Guest Bartender: Make the Stay Up Late with Theo Lieberman of Lantern's Keep

[Photographs: Alice Gao]

I'm pretty likely to love a drink called the Stay Up Late for the name alone, but this simple cocktail is totally delicious, too. This variation on the Tom Collins appeared in the 1946 Stork Club Bar Book by Lucius Beebe. Fresh lemon and soda make it tart and refreshing, but this cocktail is rounder than the Tom Collins due to the addition of a half-ounce of cognac, which balances the herbal flavor of the gin.

"People often forget about texture in cocktails," says Theo Lieberman, head bartender at Lantern's Keep in the Iroquois Hotel in Manhattan. (You can also catch him downtown at Milk & Honey.) Adding a little cognac to the cocktail not only adds flavor, but also contributes richness and body to the drink. "Mouthfeel should always be considered when making a cocktail," says Lieberman, "a drink can be balanced in flavor but still incomplete if it doesn't have the right texture."

You can sip the beautifully-textured Stay Up Late at Lantern's Keep, but if you're staying up late at home tonight—or you're not in New York—you can easily mix this one up yourself, thanks to this slideshow tutorial from Lieberman.

In a hurry? Head straight to the recipe.

About the Author: Maggie Hoffman is the editor of Serious Eats: Drinks and coeditor of Serious Eats: Sweets. You can follow her on Twitter @maggiejane.