Cocktails for the Rocks Glass

By Food & Wine
Updated April 25, 2017
Classic cocktails "on the rocks," from the old-school bufala negra to the elegant apricot sour.
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The Don's Bramble

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Mixologist Jackson Cannon calls this drink a celebration of late summer. He sources the berries from New England farms, including Sparrow Arc Farm in Troy, Maine, and Sylvan Nurseries in Westport, Massachusetts.

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The King

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A short glass for spirits served neat and cocktails poured over ice. Tim Love, whose specialty is all things meat (burgers, steaks), says this variation on an old-fashioned is just the kind of cocktail he likes while sitting around the fire at his ranch after a day of hunting. He prefers making it with Crown Royal, "the unofficial whisky of Texas," he says. The black lime powder he uses in the syrup is sour and citrusy, with a subtle fermented flavor; sometimes called omani.

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Bufala Negra

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At The Oakroom, where Al Capone regularly played poker in the 1920s, the bartenders use bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery in nearby Frankfort, Kentucky.

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Manzarita

Credit: Wendell T. Webber
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To give this tequila smash an autumnal feel, bar manager Devlin DeVore adds apple juice ("apple" is manzana in Spanish) and cinnamon.

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Heights Cobbler

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Location inspired the fruity ingredients in this drink. The Brooklyn Heights tavern is on Cranberry Street, one block from Orange Street and two blocks from Pineapple Street.

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Hibiscus Petal

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This citrusy, basil-spiked Hibiscus Petal, echo the powerful Asian flavors favored by chef Andrea Reusing.

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Wager

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After winning a bet with a guest about whether bourbon has to be made in Bourbon County, Kentucky (it doesn't), Jeff Grdinich designed this cocktail with Bulleit Bourbon from Anderson County.

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Apricot Sour

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Apricot brandy stars this version of the classic whiskey sour.

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Blueberry-Maple Caiprissimo

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A blueberry-rosemary flan that Adam Seger's friend Ann Giles created for led to this cocktail's unlikely mix of flavors.

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Tommy Gun

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Mixologist Jacques Bezuindenhout's sour, which references the iconic firearm wielded by Prohibition-era gangsters, gets its zing from spicy fresh ginger and a generous pour of Irish whiskey.

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Blueberries Gone Wild

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Health-conscious bar chef Debbi Peek created this gin drink to showcase antioxidant-dense ingredients, including blueberries and pomegranate.

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Wheat and Barley

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Sean Muldoon combines plum (vodka) and apricot (liqueur) with citrus to make this pleasantly dry cocktail.

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Ortensia

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This refashioned version of the classic Negroni is made with Scotch whisky and Punt e Mes, an assertive sweet vermouth.

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Strega-Nator

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This refreshing cocktail is made with Strega, a saffron-colored Sicilian liqueur infused with 70-odd herbs and spices.

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The Wild Colonial

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This drink was inspired by the Dutch East India Company, which dominated the world spice trade in the 1600s and 1700s and brought ingredients like cinnamon and Indonesian sambal to the Netherlands.

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