Notes about Recipes in this book

• Abbey cocktail

  • anya_sf on March 03, 2021

    Nice drink. I've had similar drinks made with lemon instead of orange juice and I slightly prefer lemon, but this is nice if you have oranges on hand.

• Blood and sand

  • anya_sf on November 01, 2024

    I didn't know quite what to expect, but this was pretty good. I used Irish whisky instead of Scotch and garnished with a cherry instead of orange peel.

• Bloody Maria

  • cthdawn on December 30, 2018

    Used zing zang as tomato juice, English prime rib rub and a habanero. Olives in bottom of glass. Excellent

• Caricature cocktail

  • anya_sf on March 14, 2021

    The generous amount of simple syrup did balance the various bitter ingredients but also made the drink rather cloying. Okay flavor, but not a favorite. 1.5x the recipe made 2 normal sized drinks.

• Casino royale

  • anya_sf on January 05, 2021

    Pretty good champagne cocktail. The recipe doesn't say how much champagne to add - just "fill to top" - so the taste could vary. Great name though.

• Corpse reviver

  • anya_sf on January 18, 2019

    Great version of this classic cocktail.

• Crawdaddy

  • anya_sf on September 07, 2022

    I never knew there was a name for this drink other than just "vodka lemonade", but thanks to EYB, now I do.

• Cosmopolitan

  • anya_sf on March 07, 2026

    Classic, not too sweet. Not sure the flamed orange peel added much.

• Edith's fizz

  • anya_sf on September 27, 2018

    A refreshing, citrusy drink that's easy to make and not too strong.

• Espresso cocktail

  • anya_sf on September 17, 2025

    I appreciated that this was lower alcohol than the modern "standard" espresso martini, but I didn't like it quite as much. With less vodka, it was unsurprisingly more coffee-forward and sweeter.

• Fancy Nancy

  • anya_sf on April 01, 2024

    I only had regular vodka, but this was still very good - not too strong, sweet, or bitter. I used blood orange juice and the color was quite striking.

• Flamingo

  • anya_sf on October 16, 2020

    Mt Gay amber rum worked fine here. Made with artisanal grenadine, this drink was not overly sweet and maybe could have used the optional splash of simple syrup, although I liked it without. It was a pleasant, not cloying, tropical drink.

• Flirtini

  • anya_sf on May 26, 2026

    It was okay, kind of like a mimosa. I just used inexpensive sparkling wine, but maybe good champagne would make a difference - I just hate to waste that on a mixed drink.

• Silver fizz

  • anya_sf on August 04, 2023

    I used lime juice instead of lemon. The amount of syrup seemed excessive so I only used half and the drink was plenty sweet for my taste - ended up adding another squeeze of lime. We liked the foam from the egg white (used 1 for 2 drinks).

• French flamingo

  • anya_sf on November 27, 2020

    Even with regular vodka, this was still a great drink, similar to a cosmo, but less strong.

• Gin gin mule

  • Baxter850 on February 28, 2019

    Does not work with store bought ginger beer. Too sweet and can’t shake. Try again with the special ginger beer recipe provided.

• Grasshopper

  • Baxter850 on May 15, 2020

    Too much cream.

• Jacana

  • stacymarkow on December 29, 2019

    Nicely balanced.

• Pineapple julep

  • Bloominanglophile on May 09, 2014

    I really use the Maker's Mark I have in the house for cooking, but since I had all the ingredients for this cocktail, I decided to indulge in this libation to help me get through a mountain of dirty dishes! I really like the addition of the pineapple, and I augmented its flavor by adding 1/2 oz. pineapple juice (unsweetened) to the drink. Next time I make this, however, I would decrease the simple syrup--the sweetness is a bit cloying to my taste.

• Lemon drop

  • Bloominanglophile on April 05, 2014

    This isn't a bad recipe, but I don't care for the addition of the Cointreau. It gives it a bit of a funny aftertaste, IMHO.

  • peaceoutdesign on May 21, 2021

    I changed the proportions to 2oz citrus vodka, 3/4 oz Cointreau(or 1/4 Cointreau and 1/2 infused simple syrup, 1/2oz lemon juice. Infused Simple syrups that are good: rosemary ginger or an oolong tea simple syrup.

• Lemon meringue

  • peaceoutdesign on October 22, 2024

    Yuck

• Madison Avenue cocktail

  • anya_sf on June 07, 2018

    A delicious, strong cocktail. I used light amber rum instead of white and it was fine - I think you just want to avoid a rum that's too dark or strongly flavored.

  • okcook on June 09, 2018

    We love, love this cocktail. Use ingredients specified.

  • TrishaCP on November 23, 2019

    This was pretty good. We ended up adding a bit more Cointreau for balance and that was more to our taste.

• Margarita

  • Bloominanglophile on April 05, 2014

    My husband and I have used this recipe as a jumping-off point for our own "house" margarita. I personally like to have a little simple syrup in my margarita to balance out the acidity of the lime and the sting of the spirits. I felt the amount of lime juice needed to be upped, also.

• French martini

  • anya_sf on November 01, 2024

    Not sure what makes this French (Chambord?) or a martini (the glass?), but it was good.

• Million-dollar cocktail

  • anya_sf on May 28, 2026

    Quite enjoyable, fairly gin-forward, with a nice frothiness from the egg. I had artisanal grenadine which is darker and much less red than regular, and the resulting drink was an odd tan color.

• Paris

  • TrishaCP on November 17, 2019

    A nice cocktail - better for those who prefer things on the sweet side.

• Poinsettia

  • anya_sf on November 26, 2022

    Really nice, easy holiday drink. Inexpensive sparkling wine was fine. I wasn't sure about floating the Cointreau on top (vs mixing it in), but it worked.

• Presidente

  • Baxter850 on April 11, 2020

    Dry vermouth is an old spec although it can still make sense if you’re using Dolin. Thinking a cross of dry and blanc vermouth is the best option.

• City rickey

  • anya_sf on November 23, 2022

    Nice variation on a gin rickey. The quantities of club soda and cranberry juice aren't specified. I added a splash of cranberry, then filled the glass with soda, but ended up adding another splash of cranberry (but that would also depend on the size of the glass).

• Ritz cocktail

  • anya_sf on February 27, 2021

    Very enjoyable even with inexpensive sparkling wine. Drinking it made me feel fancy :-)

  • TrishaCP on March 11, 2023

    The citrus and the sparkling wine are wonderful together (We just used Prosecco.)

• Singapore sling

  • anya_sf on August 26, 2025

    Even with 2 oz pineapple juice, this version of a Singapore Sling was not overly sweet. Quite enjoyable.

• Stone fence

  • anya_sf on November 17, 2021

    I can't always tolerate bourbon, but I really liked this drink, made with Basil Hayden's. Nicely balanced. Half a drink was plenty for me though.

• Virgin kir royale

  • anya_sf on July 15, 2025

    I didn't really need a recipe for this, but the recipe's ratio was good. The lemon twist was also a nice touch.

• Zombie

  • Baxter850 on April 22, 2020

    These specs stray far from Donn’s although I haven’t tried it. The Essential Cocktail specs are much closer to Donn’s.