Brandy and rum come together in spectacular fashion in the Embassy cocktail. It's a wonderful classic drink recipe from the 1930s that was featured at Hollywood's Embassy Club.

The Sidecar is a pre-Prohibition classic that features cognac, orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice. It has stood the test of time and remains in heavy rotation today at bars and in homes around the world. If you like the Sidecar, you should meet its lesser-known cousin, the Between the Sheets.

Some of the greatest drinks in the mixological canon are deceptive in their simplicity. Consider the Old Fashioned, the Daiquiri, the gin Martini—preparing a cup of coffee in the morning is more complicated than making these drinks. But through the basic combination of two or three ingredients, with some ice thrown in for excitement, a perfect match of flavors can be achieved.