Playboy's Drink of the Summer

An interesting feature appeared in the July issue of Playboy magazine entitled "A Century on Ice". What a great concept: 100 years of summer drinks. They are separated by decade with some history and a recipe for each concoction. Since I know many of you out there are boozehounds like me (and many of you are not fortunate enough to have your wife buy you a subscription to this fine publication), I have included each recipe. Drink up the sun:

1907-1916: Mamie Taylor - Squeeze half a lime into a tall glass three quarters full of ice, drop in the lime shell, add two ounces of blended scotch and top off with chilled ginger ale. Stir briefly. Feel free to sing.

1917-1926: French 75 - Squeeze half a lemon into a cocktail shaker, add a teaspoon of superfine sugar, stir briefly and add one and a half ounces of gin. Shake well with plenty of ice, strain into a tall glass three quarters full of cracked ice and top off with chilled champagne.

1927-1936: Tequila Sunrise - Fill a tall glass three quarters of the way with ice, squeeze half a lime into it, add two bar spoons of grenadine, one bar spoon of creme de cassis and two ounces of white 100% agave tequila. Top off with club soda.

1937-1946: Singapore Sling - Fill a tall glass three quarters of the way with ice, squeeze half a lime into it, add two ounces of gin, half an ouce of Benedictine and half an ounce of Cherry Heering. Top it off with chilled club soda, stir briefly and garnish with a marashino cherry.

1947-1956: Salty Dog - Rub a piece of lemon around the rim of a tall glass and dip it in kosher salt. Fill the glass three quarters of the way with ice, add two ounces of vodka and top it off with grapefruit juice (the yellow, sweeter kind, not the pink stuff).

1957-1966: Mai Tai - Squeeze a lime into a cocktail shaker and add one ounce of dark Jamaican rum, one ounce of aged rum from Martinique, half an ounce of orange curacao and half an ounce of orgeat (almond) syrup. Fill the shaker with cracked ice, shake well and pour into a large rocks glass. Add one of the squeezed-out lime halves and a sprig of mint.

1967-1976: Harvey Wallbanger - Fill a tall glass three quarters of the way with ice, adding one and a half ounces of vodka and four ounces of chilled orange juice. Stir, then float one ounce of Galliano on top.

1977-1986: Miller Lite - Open can (or, if feeling sophisticated, bottle). Drink.

1987-1996: Vodka Tonic - Fill a tall glass three quarters of the way with ice, add two ounces of vodka, fill with chilled tonic water and perch a lime wedge on the rim of the glass. Have fun at Betty Ford.

1997-2006: Mojito - Put one teaspoon of superfine sugar in the bottom of a tall glass. Add six to eight mint leaves, muddle lightly, squeeze in the juice of half a lime, add two ounces of white rum and stir. Add ice and top off with chilled club soda and a straw.

2007: Paloma - Squeeze half a lime into a tall glass full of ice and drop in the squeezed-out shell. Add two ounces of reposado tequila and a pinch of kosher salt. Fill with grapefruit soda, stir and add a straw. Ahhhh....