Say what you will about Stephen Starr, but the guy single-handedly kicked off the Philadelphia cocktail craze when he opened Continental in 1998. The once choice-drink of execs and power lunchers, martinis suddenly became de rigueur for twenty-and-thirtysomething club kids. Nostalgia was big as the new millennium arrived, and martinis were a way to signify drinkers were in touch with their inner Rat Pack. Stylish. Suave. Sophisticated. Martinis seemed to say, “Look at me, a modern-day Frank Sinatra with a tattoo and nose ring.” But as retro cocktails disseminated into the mainstream, that statement quickly became, “Look at me, a modern-day Frank Sinatra with square-toed shoes and Express jeans.”

Over the next few years martinis gained steam and hybrids were spawned: the Cosmo, the Appletini, the Chocolatini, the Pomegranate-Mango-Passion-Kiss Martini. Martini menus became novelesque and soon--with all this sugar-rimmed, blood-orange-juice-splashed clutter--it was near impossible to procure a solid, plain old martini (the thing that kicked off the fad in the first place).

Hindsight, of course, is twenty-twenty. Today I’d rather jam a olive skewer in my eye than order an apple martini, but you better believe in 2001 I was sucking them down with the rest of you at Bleu Martini, Continental and their ilk. Blame the bartenders, liquor companies or Sex and the City, but let’s forgive, forget and move on.

And it seems modern tastes have moved on as well. Wine, craft beer and even gin (local distiller Bluecoat is pure refreshment) staged a solid comeback in the designer ‘tini backlash. In 2008, it’s time to get down with brown.

In the cocktail curve, Philly is a few steps behind That City to the North where the whiskey rebellion is already thriving. But we’re coming into our own. In the Northeast the Grey Lodge Pub, named one of America’s best bars by Esquire, offers more than 70 whiskies. Southwark makes killer Manhattans, and For Pete’s Sake in Queen Village has a solid stash of Irish whiskies. The dark stuff is the focus of the bar at Time, Vintage owners Jason and Delphine Evenchik’s re-imagination of the now-closed Ludwig’s.

Get the Advil ready because dark liquors are proven precursors to harder hangovers than their clear counterparts. My advice: sip slowly, savor and pray that Sour Guava Whiskey Breezes don’t happen anytime soon.

A Quickie Whiskey Primer
•    Whiskey with an ‘e’ is the American-made stuff.
•    Bourbon whiskey is American whiskey almost exclusively made (though without legality) in Bourbon, KY. (Maker’s Mark)
•    Tennessee whiskey is American whiskey that legally can only be made in Tennesse. (Jack Daniels)
•    All bourbon is whiskey. All whiskey is not bourbon.
•    Irish whiskey is also spelled with an ‘e.' (Jameson)
•    When whisky is spelled without an ‘e’ it indicates Scotch whisky, always distilled in Scotland and usually just called Scotch. (Dewars)
•    Single-malt Scotch is made by a single distillery (thus, not blended Scotch) with malted barley as the only grain. (Glenfiddich)
•    All Scotch is whisky. All whisky is not Scotch.
•    Canadian whisky is also spelled sans-‘e’. (Crown Royal)