While a majority of the books we feature are recent new releases, we grabbed one from the archives this time around. Released in 2011, this cocktail companion quickly became a fun project for our weekend imbibing - allowing us an opportunity to flex our amateur mixology skills. This book has also sat, neglected, in our personal collection for several years. We quickly remembered why we had purchased it originally - it's good! Not only are the cocktail recipes skillfully assembled, the book is filled with fun illustrations throughout, courtesy of artist Chris Gall. Named after Please Don't Tell, the New York City speakeasy tucked behind a phone booth inside East Village hot dog joint Crif Dogs, the book boasts over 300 recipes - a mix of classic and original adult beverages. There's also some surprising food entries too - in the form of several Celebrity Chef-inspired hot dog creations (which we obviously had to try also). There's also an introductory section containing a wealth of useful information regarding setting up a home bar, glassware, tools & equipment, and essential mixers & garnishes. Lastly, an exhaustive resource list provides additional reading should you want to dive deep into all things cocktail-related. Here are the drinks we chose:• Bee's Knees - It doesn't get much simpler than this cocktail. Gin is mixed with honey syrup and lemon juice to produce a clean, refreshing sipper that would be particularly welcome on a warm Summer day. Invented in the 1930's by Frank Meier at the Ritz in Paris, the drink gets its name from an antiquated term of endearment (ie: "This cocktail is the bee's knees!")• Mint Apple Crisp - A cleverly re-named saketini, this cocktail contains just five ingredients (six, if you count the honeydew garnish). Vodka and sake make up the spirit components, while simple syrup, Granny Smith apple and mint bring the flavor. After muddling and straining, we were treated to a delicious, refreshing taste that was also quite attractive.• Vesper - A classic for a reason. And, the inspiration for a generation of drinkers who believe in "shaken, not stirred". Created in 1953 for James Bond's love interest in 'Casino Royale', this libation is dead simple to make (gin, vodka, Lillet Blanc, garnished with a lemon twist). Whether you prefer your cocktails shaken or stirred (the book instructs you to shake), you'll instantly feel like a mysterious, cosmopolitan globetrotter clandestinely plotting to take down evil villains while still allowing time for romantic trists with alluring characters - without having to leave your couch!• Little Bit Country - This cocktail was our introduction to Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, a concoction created by the distillation of Marasca cherries dating back to the 18th century. Strangely, it doesn't taste much like actual cherries. At 32% alcohol, this is deceptively strong, with a bold, herbal flavor. Bourbon is the featured spirit here. It gets mixed with lemon juice, maple syrup, a slice of jalapeño (including a few seeds!), and finished off with a dash of both Angostura and orange bitters. As you would expect, there's a subtle heat to the taste, tempered by the sweetness of maple syrup. This is definitely a drink more welcome during cold weather months. Who are we kidding? We'd gladly imbibe any time of year!• Cherry Pop - An homage to our home state of Minnesota, where everyone says "pop" instead of "soda". In this drink, cherries are muddled with simple syrup and shaken with gin, lemon juice and our previously mentioned Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur. If you want to get fancy, the recipe calls for pebble ice. Or, you can simply take a hammer to some ice cubes from your freezer and call it a day (as we did). The flavor was sweet, yet citrus-forward, with a gorgeous pink hue.• The Chang Dog - We were already of couple of cocktail recipes into this book before we realized there was an entire section of hot dog recipes - developed by some true legends in the culinary scene (Wylie Dufresne, Daniel Humm and this offering from David Chang). Apparently, these were served at the bar via two small metal doors connected to Crif Dogs next door. Make no mistake, these are not your typical drunken variety you'd stumble upon at a street cart on your way home. These elevated interpretations contain several components, some requiring advance planning and preparation - as was the case for the homemade kimchi that sits atop the Chang Dog. Realizing we'd likely never again have an opportunity to make a fancy hot dog from a book of cocktail recipes, we dove in. We allowed our kimchi to ferment for the recommended amount of time (two weeks). This particular version is a bit assertive in the fish sauce flavor profile. We'll likely dial it back slightly when making future batches. Although the recipe calls for frying the bacon-wrapped hot dogs, we opted for our air fryer and the results were fantastic. The hot dogs we procured from our neighborhood deli had a pleasant "snap" to them, which complimented the slight crunch from the kimchi. All in all, a fun, unexpected find in a cocktail book and one we really enjoyed and would gladly eat again - especially after a few drinks.