3 Classic Cocktails to Master from your Home Bar

These Classic Cocktails will each only require a few ingredients, which are also able to be repurposed for many other popular cocktails. Cheers to creating and using your home bar!

The Bee’s Knees 

This aptly named tipple found its creation during the Roaring 20’s and was one of the best ways to mask the flavors of the bathtub gin being made during Prohibition

Ingredients:

2 oz. Gin

3/4 oz. Lemon Juice (approximately juice from one half of a lemon)

1/2 oz. Honey Syrup*

• honey on its own will work, but it’s harder to shake into the drink. To make honey syrup, use equal parts of honey and water. Heat them together in a saucepan on low heat and stir until blended. Any extra can be used for additional cocktails…either tonight, or up to a month from now. 

Steps:

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

2. Shake until the shaker is very cold and strain over fresh ice into a cocktail or Collins glass.

3. Garnish with a lemon twist

How to make Lemon Twists

Home-Bartender Tip: set aside one lemon to use for twists then use the lemon to juice once all the rind is separated from the pith. 

Method One:

Take a paring knife and cut thick strips lengthwise end to end being careful to keep the knife towards the surface, cutting only to the white pith 

Method Two:

1. Cut both ends off the lemon 
2. Insert a spoon all the way around between the pith and the lemon to separate the white part away from the lemon inside. 
3. Cut the rind from top to bottom and remove the lemon away from the peel
4. Roll the peel up as if rolling a jelly roll 
5. Cut horizontally along the rolled peel making small “mini” rolls and you’ll have twists ready to go!
6. Be sure to unroll the twist over your glass and the oils from the rind will zest into the drink

French 75

This classic cocktail was named after a firearm used during World War I and has been a staple since, carrying through the Jazz Era and still popular today. 

Ingredients:

Champagne or other sparkling wine

2 oz Gin (the original recipe was made with Cognac so feel free to substitute)

3/4 oz. Lemon Juice (approximately juice from one half of a lemon)

1/2 oz. simple syrup*

*to make simple syrup add equal parts water and sugar into a saucepan. Use medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool and the remained can be stored for up to a month

Steps:

1. Combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup into a shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake for approximately 10 – 15 seconds.
3. Strain into a champagne flute or martini glass.
4. Top with Champagne
5. Garnish with a lemon twist

Sidecar 

This cocktail has many variations floating around regarding its name and origins, but it has been around since World War I, survived Prohibition to become a popular cocktail in many famous Jazz Lounges and had recently been enjoying a revival in many New York City bars. 

Ingredients:

2 oz. Cognac (I prefer Martell VS, but Hennessy and Courvoisier are also popular choices)

3/4 oz. Cointreau

3/4 oz. Lemon Juice (approximately juice from one half of a lemon)

Steps:

1. Take a martini glass – rub a wedge of lemon around the rim and roll in sugar to coat the edge.
2. Add ice to the martini glass to let it chill (only do this step if you have plenty of ice to spare)
3. Combine all the ingredients in the cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake until the shaker is very cold – about 10 – 15 seconds
4. Dump out the ice from the chilling martini glass
5. Strain into the glass and garnish with a orange peel