This is Goldschlager (do you know why the liquor has gold flakes in it? Google it up!), Grand Marnier and ginger ale.

Genever (also Jenever) is the original predecessor of gin. (There was an in between genre called Tom Gin). This alcohol goes back five centuries! The distillation process was crude enough that the monks thought it best to put in juniper and other herbs and was mostly used for medicinal purposes (which it was not). Between Oude and the Jonge versions (Old and Young), I prefer the Oude. This particular one is aged for a year and to me it gives a whole different nose and complexity to the drink.

I was not exactly in the mood for a martini but I need to empty my bottles and get rid of them. Need to set up the bar area in this house in a different fashion. There was enough Absolut Citron left to throw in some Dry Vermouth and make a Lemon Drop Martini out of it.

Ideally, I would garnish it with a lemon twist but the new house does not have any of those things yet.

Opened up a new gin bottle – this time from India – for Sharmila and myself. If you are into gins, you have to try this out.

Often called “Negroni’s long lost fall cousin”, this drink was invented by Erskine Gwynne – an American writer. This has Bourbon Whiskey (instead of gin in Negroni), sweet vermouth and campari.

Vanilla Vodka, Cointreau and Dry Vermouth

Rye whiskey, dry vermouth and Angostura bitters. Garnished with a maraschino cherry. As you have no doubt realized, the difference between this and a standard Manhattan is that this uses dry vermouth instead of red vermouth.

Difford’s Guide claims the name originates from the cricketing term. In cricket, a ball that bounces more than once or rolls before reaching the batsman is called a Daisy Cutter. I have no idea what that has got to do with the drink.

This vodka, dry vermouth, elderflower liqueur and yellow chartreuse garnished with some slapped mint leaves.