Spirit-Forward Cocktails
1089 recipes. Short, strong and stirred, with nothing to hide behind.
A spirit-forward cocktail is mostly alcohol by volume and by intent: no juice, usually no sugar beyond a modifier, and served short and cold. The Manhattan, the Martini, the Negroni and the Old Fashioned are the four corners of the category.
These are stirred, not shaken, because there is nothing in them that needs aerating and everything in them benefits from staying clear and heavy on the tongue. Stir for around thirty seconds over good ice and taste before you serve.
They are also the drinks where ingredient quality shows most. There is no citrus to hide behind, so a tired vermouth or a bottom-shelf spirit is exactly as obvious as it sounds.
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All 1089 recipes
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- Depth Bomb Apple Brandy, Brandy, Lemon Juice
- Diplomat Dry Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth, Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
- Dubonnet Cocktail Dubonnet(R) Rouge, Gin, Aromatic Bitters
- Flamingo Cocktail Apricot Brandy, Gin, Lime Juice
- French Rose Cocktail Gin, Dry Vermouth, Cherry Brandy
- Gin And It Gin, Sweet Vermouth
- Honolulu Lulu Gin, Bénédictine(R) Herbal Liqueur, Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
- Nude Ell Cocktail Bombay Sapphire(R) Gin, Cognac, Dubonnet(R) Rouge
- Piper At Arms Scotch, Dry Vermouth
- Rye Club Cocktail Old Potrero(R) Rye Whiskey, Orange Curaçao Liqueur, Orange Bitters
- Smiler Cocktail Dry Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth, Gin
- The Drink Without a Name Vodka, Cointreau(R) Orange Liqueur, Chartreuse(R) Yellow Liqueur
- Whip Cocktail Sweet Vermouth, Dry Vermouth, Brandy
- Pink Elephant Grenadine, Gin
- Horse And Jockey Aged Rum, Southern Comfort(R), Sweet Vermouth
- Kir Martini Gordon's(R) Gin, Extra Dry Vermouth, Crème de Cassis Liqueur
- Rouge Martini Gin, Chambord(R) Black Raspberry Liqueur
- Shoot Sherry, Scotch, Lemon Juice
- Applecar Laird's(R) Applejack Brandy, Triple Sec Liqueur, Lemon Juice
- Black Eye Vodka, Blackberry Brandy
- Bluebird Gin, Triple Sec Liqueur, Blue Curaçao Liqueur
- Boomerang Gin, Dry Vermouth, Aromatic Bitters
- Casino Beefeater(R) London Dry Gin, Luxardo(R) Maraschino Liqueur, Lemon Juice
- Chelsea Hotel Gin, Triple Sec Liqueur, Lemon Juice
- Cherry Ripe Vodka, Cherry Brandy, Brandy
- Chunnel Cocktail Grand Marnier(R) Orange Liqueur, Gin, Sweet Vermouth
- Cognac Mint Frappe Cognac, Crème de Menthe Blanche Liqueur
- Delta Traveler Knob Creek(R) Bourbon Whiskey, Harvey's(R) Bristol Cream Sherry
- Desperate Martini Gin, Dry Vermouth, Blackberry Brandy
- Gloom Raiser Gin, Dry Vermouth, Pernod(R)
- King of Noble Gin, Dry Vermouth, Apple Brandy
- Mumsicle Dark Rum, Bourbon, Aromatic Bitters
- Peach me Tender Jack Daniel's(R) Tennessee Whiskey, Peach Liqueur, Lemon Liqueur
- Ship's Cat Overproof Rum, Crème de Cassis Liqueur
- Snakebite Yukon Jack(R) Liqueur, Lime Juice
- South Coast Cocktail Scotch, Curaçao Liqueur, Lemon Juice
- Stella's Rose Bourbon, Grenadine, Peychaud's(R) Bitters
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Gin, Dry Vermouth, Pernod(R)
- Porterhouse Blue Canadian Whisky, Armagnac, Blueberry Syrup
- Abigail Bourbon, Pernod(R), Angostura(R) Bitters
- Accordion Brandy, Triple Sec Liqueur, Dry Vermouth
- Armour Cocktail Dry Sherry, Sweet Vermouth
- Bentley Calvados, Dubonnet(R) Rouge
- Bourbon Flip Bourbon, Egg, Caster Sugar
- Coco's Cocktail Gin, Campari(R) Bitter, Dry Vermouth
- Crusta Brandy, Lemon Juice, Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
- Deansgate Cocktail White Rum, Drambuie(R) Liqueur, Rose's(R) Lime Juice
- French Green Dragon Cognac, Green Chartreuse Liqueur
