It's April, and that often means rain (though we'll have to look into our almanacs to see if this is really true or not), so I thought I'd post about this cocktail, April Rain. It's described at About.com as a "refreshing version of a vodka martini," and that sounds about right. Full recipe after the jump.

If you're like me, you do your taxes at the last minute. I don't get any money back so I don't rush to do my taxes.

So a lot of you are either doing your taxes right now or will be doing them in the next couple of weeks, and that means you need to drink!* After the jump is the recipe for the Income Tax Cocktail, which is heavy on the vermouth and also includes gin and orange juice.

*Slashfood recommends that you don't drink and do your taxes at the same time. Thank you.

There's been a longstanding assumption that journalists and drinking have always gone hand in hand. I'm not sure how rumors like this get started. I'm here to tell you that journalists only drink when they absolutely have to, on days of the week that end in a "y." No more than that.*

This drink is The Journalist, and it's made with gin, two kinds of Vermouth, Triple Sec, lime juice, and bitters. To all the writers out there, make one for yourself tonight and type away!

* Yes, this is an old joke.

David Wondrich, the drinks guy at Esquire, wrote one of the best cocktails books in the past quarter century, Esquire Drinks, and he says that if you want a proper Manhattan, you have to skip the cherries and add more Vermouth. After the jump, his recipe.

Every time I hear the name of this drink I think of that Seinfeld episode of the same name that had Newman getting into trouble with a judge over unpaid parking tickets.

We conclude Boston Bartender Week with The Scofflaw, the signature drink of James Dorsey, who tends bar at Sorellina on Huntington Avenue.

The Negroni is one of my favorite drinks (Ted Allen and I even talked about it when I interviewed him here last year). It was out of favor (well, at least by the trendsetters) for a number of years, but it's suddenly making a comeback. Don't let the fact that more people are drinking it now steer you away from it. It's one of the great, classic drinks.

Here's one recipe (though I usually go without the orange slice):

1 1/2 oz. gin
1 1/2 oz. Campari
1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1 orange slice

Shake first three ingredients with ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with orange slice.

Here are some other Negroni recipes, and here are some other Campari drinks from the official Campari site.

Now that tax day - April 15th - is safely behind us, it's time to celebrate a little. Even if you don't feel like celebrating, at least have a drink and allow yourself to remember that you won't have to do this again for another year. Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, here's a recipe thats perfect for the occasion:

Income Tax Cocktail
1 oz. gin
3/4 oz. fresh orange juice
1/4 oz. dry vermouth
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
dash of bitters

Combine and shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve with an orange wedge (or a cherry) and a sigh of relief.

[Image Liquor World, where there is a slightly different recipe]