CLASSIC: The Hanky Panky

Before you get too excited about the racy name, keep in mind that in Edwardian England the term ‘hanky panky’ didn’t have the same libidinous connotations as it has today, but was rather used to describe black magic or an evil trick. The term comes from the Romani (Gypsy) term ‘hakk’ni panki’ meaning “the great trick” and is similarly linked to another familiar term ‘hocus pocus’.

CLASSIC: Millionaire Cocktail # 1

An aspirational balance of rich flavours

CLASSIC: The Margarita

Of all cocktails, none has been assaulted quite like the Margarita. At some bars it’s now like a Slurpee from 7/11; a frozen concoction swirling around in a myriad of colours and flavours. But it wasn’t always so tacky. The world’s most popular cocktail is a sublime drink when made properly.

CLASSIC: Corpse Reviver (No. 2)

Designed as a ‘pick me up’ or hangover cure as, as the name suggests, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a once forgotten ‘classic’ that has returned from the land of the long dead cocktail with a vengeance. This well balanced beverage has a delicate harmony of flavours that is proving to be popular once again amongst the cocktailian set.

VIDEO: The Daiquiri with Eben Freeman

A presentation of the famed Cuban Cocktail with Eben Freeman for Epicurious

CLASSIC: The Negroni

One of the great ironies of the bartending profession is that most professional cocktail bartenders don’t drink cocktails in their leisure time. You’ll usually find them sucking back on a Cooper’s Pale Ale (trust me, I’ve seen it!). There is one exception to this rule, however. A little aperitif cocktail called the Negroni (gin, Campari [...]

CLASSIC: Knickerbocker

The Knickerbocker’s life starts in Boston appearing in drinks lists and newspapers around the 1850s. During the 1850s and 60s the Knickerbocker was quite the popular summer drink and this little beauty was included in several drinks manuals of note including Jerry Thomas’s How to Mix Drinks in 1862…

CLASSIC: The Mint Julep

Photography: Rob Palmer

“When all is ready, assemble your guests on the porch or in the garden, where the aroma of the juleps will rise Heavenward and make the birds sing. Propose a worthy toast, raise the goblet to your lips, bury your nose in the mint, inhale a deep breath of its fragrance and sip [...]