The Great Pumpkin

1. 1. Fill shaker with ice
2. 2. Add two shots of rye
3. 3. Add a piece of toast's worth of pumpkin preserves
4. 4. Shake it like it's not a newborn baby
5. 5. Pour over ice
6. 6. Drown in gingerbeer

This is a variation on another cocktail I like, the Ten Five, but it uses pumpkin instead of fig. The pumpkin preserves come from Trader Joe's, which I had to buy because I have no freedom when it comes to autumnal things.

The Drink Commonly Referred to as the Orange Oasis

1. 1. Fill shaker with ice
2. 2. Add a shot of gin
3. 3. Add a shot of orange juice
4. 4. Add half a shot of triple sec orange liqueur
5. 5. Add half a shot of lime juice
6. 6. Add a liberal dash of grenadine
7. 7. Shake, pour over ice

I have no idea what to call this drink. It's very orange forward (obviously) and has the color of an orange dreamsicle. It's been one of my favorites this past summer, and I fix it at least once a week.

Bee's Knees

1. 1. Fill about 1/3 of a shot glass with honey
2. 2. Fill the remainder of the glass with water
3. 3. Pour the contents into a microwave safe container, stir, and microwave for 45 seconds
4. 4. Pour your fresh honey simple syrup into a shaker
5. 5. Add two shots of gin
6. 6. Add a shot of lemon juice
7. 7. Shake, pour over ice

This is an old prohibition era cocktail, and one of my summertime favorites. Make sure you follow the steps above to create the honey simple syrup-- otherwise the honey will just stick to the ice. Shaking well will aerate the honey and give you a nice froth. Enjoy on a porch and listen to the cicadas.

Mint Julep

1. 1. Muddle 5 or 6 fresh mint leaves in a cup
2. 2. Add a half shot of simple syrup
3. 3. Add a shot and a half of bourbon
4. 4. Fill glass with crushed ice
5. 5. Garnish with a sprig of mint
6. 6. Put on a fancy hat and watch the Derby

It's supposed to be taken in a pewter cup or something, but nobody has pewter cups. It's basically minty bourbon, so make sure you like the bourbon you're using. The stuff I'm using is absolutely delicious, despite the startlingly high ABV.

Kentucky Sunrise

1. 1. Fill glass with ice about 3/4 up
2. 2. Add shot of bourbon
3. 3. Add 3 shots of orange juice
4. 4. Add half a shot of triple sec
5. 5. Add a quarter shot of grenadine and let it all settle
6. 5. Garnish with a maraschino cherry

It's basically a tequila sunrise, but using bourbon instead of tequila. Use cheap bourbon, as the orange juice and grenadine will overpower the more subtle flavors.

White Lady

1. 1. Fill shaker with ice
2. 2. Add shot of gin
3. 3. Add 2/3 shot of cointreau
4. 4. Add 1/2 shot of lemon juice
5. 5. Shake
6. 6. Strain into an empty vessel and drink

This is a pretty old cocktail, so there is a lot of variation. I like it to be a bit more gin forward-- the lemon and cointreau can be overpowering. Feel free to garnish with a lemon peel, or get fancy with some egg white. But I enjoy the austere whiteness here.

Applejack Old Fashioned

1. 1. Place a sugar cube and 2-3 dashes of Angostura in a glass
2. 2. Add maraschino cherry and fresh orange slice
3. 3. Muddle thoroughly, being careful not to crush the orange rind
4. 4. Add a bit of ice, up to about 1/3 of the glass' height
5. 5. Cover with 2-3 fingers of applejack, depending on the quality of your day
6. 6. Float sprite on top
7. 5. Garnish with an orange slice and two maraschino cherries

This is a very sweet rendition of a traditional brandy old fashioned you'll find anywhere in Wisconsin. Applejack is difficult to find, so substitute your favorite apple brandy if necessary.

Pink Angel

1. 1. Fill a shaker with ice
2. 2. Add a shot of gin, a shot of milk, half a shot of triple sec, and a quarter shot of grenadine
3. 3. Shake until shaker gets frosty
4. 4. Strain into glass

Some kind of heavy cream would probably do a bit better here, but in classic Denver Dodgeball tradition, we use milk. Another very sweet drink, so proceed with caution.

Jack Rose

1. 1. Put ice in glass
2. 2. Add shot of applejack, quarter shot of lemon juice, quarter shot of grenadine
3. 3. Stir
4. 4. Garnish with a twist of lemon rind, if you have one

This is the classic applejack cocktail, mentioned a couple times in The Sun Also Rises, one of my all time favorite books. From what I can tell, it fell out of popularity a hundred years ago so good luck ordering this in a bar. The grenadine works overtime here to balance the applejack and lemon juice, so adjust ratios accordingly to fit your taste.