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That's why I said "most spirits are diluted with water before being bottled" -- certainly, there are exceptions, but for much of the whiskey in the marketplace, water is added to bring it down to bottle proof.

Actually, I'm not the Clamato type, though some folks like it that way. But as far as ruining the beer -- um, I don't think so. This is a pretty common drink in parts of Mexico and increasingly in the U.S.; many, many satisfied drinkers can't be all wrong.

Sorry, full article's not online yet (I'll put up a link once it is) -- a quick listing of the drinks is here:

http://offthepresses.blogspot.com/2010/05/imbibe-names-25-most-influential.html

Campari is an Italian amaro, or bitter liqueur, typically consumed as an aperitif. It's garnet-red and memorably bitter -- it'll scare the hell out of you the first time you taste it, but after a few tries it becomes absolutely captivating.

Here's the full wikipedia entry on Campari, and here's the site for Campari USA.

Counts as what, exactly?

Just because the fizz originated as a morning eye-opener around 150 years ago doesn't mean it's constrained to play that role for all time, does it? Historical applications aside, a fizz is flavorful, fizzy, and refreshing -- properties that are valuable even (or especially) after the sun goes down.

Hmm, I took that tidbit of info from the Washington Post story -- thanks for clearing up that detail.

@KinOfCain I second your recommendations on anything Black Maple Hill (my favorite rye out there) and Highland Park, and I need to check out the Lagavulin DE PX. Thanks for the suggestions!

It's going to depend on your taste -- don't break the bank on an expensive bottle, but also avoid the bottom shelf. I use a basic, no-frills Chalfonte VSOP, as I tend to mix it in cocktails rather than drink it neat. If purchasing one of the big brands -- Hennessey, Remy, Courvoisier, etc. -- a VS should do the trick without hurting your wallet too much, or if you want something a little more plush the Pierre Ferrand Ambre is a lovely cognac that is also quite reasonably priced.

Torani and Monin both make orgeat, so any place that sells syrups for coffee should have some. There are better brands on the market but they are a bit harder to find; some folks make their own, so there's also that option.

Green Chartreuse would work -- some versions call for that, but yellow is a bit gentler and doesn't take over the drink as much. But if all you have is green, then go for it.

C'mon, people, you don't have to try all of these over a three-day weekend. I've been exploring classic cocktails for more than six years, so that averages out to one "list" drink every few weeks -- probably not as "interesting" as @pookguy imagined (sorry to let you down, but thanks for the -- um, concern, I guess). Enjoy a couple of drinks every week -- less than what many people put away on a Friday night while waiting for the appetizers to arrive -- and as long as you don't keep making or ordering the same 15 drinks over and over, you can knock off every drink on this list in less than a year.

@likeswords -- Oops, sorry, thought I'd included that. Rich simple syrup is simply two parts sugar dissolved in one part water over medium heat and then cooled. In this drink (and many others), using Demerara sugar will give it a nice little flavor boost.

@rasellers0 -- You bring up a good point; many of these lists are limited to major cities such as NYC or SF. But the Esquire list reaches a bit farther beyond the "hip city" limits (unless places like Decatur, Georgia, Sarasota, Florida and Wellfleet, Mass. are way more hip than I realized). And, as noted, the bars on the list range from the $15 cocktail places you mention, all the way to places that pay their rent by selling $2 cans of PBR. Many lists may be guilty of the same sin, but some are more guilty than others.