Nick's Picks: a nod to vintage cocktails

It's always fun to offer guests a variety of classic and new cocktails at events. Here are a handful of classic cocktail recipes that are simple to make and crowd pleasers:

The Americano
Mix 1 oz. Campari, 1/2 oz. sweet Vermouth, and club soda over ice in a highball. Garnish with an orange slice

The Gimlet
Combine 1.5 oz. gin, 1/2 oz. lime juice, garnish with a wedge of lime in the glass; serve over ice in an old fashioned

Harvey Wallbanger
1.5 ounces vodka, 4 ounces orange juice, 1/2 ounce Galliano, 1 orange slice for garnish
In a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes, combine the vodka and orange juice. Top with Galliano and garnish with orange slice

Pimms Cup *while this calls for more ingredients than the other cocktails, it can be made in large batches well ahead of your event and is a very refreshing drink
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups Pimm's No.1*
1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
2 Meyer lemons, thinly sliced
1 orange, halved, thinly sliced
1 6-inch-long piece cucumber, thinly sliced
1 3-inch-long piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups chilled club soda
Ice cubes
Cucumber spears (for garnish)
Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Combine Pimm's and next 6 ingredients in large pitcher. Mix in 1/2 cup sugar syrup, mashing slightly to release flavors. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Stir 1 1/2 cups club soda into pitcher. Fill 8 old-fashioned glasses with ice, then cocktail. Garnish with cucumber spears.
*this recipe courtesy of Epicurious
Enjoy! Nick

Photo by myrecipes.com