You may not know this but I’ve written several books on cocktails, including five volumes of the Mr. Boston Bartender’s Guide (collaborating with renowned barman, Jim Meehan). The very first book I ever wrote, however, was a “ghost writing” assignment to help the cocktail master craftsman, Dale DeGroff, organize notes and stories he’d been writing for three decades into what became the wildly successful, “The Craft of the Cocktail.” From there, I wrote my own book called, “Cocktails in New York,” which debuted in 2004. In cocktail years, that was a lifetime ago. And while we’ve come a long way in what we expect of a great cocktail. At the core of all of these books was, and remains, integrity – what you put into drinks yields what you get. What DeGroff, Meehan, and I said then, we continue to repeat now: If you study the classics, the foundations, you can make anything. And who doesn’t want to call making cocktails studying? 

Your homework this summer is to revisit two classics that are utterly refreshing thanks to a good amount of natural acidity, by way of fresh-squeezed citrus. At these demonstrations, I’d show you that the best way to learn how to make a cocktail is to make lemonade first. The cornerstone of cocktail making is in the understanding of the relationships between “strong and weak” and “sour and sweet.” “Strong,” refers to the main alcohol component of the drink, such as gin, rum or bourbon; “Weak,” means the lesser alcoholic beverages, such as liqueurs, fortified wines, and even juices; “Sour,” mainly means citrus fruits, such as lemon or lime; and “Sweet,” accounts for sugar and syrups.

Making lemonade allows you to tailor the foundation of what could become dozens of cocktails:

So, there you have it! Here are two more cocktails I love, especially in summer. I’m including a staple recipe for the most refreshing, effortless cocktail of all summer drinks, gin & tonic:

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