This margarita replaces the traditional triple sec with a combination of bitter Aperol and floral elderflower. You can use your favorite elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germaine here. I tend to keep the less-expensive but still delicious St. Elder on hand for these purposes. I like to use a combination of kosher salt and sumac to coat the rim, and I prefer to coat only half the rim to allow for the option of sips with no salt. The sumac adds some visual interest and a subtle sour flavor, but is totally optional if you don’t have it on hand. This drink has a bitter edge to it, which is how I prefer my drinks. If you like your drinks on the sweeter side, use 3/4 ounce of both the Aperol and the elderflower liqueur.

The Clover Club is a lovely pre-Prohibition cocktail with gin, lemon, homemade raspberry syrup (which comes together quickly, but you'll want to make it at least a couple of hours or up to a week or so ahead of time). I like a London dry style gin here, such as Plymouth or Brokers, but it would work well just about any style of gin you like. I've included elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germain here, but it's an optional embellishment that you can leave out if you're going for tradition. The egg white adds lovely meringue-like texture. (P.S. If you need equipment, I like this kind of cocktail shaker, a hawthorne strainer, and this type of citrus juicer for making this drink.)

This drink is a pretty one featuring Prairie Organic Gin, sweet-tart grapefruit, orange liqueur, bubbles, and a layer of deep red Angostura bitters over the top. A light, bubbly, citrusy drink with some warm baking spice flavor from the bitters.

This drink is frequently made with lemons or limes. I prefer limes here. If you’re nervous about using raw egg white, you can always go with pasteurized eggs. The texture here is light and frothy and foamy, a bit like meringue. Some people make this with 3 ounces of pisco, but I think that’s too much. I’ve opted for 2 ounces here, which makes a balance I prefer, but you can do what you like. I’ve always made this with Angostura bitters, because I always have those on hand, but Amargo Chuncho bitters are more traditional. You could also go with your favorite variety of aromatic bitters if you’re the kind of person who has a favorite variety of aromatic bitters.

This drink is tart, light, and refreshing. It makes a great pre-dinner or brunch drink. Aperol is an Italian amaro that’s similar to Campari, but much milder with notes of bitter orange, rhubarb, and herbs. Use any gin you like here. I particularly like this drink with a gin that is heavy on the floral botanicals. Hendricks is a good widely available option, but a classic London Dry style gin like Beefeater would also be nice here. You could even leave the gin out entirely for an even lower alcohol drink. As I’ve mentioned before, my favorite kind of shaker is the two-piece metal kind, and I swear by a squeezer like this one for juicing lemons and limes.

This tiki drink is fruity but not too sweet. The sweetness of the pineapple is balanced with the sour of the lime juice and the herbal notes from the Fernet Branca. To make fresh pineapple juice without a juicer, you can puree pineapple chunks in a blender and then strain out the pulp with a fine mesh strainer. For squeezing limes, this is my weapon of choice. I prefer shaking drinks in a two-piece metal shaker, which is so much easier to open than the three-piece cobbler shakers you may be more familiar with.

This is a fruity, citrusy, sweet-tart cocktail that tastes like fresh pears. It’s a lovely and elegant drink for fall happy hours and gatherings. Meehan calls for Clear Creek Pear Brandy, which is excellent and is what I used here, but I’ve made it with other pear brandies and have been equally pleased with the results.

This drink is a bit like a classic daiquiri but more spicy and complex with a delightful sweet-tart balance.

Swedish punsch is a liqueur made with Batavia arrack, rum, and sugar and spices. It's big-flavored while remaining approachable, and it's a great bottle to have in your liquor cabinet.

There are many versions of this cocktail out there, some calling for lemon juice or orange juice, or different styles of rum or even gin.

But all versions agree on Swedish punsch and some form of citrus juice. You could keep it that simple if you prefer.

I like the version here, but if you try it and find it a bit too sharp, feel free to add in up to 1/2 ounce of rich simple syrup to smooth out the rough edges.

I like to serve this in a well-chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass.