It's Cocktail Week at The Kitchn!

Last week it was ice cream. This week, it's cold, icy, and sometimes alcoholic drinks. We have plenty of cold ones ready for you, and a few surprises too. What would you like to read about during Cocktail Week?

We have lots and lots of recipes, reviews, and other good things coming up this week. And it won't all be alcoholic; there will be lots of virgin cocktails and even a new non-alcoholic wine substitute.

We also want to welcome a few guest writers to the site this week. We invited some writers and bloggers to audition for a spot on The Kitchn's expanding team. You will be seeing plenty of posts this week during our Kitchn Talent Search, so please welcome these guest bloggers!

So stay tuned, and please do tell us:

Pictured above:
• Icy-Cool Green Tea Mojitos
• Lillet Sin Cocktail
• 20 Summer Cocktails with Fresh Herbs
• All About Gin and Tonics

(Images: See linked posts for full image credits)

Comments (10)

I would love to see a post wherein you guys experiment with at least 3 different ways of making a martini -- shaken over ice, stirred or just pouring vermouth into vodka. Also, one thing I've been wondering about for a while now is: when you're shaking a cocktail, how long are you supposed to shake it to get the right mixture of ice water? That is, should I shake a martini for 10 seconds or 30 seconds to get the best flavor and chill?

I recently made two totes delish Summer Cocktails featuring homemade infused vodka: Cucumber Lime Basil Martini and The Rosebud.

The Rosebud is my interpretation of a drink I had at Cucina Urbana (one of the hottest restaurants in SD right now). I think it would be interesting if AT featured cocktail recipes from top restaurants around the US.

Thanks!
Brandon

Woohoo! I can't wait for this week. I keep meaning to host a "happy hour" at my home.

I have a very specific question - my baby brother is turning 21 and I'd like to get him some high-quality bar tools. My budget is about $100. What do you/the readers recommend?

Bar tools, that is a great idea. I've been making more cocktails recently and I'm starting to wonder if there are some essential tools that I should have (aside from the shaker).

I would love to see some drink recipes that don't call for special infused liquors. I'm not saying ban them altogether, but I've been getting miffed lately seeing recipes for cocktails I want to try only to find out that it uses special honey vodka, or cucumber infused rum. If it's something I'm not sure I'll like, I'd rather not buy a special bottle.

Awesome! I just finished a week-long cocktail course and have become obsessed with cocktails!

I loooooove gin and tonic.

Would love some simple and straitforward recipes. My bar cabinet is small so a cocktail with 3 kinds of bitters ain't gonna happen. :)

A response to Barbara:

My experience has been that generally, if you are shaking a cocktail, 10 to 15 seconds is about right. Stirring, you'll want about 30 seconds. :)

I am looking for a good shooter using fresh purée d fruits