Sweet September

glass: martini

30mls vodka
15mls cointreau
7mls strawberry liqueur
7mls chambord
60mls cranberry juice
juice of 1 lime

shake over ice. A sweeter cosmo for good girls gone bad.

Friar Tuck

Glass: old fashioned
garnish: lemon slice

30mls scotch whisky
30mls Drambuie
30mls Frangelico
Juice of 1 lemon

Shake all ingredients over ice. A large profile drink for big boys and girls.

A Drum Sour

glass: old fashioned
garnish: a sprig of rosemary

60ml single malt whisky
15ml Benedictine
a dash of amaretto
juice of  one lemon
one egg white

shake all ingredients over ice, pour, and garnish with the rosemary. This drink was inspired by a similarly named drink served at the level 36 bar at the Shangri-la hotel in Sydney. I'm not sure if my version tastes anywhere near as good as theirs does, but I'll try!

This is also similar:

http://spiritsandcocktails.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/chamomile-sour/

Berry Bramble

Glass: old fashioned
Garnish: lemon and blackberry

60ml Tanqueray Gin
15ml blackberry liqueur
15 ml amaretto
half a lemon
a splash of chambord

pour all ingredients except chambord over ice and stir. Strain into an ice filled glass, finish with the chambord and serve.

This was inspired by the pepperberry bramble at Exchange hotel in Balmain.

Manhattan Chaplin

Glass: Martini
Garnish: Maraschino Cherry

30ml rye whiskey
30ml apricot brandy
15ml cherry heering
15ml Maraschino liqueur
15ml gin aged citrus

shake over ice. garnish with the cherry.

This was blatantly 'inspired' by a drink of the same name served at the exchange hotel in Balmain.

A fully stocked bar

One of the principle maxims of Buddhism is that desire, once fulfilled, is immediately replaced by another desire. So it is with buying bottles for the bar. One can never have too many bottles of quality spirits and liqueurs in the bar, every addition just opens up your cocktail mixing options.

This is my idea of a 'stocked' bar at the moment:

2 x Gin: one basic (Gordon's, Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire) One premium Gin (Hendrick's, West Winds, Botanist...)

2 x Vodka: one basic (e.g. Absolut) one premium vodka (e.g. Belvedere)

1 x White Rum: Bacardi

1 x Dark Rum: Appleton Estate, Mount Gay, or good ol' Bundy (menlikeuslikerum...)

1 x Spiced Rum: Sailor Jerry or The Kraken

1 x Bourbon Whiskey: Jim or Jack will do the trick

1 x Rye Whiskey: Wild Turkey Rye is my current choice

1 x Scotch Whisky: Chivas Regal, or Johnny Walker

1 x Tequila: 1800 Reposado ($$$) or Jose Cuervo

Grenadine
Lime Juice Cordial
Angostura Bitters
Dolin Dry Vermouth, Dolin Red Vermouth
maraschino cherries
olives

one of each: Chambord, Pernod, Pimms, Amaretto, Cointreau, Benedictine, Drambuie, Creme de Cassis, Cherry Heering, Maraschino, Campari, Frangelico, Kahlua, Baileys, Limoncello, Midori, Champagne/sparkling white wine

Negroni Lungo

glass: highball
garnish: orange slice

30mls Gin
60mls Sweet Vermouth
30mls Campari
Tonic water to taste

build all ingredients over ice, stir, and add the tonic. Sweet, dry, refreshing, and tart all at the same time. Perfect for sunny afternoons.