characterful flavor to this slightly less alcoholic drink (though the proportions are pretty hefty.) Supposedly you can drink these all night, but more importantly, you will want to.

The recipe calls for Pernod, but I kept it drier by substituting Absente Refined absinthe. This was a pretty good move. There was plenty of spice flavor and wine texture from start to finish.

• 2 oz. dry sherry
• 1 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• dash Pernod (Absente Refined used)
• dash Angostura bitters
• lemon twist

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

Gazette

The Gazette is a French companion to the Journalist, with brandy or cognac (please) and lemon juice. It's a little sweeter with a half ounce of sweet vermouth and a half tsp. of sugar. D’USSÉ VSOP cognac (a new product in the US) is well balanced and suited to cocktailing as it is taken neat. It's dry and oaky with that round fruit flavor you expect from good cognac. 

• 2 oz. cognac (D’USSÉ VSOP used)
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp sugar

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

Journalist

Newspaper writers have to grab a drink from time to time. This is a recommendation, perhaps? I can see a reporter bellying up and ordering this cocktail with its very tropical twists on a gin Martini. Lime juice, triple sec, bitters, all in small enough proportions to keep the Martini-ness intact, really change the drinking experience.

I felt that a lime wedge garnish was appropriate, but it is completely optional. Of course a good reporter must always remain vigilant. Therefore, Vigilant gin was a perfect pairing for this cocktail.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 tsp. dry vermouth
• 1 tsp. sweet vermouth
• 1 tsp. triple sec
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

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

Buckeye Martini

Of course this Martini variation is just trying to point out the interesting look of a cocktail made with a black olive as a garnish. It has nothing to do with The Ohio State Buckeyes. That didn't stop me from breaking out my OSU paraphernalia for this photo.

I used Magnus & Co. Vigilant gin and Mancino vermouth, which made this gin Martini extremely spicy and interesting. The last sip involving taking down the olive was wonderfully rich and very different from a green olive's flavor.

• 3 oz. gin (Jos. A. Magnus Vigilant used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Mancino used) 
• black olive

Stir liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with black olive. 

Lady Be Good / Cold Deck

One drink with two names; one feminine, one masculine. Perhaps it has to do with the sex of the person you are selling it to. A man wants an allusion to harsh maritime conditions. Women just want to know if the drink will pacify.

Whatever you call it, this cocktail is an improvement on the original Stinger, which is 2 to 1 brandy to white creme de menthe. A half ounce of vermouth almost makes this cocktail taste like a spicy and smooth brandy cocktail with only a hint of minty finish so as not to overpower the drink.

• 2 oz. brandy (E & J XO used)
• 1/2 oz. white creme de menthe
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth

Stir all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.