I was looking for a good whiskey cocktail and came across a recipe for Raymond Massey cocktails (named after an actor). Those are rye, ginger syrup, champagne, and lemon peel. Well I couldn’t find ginger syrup and my friend has a bad reaction to champagne (tragic) so we improvised!
I created these Spring Massey cocktails: rye whiskey, elderflower syrup, lime seltzer, lots of ice. Delicious!! 
Today is Mardi Gras, so make what’s known as the official cocktail of New Orleans! In the 1800s, apothecary owner Antoine Amedie Peychaud used to make his friends brandy toddies with his family’s bitters.