There is a very fine distinction between a good stiff belt and a cocktail worthy of that moment of pause. That pause that comes just before you pick up the stem, close your eyes and lift the glass to your lips. That brief, unconscious pause allows for the inhalation of the electric current that floats right above, or sits right on top the surface of a perfectly mixed beauty.

A proper cocktail is not so much about tying one on. Though the quality and content of the alcohol is a vital element in its success. Cocktails are meant to amplify a moment. Either by ritualistically marking the end of the workday, or as a social lubricant designed to loosen your loquaciousness or awaken your appetite.

In my opinion these are the very best sorts of cocktails. They are bracing and bold, but that doesn't mean heavy-handed. Balance and proportion are the elements that elevate.

However, good stiff belts and proper cocktails are not the only liqurious libations to pass my palate. There is room for other sorts of alcoholic beverages too. Many of these are served over rocks, but they can also be shaken, stirred or strained. They can even be served in a proper cocktail glass.

The Martini! The illustrious Martini. It has a glamorous allure few cocktails can match. It achieves its special brand of alchemy by balancing the sharpness of juniper berries in excellent gin, with the earthy herbal qualities of good vermouth.

The ratios are very important– and much discussed. Though Steve Allen may have famously quipped, ‘Do not allow children to mix drinks, it is unseemly and they always use too much vermouth’. In truth there is some room for personal preference regarding the exact balance of gin to vermouth.

Lately the style has been to make Martinis a bit too dry in my opinion. Many great mixologists recommend swirling the vermouth in the shaker, then discarding it. I personally disagree with this method. A classic Martini has 1/2-ounce vermouth to 2 ounces of gin; a dry martini should have about 1/4-ounce vermouth.

And speaking of shakers, despite what James Bond may have said, a true Martini is never shaken. It is always stirred. A shaken Martini is properly called a Bradford. I have another great quote that I believe puts the shaken or stirred question to rest. It comes from W. Somerset Maugham. He said, ‘Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously on top of each other’. I sensuously agree!

The classic lime Gimlet is a pale yellowish-green gin cocktail of near perfect proportions. It's sweet and tart with a slight herbal quality that comes from good gin.

It is typically served shaken with ice and strained into a stemmed cocktail glass. Most of the "old-school" versions are made with Rose's lime juice which is a super sweet ingredient with an interesting history all its own. But I like them less sweet and usually use fresh lime juice sweetened to taste with a bit of simple syrup.

The classic version of this cocktail got its name from a small tool that was once used on board British naval ships to tap into spirits barrels. It was standard for the sailors who spent many months at sea to mix their rations of gin with the mandatory daily dosage of lime juice as a way fight scurvy. I have an entire post dedicated to the classic Gimlet. It can be read by CLICKING Here.

But today I am feeling a bit creative. So I am transforming the classic Gimlet with a bit of basil simple syrup. It makes this version into a super summery cocktail, ideal for poolside entertaining in some warm weather location like say, Palm Springs. Which is where I am and what I happen to be doing at the moment.