Old Pal
Harry MacElhone credited his “old pal” and barfly William “Sparrow” Robertson with the inspiration for this drink.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Cloud 9
When bartender Toby Maloney visited Jeremy Oertel at Mayahuel looking for a White Negroni, Oertel created this tequila-based riff with Lillet and gentian liqueur.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo:
LCD Soundsystem’s Espresso Martini
LCD Soundsystem's espresso machine was often co-opted for cocktail hour, resulting in a drink Nancy Whang calls "a network TV version of a speedball.”
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo:
Between the Sheets
This potent sour is a rum-laced riff on the Sidecar christened by Harry MacElhone of Harry's New York Bar in Paris.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo:
Attention
Thanks to the resurgence of absinthe and crème de violette, this lost classic is finding its way back into the barman's repertoire.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Daniel Krieger
The Long Hello
Damon Boelte, the bar director at Brooklyn’s Prime Meats, has an affinity for naming his original drinks after songs, albums and musicians including this autumnal Champagne cocktail.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Ed Anderson
Davy Jones’s Locker
Brad Farran's Beastie Boys-inspired winter daiquiri.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Yellow Jacket
For weeks, NYC cocktail bar Employees Only had toyed with the idea of mixing together tequila and elderflower liqueur, but there was a piece of the puzzle missing—yellow Chartreuse.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: John Kernick
Mendo Sidecar
First created during World War I, this Cognac-based cocktail traditionally had only two other ingredients: Cointreau and lemon juice. This version uses Germain-Robin XO brandy and maraschino liqueur.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Sara Remington
Blue Moon
The Blue Moon was, like the Aviation and the Attention, an early adopter of violet-flavored liqueur, and one of the few classics to specify a red wine float.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: