Pink Gin (Gin and Bitters)

This is a classic, refreshing sparkler made with sloe gin, regular gin, and lemon juice, shaken and topped off with club soda. What to buy: Sloe gin is a red liqueur made from gin infused with sloes (also called blackthorn), a relative of plums.

Famed New Orleans barman Henry C. Ramos is said to have invented this rich, potent, and frothy egg white and cream cocktail in the 1880s. Orange flower water gives it a lovely aroma.

Most Mojito recipes are served with tragically mashed mint leaves, guaranteeing two problems: bitter flavors from over-zealously crushed mint, and soggy leaves that get stuck in your teeth or straw. Make your Mojito the right way by gently pressing on the mint leaves to just release their oils, then straining them out to ensure an unencumbered sipping experience. Game plan: You’ll need to make the Simple Syrup before you begin.

Infusing lots of mint and freshly grated ginger into a simple syrup takes the muddling out of these Mojitos. Since the base of the cocktail is made in advance, all you have to do is add ice and club soda—perfect for parties or your next tailgate. T

Refreshing and herbaceous, this cocktail will bring you back to life.

The blue-curaçao hue of the Na’vi people in the 2010 Oscar-nominated film Avatar may look a little frightening, as does this cocktail at first glance. But a few sips and the spiced Velvet Falernum will give you enough courage to travel by dragon. What to buy: If you can’t find Velvet Falernum, a clove- and lime-infused liqueur, try making your own. We think this recipe is a great stand-in. This Flying Blue Dragon recipe was featured as part of our Best Picture Cocktails story.

Inspired by the idea of making a camping cocktail, we thought it’d be novel to use a little pine liqueur to bring the taste of the great outdoors to the canteen. We found the punchy, herbal liqueur a little tricky to mix with, but ultimately we were able to balance it out with some dark rum and a little pineapple juice. This recipe is scaled to fit into a canteen, and serves four.

According to urban legend, the Shirley Temple was created by a bartender at Chasen’s, a Beverly Hills restaurant popular with the entertainment set in the 1930s. Rumor has it that a pint-sized regular liked to belly up with this grenadine-spiked soda. Chasen’s was shuttered in 1995, but here’s a refreshing homemade version of Shirley’s namesake drink for all you teetotalers and youngsters out there.