TASTElist

The Tom Collins is a fine old drink—cocktail writer David Wondrich notes how it turns up (in a slightly different form) in Jerry Thomas’s seminal Bon Vivant’s Companion of 1877. Wondrich cites the drink’s “simple elegance”: just gin, lemon juice, and sugar, topped off with fizzy water. What to buy: Finely milled superfine sugar dissolves rapidly, avoiding any risk of graininess in the finished drink.

A simple, refreshing mix of vodka and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (add a touch of simple syrup if your grapefruits are a bit too tart). To turn it into a Salty Dog, moisten the rim of the glass and dip in salt.

The ultimate hangover cocktail, a good Bloody Mary makes everything better. We’ve switched it up with tequila, pickled jalapeños, and an eye-opening dose of cayenne pepper. What to buy: Buy whole pickled jalapeños from a well-stocked market or Latin grocery, or make your own.

Mixing blueberries into the batter makes cornbread muffins seem lighter, moister, and definitely more fun, as if the jam’s been baked right in. Serve warm for breakfast or brunch with plenty of salted butter. Bake some Apple Muffins with Pecan Streusel and Donut Muffins and make it a party.

Famed New Orleans barman Henry C. Ramos is said to have invented this rich, potent, and frothy egg white and cream cocktail in the 1880s. Orange flower water gives it a lovely aroma.

This handy Vietnamese sauce does double duty as a dip for fried foods and a dressing for cold salads, such as this one with grilled shrimp. The sauce is a perfect balance of tangy and sweet, with fish-sauce umami and a little spike of heat. To tone down the fire, seed the chiles before mincing. For more intensity, double the amount of fish sauce and omit the water.

This is a classic, refreshing sparkler made with sloe gin, regular gin, and lemon juice, shaken and topped off with club soda. What to buy: Sloe gin is a red liqueur made from gin infused with sloes (also called blackthorn), a relative of plums.

A recipe for what we call the Americano goes as far back as 1861, when it was served at Gaspare Campari’s bar in Milan, says cocktail author Rob Chirico. During Prohibition the drink found favor with booze-deprived tourists from the U.S. and became known as the Americano or American Highball.

During the late 1990s, it was impossible to enter a bar and not hear a few ladies (and occasionally some dudes) declare, “I’ll have a Cosmo!” Nowadays, the drink carries a shroud of shame—it’s pink and passé after all—but it’s still a tasty cocktail that packs a punch.

Orange liqueur and Cognac-based Bénédictine are shaken with heavy cream in this after-dinner drink inspired by the flavors of a Creamsicle.

The best cake you've ever eaten!

What would a real NY cheesecake be without Philadelphia? Cheesecake with delicious homemade salted caramel and pretzels is the best combination that you've ever tried!