Choose Your Own Cocktail

The end of Drynuary—that post-holiday liver cleanse supposedly practiced by one in seven Americans—offers the chance of renewal and the opportunity to ask ourselves the big question: What am I going to drink next?

You might be stuck in a rut. Perhaps you want to leave behind the boring vodka sodas you have been drinking for the last ten years. Maybe you realize it’s not freshman year anymore and that it’s time for Long Island Iced Tea. Or maybe you are a novice when it comes to the bar—willing to try anything but completely aimless. An Espresso Martini, a rum and coke, and a Bloody Mary might be your order. These people do really exist.

My own drinking style has changed. It started with the Tom Collins, which I enjoyed as a freshman. Then I moved to whiskey and soda and then to vodka soda. Finally, I discovered the classics, the Old Fashioned and Manhattan. And finally, I found the Martini. This is Plymouth Gin with olives. There are many other great quaffs.

In summary, we all could use some guidance. Pour me another: 250 Ways to Find your Favorite Drink We only need it as a guide. Author J.M. Author J.M. Hirsch opens the book with a premise. “Start with what you know. Discover what you love.” Divided into chapters by spirit—gin, vodka, whiskey, rum, and agave (meaning tequila and mezcal)—the book offers an array of recipes along with interrelated suggestions. “The result is an almost Socratic exploration” Of the spirits “all grounded in history.” His book is called a “book”. “choose your own cocktail adventure.”

You might like a refreshing gin & tonic. For example, you can check out page 52’s Bee’s Knees. Being fond of the Manhattan, I turned to page 180 and made a similarly sweet and spicy Vieux Carré. Fans of the Margarita should give the Daiquiri on page 183 a try—that would be a real Daiquiri, not the frozen variety, can be found at page 203.

Hirsch is a true bar snob. For me another He also includes recipes for the Frozen Strawberry Diced Tea, Whiskey Sour and Long Island Iced Tea. “the trash can of cocktails.” He is open to trying more refined versions of these drinks. For example, his Sex on the Beach “dits the peach schnapps because, well,