A good cocktail showcases and highlights the component spirit(s) to make a more interesting and (hopefully) tasty drink.

Unfortunately when cocktails are based on nasty components, they often end up trying to disguise the spirit with sugary mixers like fruit juice or coke.

If you're interested in cocktails and don't mind diving in the deep end, try an authentic Sazerac:

http://www.esquire.com/drinks/sazerac-drink-recipe

Remember: the point is to highlight the primary spirit, so start with something good: http://www.anchordistilling.com/spirits/old-potrero-straight...