Proof that tinkering with classic cocktails is an evergreen endeavor, the Boothby is a pre-Prohibition Manhattan variant with an effervescent crown. Bartender, author, and erstwhile California State Assemblyman William T. Boothby is believed to have created the drink while working at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel around the turn of the 20th century. “Boothby was an interesting character,” says H. Joseph Ehrmann, proprietor of Elixir in San Francisco, California, where the Boothby has long been a menu staple. “He started out as a performer and didn’t start bartending until around 1890.” His namesake cocktail has a flair for the dramatic, too. The spirit-forward drink combines whiskey, sweet vermouth, and two types of bitters with a Champagne float. “You add bubbles to anything and make it better,” says Ehrmann, who jokes that he’s pleased that Boothby didn’t end up naming the drink a Manhattan Royale. When making a Boothby, Ehrmann prefers to use 90- to 100-proof rye and dry sparkling wine. “I like the complexity, spice, and punch that a bonded rye brings to the table, and the brut sparkling keeps the drink at the right balance while adding the necessary texture,” he says. Boozy and bubbly, it’s a drink for the ages.