“It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard drinking people.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Ironic words from a writer who battled the demons of alcohol his entire life. Indeed, Fitzgerald would often take to introducing himself at parties as “one of the most notorious drinkers of the younger generation” or even better, as “F. Scott Fitzgerald, the well-known alcoholic.”

That said, Fitzgerald’s most accomplished and famous work has once again been adapted for the silver screen, with Leo DiCaprio and Toby Maguire replacing Robert Redford and Sam Waterston as Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway. Never one to miss an opportunity for new drinks, the folks at Wild Turkey supplied us with a few new cocktail ideas inspired by one of America’s greatest novels.

Hotsy-Totsy
Created by Dushan Zaric, Employees Only and Macao Trading Co.
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Wild Turkey 81 Rye whiskey
¾ oz. ruby port
5 drops of orange blossom water
2 dashes of orange bitters

Stir all ingredients, except orange blossom water, in a mixing glass briefly. Add 5 drops orange blossom water over ice in rocks glass. Strain liquid in mixing glass into rocks glass. Garnish with ground cinnamon and an orange half-wheel.

Campari Cucumber Cocktail
Created by Eric Alperin
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. gin
½ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup
2 bruised/cracked slices of English cucumber
1 cucumber wheel
seltzer water (to top)

Build all ingredients into a shaker tin. Crack or lightly bruise the two slices of cucumber into the tin. Lightly mix the ingredients with a piece of ice. Strain the ingredients into a Collins glass with ice. Top with seltzer, garnish with a cucumber wheel, and add a straw.

La Floridita No. 3
1 ½ oz. Flor de Caña 4 Year Old White Rum
½ oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. maraschino liqueur
1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

Shake with ice, and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry.

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