Your Base (Go-To, Can't Fail, Recovery from Disaster) Drink

[Chris Amirault]

So this one ended up in the sink. Then made this, with ingredients I always have on hand:

2 oz Rittenhouse rye

1 oz Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth

3 dashes Jerry Thomas Own Decanter Bitters

Stir with angrily cracked ice; strain; garnish with orange peel and a Luxardo maraschino cherry.

That rye Manhattan is my base drink. My "really, you're not an incompetent dork" drink. My "yes, today was hard, but all is well in the world" drink. My "sure, that drink you just tried to invent was appalling, but you still know how to prepare tasty libations" drink.

What's yours?

[weinoo]

It's a Manhattan also. Sometimes a perfect one, sometimes with a little rinse of Campari, etc. But a Manhattan nonetheless.

[johnder]

Would have to say Negroni for me. I always have gin, Campari and vermouth on hand,, so it is a no brainer.

My go to is equal parts:

Beefeater, Campari and M&R sweet. Rocks, Orange twist (not flamed)

I don't particularly like my Negronis with Antica as I think Antica is a bully in a drink, much in the same way maraschino is. I also like the stronger taste of beefeater or tanq in my Negronis. As much as i love plymouth it gets lost in the drink.

[johnder]

It's a Manhattan also. Sometimes a perfect one, sometimes with a little rinse of Campari, etc. But a Manhattan nonetheless.

You mean a Verrazano?

[Live It Up]

Mine is a Last word. The whole equal parts thing makes it pretty impossible to screw up, and it's a house favorite, so I always have the ingredients in the house. I've also noticed it's not particularly sensitive to substituting different gins.

edited for spelling

Edited March 12, 2011 by Live It Up (log)

[brinza]

Manhattan, Martini, or Gin & Tonic would all work for me in this situation. For those times when I want a tasty cocktail but I'm too tired to flip through the cocktail books or come up with something new, I have this thing I just throw together--sort of a quick and dirty Planter's Punch. I just take some dark rum, a little Falernum, a little lime juice, and Angostura bitters. Works every time.

[Chris Amirault]

Yeah, the Negroni and Fever Tree G&T should also be on my list.

[haresfur]

Old Fashioned, Americano, Dark and Stormy

[Big Mike]

The Manhattan is my standard winter drink, except I use Canadian Club (don't judge). I love Rye but it's still hard to find around my way and pricey as well. Sometimes I'll rinse the glass with Absinthe and turn it into a pseudo Sazerac. Summer's goto drink is a Negroni or a real Daiquiri, not the frozen gross sugar bomb that's spinning behind every bad college bar.

[jsmeeker]

A Manhattan, a Martini, or when I have some extra lemons, a Sidecar.