Stone Fence Cocktail

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.

Midori, Japanese for green, is a melon-flavoured liqueur that lives up to its meaning and can be enjoyed in a wide variety of cocktails, long drinks and short drinks. Because it is extremely sweet, it's mixed with sour flavours to offset its sweetness.

A refreshing and sparkling punch, perfect to welcome the New Year. You can also add fruit for an extra kick.

The classic, nonalcoholic version of a cream soda contains club soda, cream, and usually vanilla syrup. Our boozy version uses vanilla and ginger liqueurs instead of syrup and the creamy froth of Guinness stout instead of cream to take this drink from soda fountain to bar top. What to buy: Domaine de Canton is a ginger-flavored liqueur that can be found at specialty liquor stores. Navan vanilla liqueur is a vanilla-infused Cognac made by Grand Marnier.

The Tom Collins is a fine old drink—cocktail writer David Wondrich notes how it turns up (in a slightly different form) in Jerry Thomas’s seminal Bon Vivant’s Companion of 1877. Wondrich cites the drink’s “simple elegance”: just gin, lemon juice, and sugar, topped off with fizzy water. What to buy: Finely milled superfine sugar dissolves rapidly, avoiding any risk of graininess in the finished drink.

This Midori Melon Cocktail is known for its vibrant green color and sweet honeydew melon flavor.

A recipe for what we call the Americano goes as far back as 1861, when it was served at Gaspare Campari’s bar in Milan, says cocktail author Rob Chirico. During Prohibition the drink found favor with booze-deprived tourists from the U.S. and became known as the Americano or American Highball.

Champagne and club soda lighten up this deep-red punch made with claret wine, brandy, and dark rum. Fresh orange and pineapple slices add a hint of citrus and bright color. What to buy: Wines labeled “claret” are red wines that contain a blend of Bordeaux grapes. You can find them in most well-stocked wine shops or online.