For Architectural Digest, by Elizabeth Stamp.
Photo: William Waldron
There's nothing wrong with a Scotch on the rocks now and then, but if you've stocked your home bar or bar cart, you owe it to your guests to use it to its full potential. To find out what cocktails every home mixologist needs in their repertoire, Architectural Digest turned to Jim Kearns, the mind behind the inventive drinks at Manhattan hot spots the Happiest Hour and Slowly Shirley. Kearns recommended six essential beverages that will satisfy a range of tastes--including a few that are perfect for the summer happy hours ahead. No gold-leaf garnishes or flames here: All you need to make these cocktails are good-quality spirits (don't miss Kearns's picks) and fresh juices. So grab a glass and give each of these classics--from a perfectly poured martini to an endlessly refreshing margarita--a try.
Daiquiri
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. cane syrup
2 oz. white rum
Shake, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lime wedge.
Manhattan
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 oz. sweet vermouth
2 oz. rye
Stir, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.
Margarita
3/4 oz. lime juice
1 oz. Cointreau
1 1/2 oz. tequila
Shake, strain, and serve on the rocks with a lime wedge.
Martini
1 oz. dry vermouth
2 oz. gin
Stir, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an olive and/or a lemon twist.
Negroni
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. gin (Kearns prefers 1 1/2 oz. gin. "The Negroni is an infinitely adjustable drink, depending on the tastes of the person drinking it," he says.)
Stir, strain, and serve on the rocks with an orange twist.
Sour
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. spirit
Egg white (optional)
Shake, strain, serve up or on the rocks, and garnish with lemon and a cherry. (Can be strained into a fizz glass and topped with soda for a fizz.)
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