One of the things that happens in my Modern Speakeasy Mysteries is that Zach, one of the main characters, creates cocktails for the bar, Elixir, as well as for the hidden Speakeasy. I have to admit, the research for this part of my writing is darned fun. For years the go-to cocktail at our place was gin and tonic; ice cold with a lot of lime. I still love the refreshing bite of that drink, but recently we’ve been experimenting with Manhattans, Negronis, and Bees Knees. Cocktails are integral to any book that has a bar as a prominent backdrop, but I still don’t want the books to be too…