Drink Like A Lady

Cocktails: more than just girly drinks. Ladies have been mixing and serving up these knock-you-down concoctions since before your gramps started drinking whiskey for breakfast.

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Once upon a Colonial time, a tavern worker added a rooster feather to a drink she was serving up, or so the story goes.

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Meet Ada Coleman, bar mistress extraordinaire

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While not our Colonial Era hero of feather garnishes, Ada Coleman is the lady you have to thank for your giggles every time you order a Hanky Panky at the bar.

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No, seriously, she's legit.

Via liquor.com

Here's some Hanky Panky for you, straight outta London's Savoy Hotel.

1 1/2 oz Gin

1 1/2 oz Sweet vermouth

2 dashes Fernet-Branca

Stir it up and garnish with an orange twist! And if you really want to go all Ada Coleman on this, substitute cognac for gin and see where the night takes you.

Still thirsty?

How about a Pisco Sour--Three Ways--to brighten your day? This one is courtesy of Lynnette Marrero, another lady hero of the potables.

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Pisco Sour, the Classic

Via tastingtable.com

2 ounces BarSol Pisco

3/4 ounce simple syrup (1:1 ratio)

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1 small egg white

Ice

Angostura bitters

In a cocktail shaker, combine the pisco, simple syrup, lemon juice, lime juice and egg white. Dry-shake to emulsify the egg white. Fill the shaker with ice and shake again, then strain into a chilled coupe. Top with a few drops of bitters and use a straw to create a swirling pattern like that fancy cappuccino art that's taken over your Instagram feed. Serve.

It's all about channeling your inner Emma Thompson

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With a Twist

Via tastingtable.com

1 1/2 ounces BarSol Pisco

3/4 ounce lime juice

1 tablespoon rose-petal jam

1 drop Bittermen's Burlesque bitters

1 egg white

Ice

1 ounce rosé Champagne

Grated cinnamon

Dried rose petal (if you're feeling fancy)

In a cocktail shaker, combine the pisco, lime juice, rose-petal jam, bitters and egg white. Dry-shake to emulsify the egg white. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and shake well, then strain into a chilled coupe. Add the Champagne to the shaker, swirl to rinse, then strain it onto the top of the cocktail. Garnish with the grated cinnamon and the dried rose petal.

Or skip the rose petal, because ain't nobody got time for that.

Gonzo (half drink, half dessert!)

Via tastingtable.com

You have to really be feeling fancy-pants ambitious for this one, but it's so worth it.

1/4 cup finely grated lime zest, plus more for serving

1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest, plus more for serving

1 1/2 cups superfine sugar

1/2 teaspoon rose water

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup club soda

1 egg white

1/4 cup BarSol Pisco

2 dashes Angostura bitters, plus more for serving

Pinch of freshly grated cinnamon, plus more for serving

6 hollowed-out lime or lemon halves

Find the rest of the recipe here!

Talking to you, you delicious booze/sorbet-stuffed citrus halves...

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And to kick that last drop of sobriety...

How about one more, this one from Meaghan Dorman of The Raines Law Room in NYC. It even has a punch of absinthe on it for the happiest of hours.

The Self-Starter

Via content.time.com

Build in mixing glass:

1/2 oz apricot liqueur

1 oz cocci americano

1 1/2 oz Plymouth gin

Add ice and stir. Strain into an absinthe-rinsed chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel.

Meaghan calls this one a "a gin and tonic drinker's martini." Sign me up.

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Post inspired by this upcoming event on women bartenders in Washington, DC