Smooth gin drink with Aperol, Lilet Blanc and Angostura bitters.

This is not from any recipe. I had been thinking of how to make a layered cocktail to mimic the fall colors. I had to go thru quite some alcohol and failed experiments before I could get to a set of alcohol and liqueurs that had the right viscosity and color and also were compatible with each other to make a good cocktail.

Finally settled with some vodka, a little chartreuse and orange juice and a few drops of grenadine to give the red color, a few drops of Aperol to get the orange and just one drop of Jagermeister for some brown color to float in the drink as it started dispersing.

Gin, Limoncello, Yellow Chartreuse and Lemon Juice.

Finally found some use for the Limoncello that we bought in Italy in summer. Also, trying different background colors for the pictures.

Bourbon, Aperol, Sweet Vermouth and Maraschino liqueur.

The name is of course a reference to Kentucky (Bourbon connection) which was the 15th state to join the union.

Bourbon, Campari and Sweet Vermouth. It looks very much like Negroni. That is of course because it is just like Negroni except tge gin is replaced with Bourbon Whiskey. Like Negroni, a Boulevardier is also garnished with an orange slice but i could not find any orange in our kitchen!!

Picked the recipe from a fall cocktail ideas in Food and Wine magazine.

Pernod Absynthe (just rinse the flute and throw the excess; it is terribly strong), ginger syrup, orange juice, mint leaves, Peychaud Bitters, Cognac and then topped off with ginger beer…

Since I missed my traditional two glasses of wine during Durga Puja (when I would slink out of the place where all the festivities are held just to cool my heels at a nearby bar – but today I had to take care of one of the daughters), I decided to top off the evening with a stiff drink before I go to bed. This one has Gin, sweet vermouth and dry vermouth and some bitters.

This has Aperol, Gin, Bitters and muddled basil leaves with more basil leaves as garnish.

Now before you become too judgmental and point out that this is not really the right time of the year to make basil based drinks, may I point out that our basil plant is dying with the advent of cooler weather and the last few basil leaves are left?

Those among you who have a penchant for Bengali literature would recognize my predicament to be akin to that of the spy from Lord Rama’s camp in Sukumar Ray’s play “Lakshman-er Shaktishel”. When asked by Lord Rama to describe what happened the whole day in detail – ostensibly in Ravana’s camp – he started with a mea culpa of having eaten pumpkin gourd in the morning although it was forbidden by the almanac. His simple excuse was that the pumpkin was starting to rot!!

I have attached those lines in the pic in case you wanted your memory jogged…

After the long run, I wanted to make something simple to enjoy sitting outside. Chose to make a Negroni. this is essentially equal parts Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Gin.

This cocktail is made from Rum, dry Vermouth and Orange Curacao.