Cocktail

Heavily spiked, our take on the Singapore Sling highlights the aromatic quality of Benedictine, a Cognac-based liqueur that smells of honey, citrus, and herbs.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

Unless you happen to be a professional bartender, this cocktail might require buying raspberry syrup and orange bitters at the very least. But when potent and refreshing is the order of the day, you'll be glad you stocked up.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month. Click here to learn more about the Pisco Sour. This recipe is from Ryan McGrale, bar manager of No. 9 Park, in Boston.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month. Click here to learn more about the Brandy Alexander.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month. Adapted from the original, our recipe spares you some unpleasant puckering, because we've scaled back the lime juice. Click here to learn more about the Mike Romanoff.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

Look for 1-quart cordial bottles, carafes, or mason jars with necks wide enough for adding the fruit (and removing it, if desired, after the liqueur has matured). You may need slightly more or less fruit, vodka, and rock candy, depending on the size of the containers.

There are many variations of the classic Dry Martini, and this mix was created in the 1940s for Charles Dana Gibson, a US illustrator, and presumably a ladies' man, too — the two cocktail onions are said to represent the breasts of his female admirers! As far as the mix goes, the onions take the biting edge off the gin and add their own layer of complexity.

Happily, we found that the only word which rhymes with Clicquot was a tasty white rum.

Begin the morning with the beautiful, festive (and easy) drinks.

Fill a glass pitcher or punch bowl with this fun, fruity wine-based aperitif.

We recommend using a good-quality California or Spanish sparkling wine for this punch. Both are widely available and less expensive than Champagne.

This variation on the classic Piña Colada is served at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico; it's finished with a dark rum float for extra flavor.

Enid P. Saldana of San Juan, Puerto Rico, writes: "I would love to get the recipe for the lychee Martini they serve at Kittichai, in New York City." This summer, enjoy a vodka Martini with a real twist — lychee. The exotic sweetness of the fruit brightens the citrus flavors in this truly refreshing drink.

Let guests mix their own Bellinis — it's a great ice-breaker, and allows everyone to custom-blend their drinks.

Complete the tropical scene by garnishing these pink drinks with paper umbrellas or (unsprayed) orchids.