The process of cocktail creation...

The vast majority of drinks have an origin in another drink. This is true of most things in life, but in cocktails in particular, you can follow a drink's path through the ages just by looking at its construction. Look at the similarities between drinks. The Margarita is a Sidecar with tequila and lime instead of cognac and lemon. The Cosmopolitan is just Kamikaze with a splash of cranberry juice and Roses lime juice instead of fresh lime juice. A Vodka Martini is a Martini with Vodka instead of Gin.

As a budding mixologist, you should have a repertoire of drinks that are your own. A chef should know about the tried and true recipes of yesteryear and his own collection of secret gems. A bartender is the same thing. In creating a new cocktail, the past is a good place to start.

Let me give you an example of a drink evolution that happened over time in my hands. First we start with the mojito. They are sweet, yet fresh and light, all while being incredibly alcoholic.

Mojito:
Muddle the following:

• 2 bar spoon simple syrup
• 5 - 6 large mint leaves
• 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
• 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Add:

• 2.5 oz. White Rum

Shake with ice, fine strain over ice in an old fashioned glass, top with club soda.
Garnish with a sprig of mint

I love this drink and I celebrate it every spring with a dedicated Mojito party. I like to say that Mojito actually means "glass full of Rum" since they are so damned potent if made correctly.

One spring at my Mojito party, I ran out of Rum (cardinal sin, I know). It was towards the end of the night but I wanted another Mojito. What was I to do? Easy. Break out the Gin.

If you go through the exact same recipe above, but substitute Gin for Rum and a splash of ginger ale for the splash of club soda, you get a Gin Ginger Mojito. After a little more experimentation, I also discovered that I prefer this drink with Peychaud's Bitters instead of Angostura. Sounds good, right?

Next we are going to take a further departation from the traditional Mojito. Stay with me for this one as it is a rather radical departation. I chose this though because the mint is an easy common thread to follow so you can still see the history of this drink.

Late Spring Night:
Muddle the following:

• 2 bar spoon of simple syrup
• 5 - 6 large mint leaves
• 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
• 3 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters

Add:

• 2 oz. Tanqueray Rangpur Gin

Shake with ice, fine strain over ice in a cocktail glass with an Absinthe rinse.
Garnish with a lemon twist

This drink pulls from both a Mojito and a Sazerac. The Peychaud's/Absinthe rinse combination is a classic Sazerac move. The muddled Mint/Sugar/citrus is a classic Mojito move. Gin is just good, clean and refreshing. The end result is a very delicious summer drink that will wow your friends and relatives. It is served up, and has a slightly pink louche effect. It is very cool and distinctive in both taste and appearance.

So the lesson is this: Take a second look at your classics and ask yourself what you can change, knowing what flavor combinations have potential, to create something new and unique.