For something simple either a Gin and Tonic with a lime or a Vodka Tonic with a lime. Heavy on the booze since Tonic really does taste awful by itself, but just a little bit of it makes the alcohol burn disappear. Any decent liquor other then Tanqueray is fine. If I’m at a bar and not looking at the selection I’ll call for Ketel One or Beefeater. Also, for some reason, I have to have one of those little straws, makes them easier to drink.
If I’m at a bar with a margarita machine, I’ll have a frozen strawberry margarita. If they have blue raspberry, I’ll have those until I fall off my barstool. (That really only means about two).
Having said all that, on a nice summer day, sitting outside on a patio, nothing beets a gin and tonic. I know a lot of people don’t like gin, but someday, try it again. Get a good strong gin and tonic* made with good gin (like Beefeater which isn’t overly juniper/piney) and I think you’ll like it.
*When I make them, I fill a rocks glass (after adding ice) about an inch from the top with booze, then add about a half inch of tonic. Like I said earlier, too much tonic makes it taste really bad, but just a little makes it not taste like liquor. Dunno why, but it works. FTR, I can’t drink straight booze to save my life. Also, I learned never to ask for a weak gin/vodka tonic, they, again, taste really bad when all you taste is tonic.
Too many to count; alas I cannot consume them any more as they conflict with meds.
However, a properly made classic gin martini is right up there at the top. G&T is great, too. Used to like a gin rickie, which is gin, club soda and a lime.
For something fancy, pina colada is good. There was a place we visited in the Caribbean that made a fantastic rum punch.
In the summer in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, etc., nothing beats a good, strong margarita on the rocks. If it tastes sweet it was made wrong. Don’t forget the salt. They are best in a lowball glass.
If I am in the mood for something sweeter I’ll go for a mojito.
Back in the northeast, I’ve become a fan of Long Island Iced Teas. They’re essentially all booze. If you don’t get the proportions right they’ll taste off, but done correctly, mmm…
I’m the worst kind of stereotypical female drinker: all sweet girly drinks, all the time. I like cosmopolitans, appletinis, spiked lemonade, Alabama slammers, tequila sunrises, cape codders, and screwdrivers. Actually, is there a name for a cape codder combined with a screwdriver (OJ, cranberry, and vodka)? Because I like that one too.
When I’m in a situation in which my frat-girl tastes wouldn’t be appropriate, I usually go for a Tom Collins.
Funny, we’ve been doing Hemingway Daiquiris as well, pretty much how the OP describes.
I’ve also become partial to Gin & Tonics with a little bit - maybe a half ounce - of St. Germaine tossed in. It brings a floral component to the drink that neither the gin nor the tonic has.
We did a round of these this weekend, only we had no Meyer Lemons so had to use standard. Very nice; a good sipping-on-the-deck drink.
What else? Classic Margaritas on the rocks are a favorite. By Classic, I mean good Tequila, Cointreau/Grand Marnier, and limes. Maybe a little sugar syrup if your limes are overly tart. But no mix, and not too sweet. I could drink these every night if I wanted to become a drunk.
Martini. Gin, little vermouth, up, olives. I like having two olives so they stare back at me from the bottom of the glass.
This weekend I learned that my older daughter has become a margarita snob (much as I am a martini snob). She objects to these alcohol-infused Slurpees being sold as “margaritas” as much as I grouse that serving a sugar-water concoction in a martini glass does not make it any type of “martini.” These drinks are recipes, not styles dammit.
I don’t have the budget to stock up my liquor cabinet right now, but when I do I like to mix myself some of the more exotic drinks, like a Singapore Sling;
16 parts pineapple juice
8 parts gin
6 parts lemon juice
4 parts Heering
2 parts grenadine
1 part Cointreau
1 part Benedictine
Dash of bitters
Or the classic British Pimm’s cup; 1 part Pimm’s, 3 parts lemon-lime soda, poured over slices of orange, lemon, cucumber, and mint.
Cocktail Hour on a Friday at Casa Silenus can only mean one thing: Parasols. It’s the signature cocktail of Parasol Up at Wynn Las Vegas, and I’ve got it down, if I do say so myself.
1.5 oz Absolute Pear vodka
.5 oz pear liqueur
.5 oz sweet & sour mix
.5 oz simple syrup
slight splash Luxardo maraschino liqueur
float of pear puree (optional)
Shake over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry and enjoy.
I dig me some Pimm’s. Maybe a little less of a fruit salad in a punchbowl than the Brits go for, but it’s still good stuff.
I also like G&Ts, although I’m not currently going for them. I’m kind of partial to a good juniper-forward gin along with a good tonic- right now, it’s Leopold Bros. Navy Strength Gin along with Fever Tree tonic, with a good shot of lime. I usually do a 2:1 or 3:1 tonic to gin ratio; either is not terrific on their own, but somewhere inbetween those ratios, their respective nastinesses cancel out.
1.5 oz Dark Rum (I use Myer’s)
1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
Half a lime, squeezed then the bits thrown in
Mix over ice, top with spicy Ginger Beer - I use Stewart’s
Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Basically the same as yours, only with pineapple juice and nutmeg. A little more complex than a Dark & Stormy, IMO. But I like 'em both.