There are two very similar crème de noyaux-laced recipes for Martini-like drinks that emerged in London and Paris during the 1920s: the Old Etonian and the Fairbank Cocktail. The former features a 1:1 ratio of dry gin to blanc quinquina, while the latter tips the scale in the gin direction and calls for dry vermouth instead of quinquina. Both have a slight almondy flavor and reflect the “wetter” Martini style of the period.

Dating to 1922 and Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, the original recipe for the Jockey Club is basically like a Brandy Crusta with London dry gin in place of the brandy and crème de noyaux in place of maraschino. I decided to take these ingredients and structure it more like a Sidecar, upping the liqueur and citrus components while still retaining the bitters, which I quite like.

This Alexander cousin is, by all accounts, original to Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukie, circa the early 1940s. Like the Grasshopper, the Pink Squirrel is traditionally made with two flavorful liqueurs and either cream or ice cream, but our version dries things out and adds a touch of bitterness with brandy, blanc quinquina, and a barspoon of Peychaud’s. I like the dusting of cocoa powder, both aesthetically and for the way it bolsters the crème de cacao.

The Sling and the Toddy are sort of like fraternal twins. Emerging during the eighteenth century, both are essentially sweetened, diluted spirits. Key differences are the dilution level (slings were 1:1, toddies were weaker at 1:2) and garnish. Though both could be served hot or cold, eventually the sling became associated with cold (or at least room temp) preparation, while the toddy was more likely to be served hot. This two-pronged recipe calls on popular spirits of the day, spiced rum-based liqueur, “apple molasses” and raspberry leaf tea. Note that these are true-to-period as far as their dilution—a real (delicious) history lesson for you!

Bang is essentially a warm 50/50 mix of ale and cider, fortified with gin or whiskey, sweetened (traditionally with treacle), and flavored with ginger and spice. It is differentiated from other beer cocktails we’ve studied because it doesn’t contain citrus and it isn’t a flip because it doesn’t call for eggs. Bang is kind of it’s own thing, and it’s just what I want to drink on a cold fall evening.

With its cider, perry, and sherry, Drink Divine seems more a descendant of wassail than anything else, especially with the bit about putting a “toasted biscuit” into it. (Represented in our recipe by the suggestion of serving with digestive biscuits!) To this simple mixture, I added ginger and allspice dram, but otherwise kept it simple; after all, the original recipe lives up to its name with no help!

The Chocolate Martini is an interesting member of our motley ‘tini crew this month, as it claims roots in the postwar era. The possibly apocryphal story is that Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor invented it on the set of Giant (1956), which is a stunning movie that was filmed mostly in Marfa, Texas. The sweet vodka-based concoction was adopted by the ‘tini craze in the ‘80s and ‘90s and it’s still ordered in bars today by lovers of dessert drinks.

The only thing that’s French about a French Martini is Chambord. The black raspberry liqueur produced in the Loire Valley for centuries. The French Martini combines it with a vodka base and pineapple juice and it originated at Pravda in the mid-nineties, introduced to the world by famous bartender Dale DeGroff. It tastes like grandma candy that features unidentifiable flavors but is actually really delicious.

What can one say about this absolute juggernaut of a drink? Though it was invented by Dick Bradsell in 1990s London, it has had a second life in recent years. There are a great many ways to make one, and countless variations proffered by today’s bartenders, but I designed this one to be almost identical to Bradsell’s original spec, with a couple slight changes. I increased the syrup and opted to use vanilla syrup and I added just a touch of saline to enhance the drink’s flavors.

This drink is the only one of this month’s recipes that was invented after the turn of the twenty-first century. It was invented in 2002 by bartender Douglas Ankrah. Originally called the Maverick Martini after a gentleman’s club Ankrah frequented in Cape Town, the drink combined vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur and passionfruit purée, and vanilla syrup, with a little glass of prosecco on the side. Since its inception, it has remained very popular in the U.K. and beyond.

It's no surprise that brandies have often been used in cocktails royale and these two drinks are excellent examples of the form. They have the same basic underlying concept: a champagne cocktail with absinthe and bitters and a bit of brandy (apple for the Deauville, grape for the Casino). I also give the option here of using pineapple syrup, which is a nod to the 1925 drink, Train Bleu, as well as Harry Johnson's Gilded-Age Saratoga spec.

I knew I really wanted to have a gin drink in the mix for our Parisian Cocktails Royale theme, and I found this one in a lesser known book called Recette des Cocktails pour 1929 by E. Milhorat and J. Alimbau. Its combination of London dry gin and cherry liqueur, plus Angostura bitters, makes for a spiced fruit-and-pine base upon which to layer dry, bubbly wine. It’s my favorite this month!

The I.B.F. Pick-Me-Up comes from Harry MacElhone’s book Barflies and Cocktails (1927). Its base resembles an Improved Cocktail of sorts, with Cognac as the main spirit and layers of orange, menthol, and eucalyptus from the combination of Curaçao and Fernet-Branca. I chose to put this one over a big ice cube as the base is quite strong—but very delicious.

Something I love about looking at Paris in the ‘20s and ‘30s is the parallels with Italian aperitivo culture. So when I found the Alfonso in Harry’s ABCs of Mixing Drinks, I took it in an aperitivo direction, choosing to style it as an early Negroni Sbagliato-type drink. The combination of rouge quinquina and now-defunct Secrestat Bitter looked too close for me to resist!

The inspiration for this recipe is an 1843 formula made by Texan soldiers held by the Mexicans at Perote prison. The recipe called for “vino mascal,” ass’s milk, eggs, and sugar. For our version, I decided to split the base between mezcal and añejo tequila, plus a little crème de cacao and cinnamon, resulting in a smoky, spiced chocolate-and-vanilla eggnog that will please all the agave-spirit lovers in your life!

Making a batch of eggnog is more like a baking project than it is like making a cocktail. And, as with punch, time is an important ingredient in its successful construction; with a little time, the concoction melds into a silky-smooth drink akin to boozy melted ice cream. This "classic recipe" is a kind of summary of many a 'nog past, combining the original duo of brandy and rum with the more rustic rye whiskey, which form a balanced triumvirate that counters the sweetness of the egg-and-dairy mixture beautifully.

As with punch and flip, eggnog began as a large-format drink that eventually also became available in single-serving form. This shift reflects the changing nature of drinking and bartending in the nineteenth century. Single-serving eggnog is very similar to a flip, with the addition of dairy. This recipe is written for our “classic” mix of spirits; see the fortified wine and Texian recipes for variations.

Making a batch of eggnog is more like a baking project than it is like making a cocktail. And, as with punch, time is an important ingredient in its successful construction; with a little time, the concoction melds into a silky-smooth drink akin to boozy melted ice cream. This "classic recipe" is a kind of summary of many a 'nog past, combining the original duo of brandy and rum with the more rustic rye whiskey, which form a balanced triumvirate that counters the sweetness of the egg-and-dairy mixture beautifully.

The Ladies’ Delight is a brandy, rum, and coffee drink featured in William Schmidt’s The Flowing Bowl, published in 1892. The original spec is topped with ice cream and berries. I've wanted to recreate this drink for years now and this month's theme gave me the opportunity. In addition to Cognac and coffee (in the form of cold brew), it has crème de cacao, amaro, vanilla syrup, and a touch of salt. After a little experimentation, I love the way the styling on this drink turned out.

This delicious little number takes inspiration from several classics, including a variety of brandy sours and punches and, of course, the New-York Sour. A base of brandy, lemon, cacao, and vanilla gets topped off with a classic "claret snap" for a tannic note that fits really well with the dried fruit and chocolate in the drink.