Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide

Harry Craddock, an American bartender who landed at Londona's Savoy after Prohibition, chronicled many of his creations in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.

The XYZ cocktail is about as simple as it gets as far as cocktails go. This simplistic but refreshing recipe is an easy fix if your bar is running low, and you need to entertain. One of the great things about this cocktail is that, with an ingredient list this uncomplicated, you can really experiment with different styles of rum. The actual recipe calls for light rum, which will provide a light, clean flavor profile. But this drink is easy to experiment with. Using different styles of rum will showcase their various flavor profiles. If you're looking to play around with different types of rum but don't necessarily care for rum on its own, this cocktail could prove an invaluable tool for you.

The Mai-Tai is a bit of a drama queen, to be honest. The first one was created in 1933 by Don the Beachcomber at his restaurant in Hollywood. Eleven years later Victor J. Bergeron created a different drink by the same name at his eponymous California restaurant, Trader Vic's. For the sake of time, we'll spare you all the details. Just know that both men claimed to have created this cocktail. According to legend, the first person to taste Trader Vic's version cried out “Maita'i roa ae!” which translates roughly to “Out of this world! The best!” or something along those lines. Don't worry though, you don't need to speak Tahitian to enjoy it. The Mai-Tai has been butchered over the years, and many bars will serve you something neon with an umbrella if you order one. A true Mai-Tai is rich, amber, and rum-heavy—tiki style at its finest.