Vodka

The story goes that Southsides were invented at New York City's "21" Club during Prohibition, when bootleggers from Chicago's South Side were among the restaurant's customers. The original recipe called for gin and lemon juice, but today the cocktail  — still popular at "21"  — is also made with vodka or rum. Our variation substitutes lime juice for lemon juice and leaves the choice of spirits open.

The beef bouillon makes this robust cocktail a little more bullish than its cousin, the Bloody Mary.

Set that flavored Martini aside. Sake cocktails are the drink of the moment. You may be accustomed to drinking sake warm, but why not chill out instead with this cool concoction, courtesy of L.A. hot spot Sushi Roku? (The drink is best made with a good-quality sake, such as Ozeki, the brand the restaurant uses.)

Omit the alcohol for a kid-friendly drink.

This refreshing cocktail can be a dessert, but it is also a great brunch drink. In Italy, Lucia likes to use Italian sparkling wine (such as spumante) instead of Champagne.

Lemon Gin Cocktail