Throughout the long run of Cocktail Challenge we’ve been continually impressed by the ingenuity of the bartenders who, challenged to create a cocktail with ingredients that have no place in a decent drink, come up with something clever, beautiful, and often even delicious. Here are a few of our favorites.

Kristin Wolfel, catnip, “Careless Whiskers”

          Tasked with an ingredient more commonly enjoyed by cats than humans, Wolfel opted to create a drink for her own cat, Stella, “so I don’t have to drink alone on Friday nights anymore,” she said.