Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide

White whiskey is none other than moonshine or white lightning, which isn't colored because it hasn't been aged in wood.

Creamy and lush, the Brandy Alexander is a now-familiar after-dinner drink. However, you might want to get to know the original version, made with gin.

The term “Knickerbocker” may be a bit unfamiliar to anyone who isn't from the Northeast. Historically speaking, New Yorkers come in 2 main varieties: Yankees and Knickerbockers. Yankees were the Puritan, Sabbath-keeping New Yorkers who liked to go to bed early and refrain from worldly pleasures. Knickerbockers were the antithesis of that. It's fitting really that there should be a cocktail named after them. The Knickerbocker Special is another great summer drink with a much more lush flavor profile than most other rum-based cocktails. The grenadine provides a much darker taste and balances out the citrus, which tends to dominate in many drink recipes. If you really want to channel the Knickerbockers, try replacing the grenadine with raspberry syrup for an old school twist.

Think of the Chi-Chi as the Piña Colada's drier cousin. Pineapple and coconut lend a similar flavor profile to that of the Piña Colada, while the use of vodka instead of rum cuts back on the sugar. A good way to dip your toes in the water for those who aren't necessarily huge tiki fans, and a great alternative for anyone who gets a stomach ache after too many sugary drinks. This drink is generally credited to Donn Beach, or as most people knew him, “Don the Beachcomber”, who founded several tiki bars and restaurant and influenced the tiki fad a great deal in the 40s and 50s. For a truly authentic version, don't hold back on the garnishes. If you're feeling extra festive, you might even try serving your Chi-Chis in hollowed out pineapples. Although, glasses work just as well.

The Salty Dog is a slight variation on the Greyhound, which is simply gin or vodka with grapefruit juice. The flavor profile of gin tends to have much more depth than that of vodka, but hey, to each his or her own, right? All you need to do to transform your Greyhound into a Salty Dog is add a salted rim. Salt and gin might sound like an odd combination, but the salt really interacts with the grapefruit juice. If straight grapefruit is too sour for your taste, you can always add a dash of simple syrup to tone it down. Just be careful and don't overdo it, or you'll cancel out the salt.

From this we can see that the Martini, containing just gin, sweet vermouth, and bitters, was really a gin version of the Manhattan. And like the Manhattan, when ordered normally it would be made with sweet vermouth, and when ordered "dry" with dry (French) vermouth.

Every Smash is a Julep, but not every Julep is a Smash—sort of like that rule about squares and rectangles that you learned in geometry class. We'll spare you all the historical details about what distinguishes the two though. Truth be told, in some cases it's a question of presentation. Smashes, like Sours or Daisies, can be made with any kind of base spirit, but whiskey is generally preferred. This minty cooler makes a great daytime beverage, and is simple enough to whip up even if you've already had a couple. Historically, Smashes included fruit, and many bars will muddle lemon into theirs. This adds a nice citrusy bite to the drink, but also brings it closer to a minty whiskey sour. However you prefer yours, the Whiskey Smash is the perfect libation summer afternoon.