A CLASSIC COCKTAIL COLLECTION

We have no quarrel with strawberry daiquiris, no complaint with pina coladas . Harvey Wallbangers and margaritas have their place. But when the order of the evening is elegance, it’s time to call upon the classics. From left: the refreshing combination of bourbon and mint in a frosty Mint Julep; a Gin Rickey with its crisp tang of lime; a crystal-clear Gibson; a cool, citrusy Orange Blossom; a topaz-colored Manhattan, and the sweet secret of a fizzy Champagne Cocktail. After all, who needs a paper umbrella stuck into a pineapple when a thin twist of lemon is so much more eloquent? For recipes, turn to Page 42.

GIBSON

1 1/2 ounces dry gin

1/2 ounce dry vermouth

Pickled pearl onion

Combine gin and vermouth. Stir well with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Serve with a pickled pearl onion. Makes 1 serving.

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

1 cube sugar

Dash Angostura bitters

1 each lemon-peel and orange-peel twists

Champagne Place sugar in champagne glass and sprinkle with bitters. Add lemon-peel and orange-peel twists and fill with champagne. Stir gently. Makes 1 serving.

ORANGE BLOSSOM

1 ounce dry gin

1 1/2 ounces orange juice

Powdered sugar, or sugar syrup, optional

Combine gin and orange juice. Stir well with cracked ice and strain into large cocktail glass. Add sugar, if desired. Makes 1 serving.

MANHATTAN

1 1/2 ounces whiskey

1/2 ounce dry vermouth

Dash Angostura bitters

Lemon-peel twist

Combine whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Stir well with ice and strain into glass. Add lemon-peel twist. Makes 1 serving.

MINT JULEP

2 sprigs fresh mint

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Club soda

1 ounce bourbon

Strip leaves from mint sprigs and muddle leaves in small glass with sugar. Add a small amount of club soda, muddle again, then add bourbon. Stir and strain into tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with additional sprigs of mint, if desired. Makes 1 serving.

OLD-FASHIONED

1 cube sugar

1 dash Angostura bitters

Lemon-peel twist

2 ounces whiskey

Place sugar cube in old-fashioned glass. Sprinkle with bitters. Add ice cubes and lemon-peel twist. Add whiskey. If desired, garnish with a cherry and an orange slice. Makes 1 serving.

RAMOS FIZZ

1 ounce gin

1 egg white, slightly beaten

2 ounces fresh cream or milk

3 dashes orange-flower water

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lime

Combine gin, egg white, cream, orange-flower water, lemon juice and lime juice in cocktail shaker. Shake well with ice and pour into chilled fizz glass. Makes 1 serving.

GIN RICKEY

Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

1 ounce gin

Club soda

Place an ice cube in a medium-sized tumbler. Add lemon juice. Add gin and fill with club soda. Makes 1 serving.

BRANDY STINGER

1 ounce brandy

1 ounce white creme de menthe

Combine brandy and creme de menthe in cocktail shaker and shake well over shaved ice. Strain into glass. Makes 1 serving.

TOM COLLINS

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 ounce dry gin

Place 2 or 3 ice cubes in a cocktail glass. Add lemon juice, sugar and gin. Stir gently. Makes 1 serving.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CARIN KRASNER / TRAY, CRYSTAL GLASSES AND VASE FROM DAVID ORGELL, BEVERLY HILLS; LINENS FROM PRATESI, BEVERLY HILLS; FLOOR TILES FROM COUNTRY FLOORS, LOS ANGELES