I don’t drink much hard alcohol -too tired to stand up to it- but cocktails are fun in the summertime, and I was inspired by the creative concoctions highlighted in this Wednesday’s NYT Dining section.

Consider the following:

1) Guadalajara Sour- 1¾ oz blanco tequila
  ¾ oz lemon juice
  ¾ oz simple syrup
  ¾ oz chilled rose’
Combine the tequila, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice, and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over fresh ice. Hold a spoon with its back side facing up on the surface of the drink and slowly pour the rose’ over it.

2) Cherry Caipirissima- ¾ oz simple syrup
3 cherries, pitted and halved
half a lime, cut into quarters
2 oz white rum
In a cocktail shaker, press and mix the simple syrup, cherries and lime quarters with a muddler or wooden spoon. Add the rum and 6 ice cubes. Shake hard and pour everything into a rocks glass.

3) Take 3- 2 oz Cynar
¾ oz St. Germain liqueur
¾ oz lemon juice
chilled seltzer
1 orange wedge, for garnish
Combine the Cynar, St. Germain and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top with seltzer and garnish with the orange wedge.

I am also an enormous fan of:

Vodka Gimlets (hate gin*)

the French 75 (made with Vodka rather than gin)

Champagne Cocktails

*In typical college party idiocy, I did shots of gin. This, unsurprisingly, did not end well, and I have never since had gin.