Five Upgraded Ways to Serve Classic Cocktails

French 75

2 oz. London dry gin  |  ¾ oz. lemon juice |  ¾ oz. simple syrup  |  2 oz. champagne |  Long lemon twist

Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. Strain cocktail into a coupe. Top with champagne; garnish with a lemon twist.

Tray 
British designer Luke Edward Hall brings a fun-loving spirit to the home barscape with his trompe l’oeil trays for
the Lacquer Company in five vivacious hues, including yellow ($195–$450; thelacquercompany.com).  

Glasses 
Lobmeyr first designed these elegant hand-blown Austrian crystal coupes in 1917 ($145 each; tableartonline.com).

Napkin
The unusual shape and delicate hand-embroidered scallops distinguish this denim-blue linen cocktail napkin by Julia B. ($195 for a set of eight; juliab.com).

Bloody Mary

For one pitcher (about 10–12 drinks):
1 (46-oz.) bottle V8 juice |  2 tbsp. black pepper |  2 tbsp. grainy mustard  |  1 tbsp. granulated garlic |  3 tbsp. pork jus or beef stock |  3 tbsp. lime juice |  5 tbsp. lemon juice  |  7 tbsp. hot sauce |  4 tbsp. green hot sauce |  3 tbsp. red wine vinegar |  2 tbsp. olive brine |  3 tbsp. pickled okra brine |  Vodka 

Combine all ingredients except vodka in a pitcher and stir. Fill glasses with ice, and add 2 oz. vodka to each. Fill with Bloody Mary mix and stir. Garnish with pickled okra and a celery stalk.

Mix 
Starrsville, Georgia-based, Sister’s Sauce has everything you want in a classic Bloody Mary mix if you are not up for making your own, but leaves out unwanted additions like MSG and high-fructose corn syrup ($24 for two bottles;
sisterssauce.com).  

Garnish 
Yes, there is such a thing as pork panko, from the folks at Bacon’s Heir. Use it to rim your glass, and don’t forget the pickled okra; you can thank us later ($8 for three bags; baconsheir.com).

Picks 
Leave it to North Carolina designer Amanda Ray Danko of Lost Cove Jewelry to create solid brass cocktail picks, as simple and delicate as her necklaces and earrings ($30 for a set of four; lostcovejewelry.com).  

Glass 
Color matters with a Bloody Mary, so a clear highball glass with little decoration, like this minimalist design by Juliska, is a must ($29 each; juliska.com).

Michelada

2 dashes Tabasco |  2 dashes Worcestershire sauce |  ¼ oz. soy sauce |  2 to 3 oz. lime juice  |  1 dash black pepper  |  1 bottle Mexican beer, such as Modelo Especial     

Rim a 20-oz. glass with salt and fill halfway with ice cubes. Combine all ingredients except beer into the glass and garnish with a lime wheel. Serve the beer on the side, and add to the cocktail to taste.

Glasses 
Sempli designed these crystal beer glasses with an inverted base to enhance effervescence ($55; sempli.com).   

Bottle Opener 
Unlock the flavor of an ice-cold beer with this clever brass opener from Jayson Home ($36; jaysonhome.com).

Coasters 
The mod black-and-white stripes on these graphic porcelain coasters are one of the calling cards of potter Jonathan Adler ($78 for a set of four; jonathanadler.com).

Mint Julep

½ oz. superfine sugar  |  1 oz. hot water |  8 mint leaves, plus one sprig  |  2 oz. bourbon
Dissolve sugar in hot water in a julep cup. Add mint leaves and press them lightly with a barspoon or a muddler. Add bourbon, fill the cup with crushed or cracked ice, and stir. Place the mint sprig in the ice alongside a straw.

Cup 
This year, instead of the traditional julep cup, why not
try something new (and a little bigger) with any of the vintage sterling-silver handled designs by Corbell Silver ($250–$300; ggfieldshop.com).  

Shaker 
Brass and silver finishes combine to dramatic effect in this shaker by Ralph Lauren Home ($225; ralphlauren.com).  

Spoon 
A gunmetal-black finish on this spoon/straw hybrid by Viski both dresses up your julep and helps keep the ingredients properly mingled ($14; viski.com).   

Muddler 
Release the natural oils in fresh mint leaves with this handmade muddler by Half Feral Studio in North Carolina ($40; penland.org).

Old-Fashioned

½ oz. demerara or brown sugar syrup |  2 dashes Angostura bitters |  2 oz. bourbon  | 1 large ice cube  |  1 sturdy lemon peel

Coat glass with syrup. Add bitters and bourbon, then ice just before serving. Flag with lemon peel. 

Decanter and Glasses 
Etched motifs decorate the base of the decanter ($550) and the old-fashioned glasses ($120 each) from the Irish artisans at J. HILL’s Standard (ggfieldshop.com) .  

Ice Bucket 
The Birmingham woodworking company Alabama Sawyer designed this handsome octagonal ice bucket using wood from downed cherry trees ($350; ggfieldshop.com).

Jigger 
This double jigger from the Wine House marries the warmth of wood grain and the modern appeal of stainless steel ($18; thewinehouse.com).