Classic cocktails: The ones worth drinking first

Just as serious collectors struggle to verify the authenticity of a work of art, cocktail enthusiasts often tax themselves in search of legitimate classics. Recently, I received yet another email - this time from a young attorney in Southern California - asking how to identify truly classic drinks. Although there are no hard-and-fast rules, there are some guidelines, including the comforting default that if a drink truly tastes good then it might as well be enjoyed whether or not it has a verifiable pedigree.

People have always mixed, shaken, and stirred to their own taste, but there are certain levels - or degrees - in defining classic cocktails and mixed drinks. There are the truly rare drinks, such as the Ward Eight, which are still mixed as they were originally intended. Then there are drinks such as the Cuba Libre or the Martini, which are considered classics despite a few recipe changes along the way. Drinks such as the Margarita and the Daiquiri are examples of classic cocktails often made from recipes so bastardized that the resulting concoctions are no longer classics. Modern-day classics, such as the Jasmine and the Mauri, are drinks created after 1940 that uphold the traditions of great cocktails.

Unless you're especially knowledgeable about a drink's history, you'll be hard-pressed to figure out whether a particular drink recipe is authentic or not. For instance, we all accept that a Martini is a classic cocktail, but is it the same classic drink when mixed with particularly different portions of gin or dry vermouth? Well, that depends.... Dedicated mixologists and cocktail publications, especially those printed before 1950, are your best source for this kind of information. But for those occasions when you need to size up a concoction quickly, take a close look at - or listen to - the drink's recipe, which should include the following elements to be considered a classic.

First off, a classic cocktail or mixed drink must have a main ingredient - a primary liquor - such as rum, gin, or whiskey, that serves either as a base or as a backdrop ingredient to emphasize the drink's other ingredients. The main liquor should account for about half the volume of the ingredients in a cocktail. In a mixed drink, the main ingredient should make up about a third of the total volume. Usually, there's only one base ingredient in a drink, though there are a few exceptions, such as the Maiden's Prayer, which highlights both gin and rum. Always be wary of a drink containing more than two main liquors.

Imbibers should be able to detect the base's flavor in a finished cocktail; however, it should never dominate the drink - meaning that the drink must be balanced. Mixers partly achieve this by using only spirits that range from 70 to 100 proof as bases.

Classic cocktails and many mixed drinks also rely on modifiers - sometimes made with alcohol, sometimes not - to achieve their unique and memorable characteristics. Any spirit can be used as a modifier, though rectified (or flavored) spirits are most common. Cointreau and maraschino liqueur are by far the most useful modifiers made with alcohol, and when included in a drink recipe, almost always signal a classic. They are slightly sweet, yet give a finish that is either citrus or flowery.

When discerning the authenticity of a cocktail, remember that all classic cocktails are aperitifs, so they won't be overly sweet. However, many tall, classic mixed drinks, such as the Mojito and the Mint Julep, are somewhat sweet. For classic cocktails, Campari, Punt e Mes, and Suze are the bitter herbal counterparts to Cointreau and maraschino. I have yet to come across these liqueurs in anything but a classic drink.

Wines such as vermouth, sherry, port, and madeira are good modifiers as well. Many are naturally sweet and have complex flavors that lend themselves to mixing with spirits. There are also countless aperitif and fortified wines, such as Lillet, Dubonnet, and St. Raphael, that work well as secondary liquors, and, again, typically signify a classic cocktail.

The use of small amounts of modifiers - always less than half the volume of the base - takes the undesirable edge off a spirit. Because of the taste of most modifiers - either extremely sweet or extremely bitter - a little goes a long way. If a drink makes your cheeks pucker or causes discomfort in your throat as it goes down, then it's either a classic that's been made incorrectly or it's not a classic at all.

Modifiers made without alcohol most commonly include fresh citrus juices. Fresh-squeezed juice, with its essential oils and bitters from the pith, is often what truly distinguishes a classic cocktail or mixed drink from anything else made behind the bar. Many of today's copycat cocktails are made with concentrated or packaged mixers. Even if a drink's proportions are true to a classic recipe, the substitution of canned or concentrated juices will ruin it.

Another component of a classic cocktail or mixed drink is the accent, which, despite its many forms, always adds a subtle complexity to a drink. Accents are derived from pungent bitters, fresh-fruit garnishes, and dashes and drops of just about anything. The orange-flower water in a Ramos Fizz is a good example of a unique accent.

The final, often overlooked element of all classic drinks is water. Cocktails and mixed drinks rely on a certain amount of dilution for balance. Never let anyone tell you that gin from the freezer and an olive make a Martini. Drinks can be ruined by not using ice as a source of water. In mixed drinks, the ice is also needed to keep the drink cool and palatable. Ice - even when merely shaken or stirred with a potable's ingredients - will contribute about 1/3 ounce water to a cocktail.

As with all things, there are always exceptions. The Daiquiri and the Manhattan only utilize four of the five components of a cocktail, but they still manage to achieve that perfect balance which ultimately makes each a classic. And, of course, spirits sipped straight or on the rocks have always been the epitome of the classic drink.