It started with an Old Fashioned, sugar, bitters and rye whiskey. Then the Sazerac where you rinse the glass with absinthe first, before adding the sugar, bitters and rye whiskey; according to the song it’s “better than tequila and smoother than cr***”
I’ve managed to build up a collection of cognac, gin, rum and whisky as bases and would like to get mixers so that I can make cocktails. What would you recommend and which cocktail would you use it in?

My revelation this year has been buying bottled syrup to have on hand so it’s there when you need it. eg.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004FN8JQA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gimlet for me please.

Used some dark rum in the cranberry sauce so had to Google a rum recipe.

Luckily the recipe we used was delicious. A spoonful of marmalade, slice of mandarin and some juice, one star anise. Shake together then add tonic.

Old Fashioned for me too.

mojito for me

Caipirinha (given Cachaça is basically sugarcane rum, you might be able to get away with a light rum instead) Drank gallons of the stuff working in São Paulo. One of the very few things I miss now I’ve stopped drinking.

Key Lime Pie Martini – we were first offered these in a bar in Key West, and can make a decent facsimile at home.

Got to be an espresso martini for me.

I like an old fashioned as it’s easy to make.

However I prefer a penicillin or whiskey smash.

For a gin based cocktail an aviation and I do like a margarita

The Negroni Has been my go to this year, equal measures of gin, sweet vermouth (ideally not Martini) and Campari. Very sippable indeed.

I’ve tried water in my whisky 🥃 a couple times (but I prefer it neat…) 😜

Gimlet,use Roses lime cordial and a good gin,lovely.

Godfather – Scotch and amaretto.

I love Caipirinhas but I’d never make one with white rum – they need a good coarse spirit to work.
Margarita is often made in BigJohn towers but we insist on lemon instead of lime as it gives a much better sharpness.
I make my Negronis with Dubonnet. We usually have Dubonnet in as we cook lambs liver with it. Slightly dryer than the recommended vermouth but I usually have my Negronis strong and long with a can of tonic in.
Christmas Eve I made a great bloody Mary. Vodka, dry sherry, celery salt, lemon juice, sprinkle of cumin, Tabasco, Worcester sauce and topped off with V8 tomato juice.

Two current favourites, pink gin (not the **** rhubarb shite they’re peddling for people who need to like gin ‘cos Facebook says they ought to, but don’t actually like gin….) so a shaker filled with ice, three or four dashes of angostura bitters, double measure of Plymouth gin, lemon zest. Pour, sip, repeat.

And a Bloody Mary. Ice, double measure decent Vodka, tomato juice, Lea & Perrins and a few drops of Tabasco.

Whiskey Sour..

Used to make an acceptable raspberry mojito and a decent margarita.

Lost interest a bit though, and they get me smashed too quickly.

Boulvardier’s, Whiskey Sour and  Pastinaca’s

Martini cocktail for me. Delicious but lethal. Four parts gin to one vermouth, I’m not one of these “Pour the gin while looking at an unopened bottle to vermouth” ultra-dry martini types.

Harvey Wallbanger.
For all cocktails, use the right glass.

Black Russian, nice and simple. Or an old fashioned without the fruit.

Last Word.

Equal parts gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and fresh lime shaken over ice.

+1 for black russian.

quite fond of a harvey wallbanger

Been drinking my way through Xmas with a dark and stormy (dark rum, ginger beer, lime and ice).

I’m making a shopping list, so far I’ve got:-
Campari
Sweet Vermouth
Green Chartreuse
Kahlua
Galliano
Rose’s lime cordial
Maraschino

Have I missed anything?

Rum negroni – swap the gin for a nice 5yr old rum

Rum old fashioned – swap the whiskey for a good older rum and use either orange or chocolate bitters (depending on the rum)

Summertime – a nice rum and tonic

And for NYE, a Mexican 75. Lime juice, tequila and champagne.

Oh – and a negroni topped up with orange juice (and a sprinkle of black pepper) is a fantastic long drink

Faerie for the maraschino go for Luxardo as its the better of the options out there.

A French 77 is also nice – gin, elderflower liqueur and fresh lemon juice topped with bubbles of choice. Ice cold glass…

2 pints of Tennents and a lager tops please.
Sorry, we don’t serve cocktails in here

Infidel; thanks for the tip, I see it’s used in Hemmingway’s daiquiri too. Elderflower liqueur and Amaretto are also going in the cabinet, I’m going to have fun tasting all of these. Hic 🤣

Black Russian is good.

White Russian is a bit better

White Cuban a bit better still.

Espresso Martini, well hello – muchos excellantio.

Another vote for the Espresso Martini. In the words of the supermodel who asked for a new cocktail that could ‘wake her up then @&£” her up’, it’s superb.

Faerie, you’ve not mentioned
Gin
Noilly Prat (or Dry martini)
Whisky (I like something a bit simple like Bells in Whisky Sours)
Tequila (for Margarita)
Cointreau (ditto)
Cachaca (for Caipirinhas)

Aperol and bitter lemon.

Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve extended my shopping list to include aperol, cointreau, cachaca, dry martini and vodka (I can’t believe I don’t have any) I’m not sure I dare let a bottle of tequila in the house, it’s a rowdy drink 😜 but I have plenty gin and whisky

Long Island iced tea.

Any and all clear spirits*, sours mix and as little coke as you can get away with.

*My faves in that case being vodka, gin, white rum, Cointreau & tequila, in equal measure.

The special brew of cocktails, that is.