Stinger (cocktail) that it be served in a cocktail glass if served straight, or in a rocks glass if served with ice. The Amaretto Stinger uses a 3-to-1 ratio of amaretto to white crème de menthe, while an Irish Stinger uses equal parts Irish cream liqueur and white crème de menthe. The Mexican Stinger substitutes tequila for brandy. A "Vodka Stinger", also known as a White Spider, uses vodka instead of brandy. A White Way Cocktail, which celebrates Broadway theatre, is a Stinger made with gin rather than brandy. Mixologists Oliver Said and James Mellgren cite a cocktail known as the Stinger
The Cocktail Hour opens on Bradley and Ann having preprandial cocktails with their middle-aged, ostensibly single son and daughter. The cocktail hour stretches out because "the maid doesn't know how to cook a roast". So the little family carries on consuming increasing amounts of alcohol leading to increasing arguments. Their son, John, is an editor at a publishing company and a part-time playwright. He has written a play that seems to present an unflattering picture of the family, and the parents are upset. The discussion of John's play, which is also called "The Cocktail Hour", gives Gurney a lot of opportunity to lampoon