The Basic Cocktail form was developed in the mid-to-late 1800s. It was soon overtaken by its offspring the Fancy Cocktail form, but it is still a great way to study the flavors that will complement a new spirit.

The key here is to make many small basic cocktails and don't worry about throwing out those that don't work. This is R&D, not entertaining at the Ritz.

The actual cocktail takes its name from the base spirit: you can make a Rum Cocktail, a Whiskey Cocktail, a Gin Cocktail - whatever they are, they all use the same formula and procedure.

After you identify bitters that complement your spirit, you can move on to the Fancy Cocktail form.