Cocktails can't get more classic than this perfect combination of whisky and vermouth.

Nothing starts the weekend off quite like this quick and easy cocktail recipe.

Scotch whisky may traditionally be reserved for the depths of Winter, but it doesn’t have to be says beloved Melbourne bar The Everleigh. Beal’s Cocktail is a pre or post-dinner treat that is a decidedly sophisticated take on a summer tipple.

Ease yourself into the weekend with this fun cocktail recipe.

Basically the cocktail version of Michael Fassbender - delicious, with an edge of mystery. Sold. We love a whisky spritz as a welcome drink - it’s light and slightly sweet but with enough flavour to please everyone.

Finish your night right with this whisky nightcap.

A good old fashioned recipe with a modern twist. All you need to stay cool this summer.

"Vanilla, black pepper and lemon are three flavors that both ripe strawberries and whisky love. Here they provide a bridge between the two in the long vibrant version of a whisky sour," says Matt Preston.

The Ugly Duckling’s head barman Nick Selvadurai may have even outdone Tim Burton on this one. Filled with vodka, whisky and pumpkin syrup it's sure to Halloween Town.

One of the most iconic sours, the Whisky Sour originated sometime in the late 1800s and remained extremely popular during Prohibition. It is most often made with bourbon, but other whiskeys can be used, and served up or on the rocks, with or without egg white. This is an edited extract from Spirited by Adrienne Stillman (RRP $69.96). Photography by Andy Sewell.

Traditional eggnog is great but can take a while to slap together. This cheats version can be enjoyed warm or over ice as a refreshing dessert.

Feel like dessert but not after something heavy? This cocktail might just do the trick. Taking its name from a classic, the apple cobbler, Nick Selvadurai turns an all time favourite sweet into a evening must-have.

Fig season is now well and truly upon us now. And what better way to celebrate then with a drink in hand (especially one that celebrates the flavour of the fruit). Sydney's harbourside Catalina is evidently a fan of the fig, with the restaurant developing a fig old fashioned as a part of its limited-edition new cocktail menu.

We’ve all been in the predicament where there’s not enough room for dessert, but cravings for something sweet remain all the same. Contemporary Middle Eastern eatery The Thievery has come to your rescue, crafting an alcoholic take on the traditional syrup-laden pastry dessert of baklava. In this case, you can have your cake and drink it too.

A New Orleans classic named for the Sazerac House Bar. Served neat rather than on the rocks, originally it would have been made with Cognac. This is an edited extract from Spirited by Adrienne Stillman (RRP $69.96). Photography by Andy Sewell.