68 Classic & Modern Cocktails

Cocktails A–Z

Every recipe you need — from Aperol Spritz to Zombie. Ingredients, method, and glassware.

A 4 cocktails
Amaretto Sour

Amaretto Sour

AmarettoRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Amaretto
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ½ oz Bourbon (optional, adds depth)
  • 1 Egg white (optional)
  • Maraschino cherry & orange slice to garnish
Method

Dry shake all ingredients without ice to emulsify the egg white. Add ice and shake again hard. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with cherry and orange slice.

Americano

Americano

CampariRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Campari
  • 1½ oz Sweet vermouth
  • Splash of soda water
  • Orange slice to garnish
Method

Build in a rocks glass filled with ice. Add Campari then sweet vermouth, top with a splash of soda water and stir gently. Garnish with an orange slice.

Aperol Spritz

Aperol Spritz

AperolWine Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 3 oz Prosecco
  • 2 oz Aperol
  • 1 oz Soda water
  • Orange slice to garnish
Method

The 3-2-1 rule: fill a large wine glass with ice, add 3 oz Prosecco, 2 oz Aperol, and 1 oz soda. Stir gently and garnish with an orange slice.

Aviation

Aviation

GinCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Gin
  • ½ oz Maraschino liqueur
  • ¼ oz Crème de violette
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • Brandied cherry to garnish
Method

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. The crème de violette gives the drink its beautiful pale-purple colour. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

B 6 cocktails
Bee's Knees

Bee's Knees

GinCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Gin
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Honey syrup (2:1 honey to water)
  • Lemon peel to garnish
Method

A Prohibition-era classic created to mask the taste of rough bathtub gin. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Express a lemon peel over the surface and discard.

Bellini

Bellini

ProseccoFlute
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 3 oz Prosecco, well chilled
  • 1 oz White peach purée (fresh or frozen)
Method

Invented at Harry's Bar in Venice in 1948. Spoon fresh peach purée into the bottom of a chilled flute, then slowly pour in Prosecco. Stir gently with a bar spoon to combine.

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary

VodkaHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Vodka
  • 3 oz Tomato juice
  • ½ oz Lemon juice
  • 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • Tabasco, to taste
  • Pinch of salt & pepper
  • Celery stick & lemon wedge to garnish
Method

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Roll gently back and forth to mix without over-diluting. Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a celery stick and lemon wedge.

Black Russian

Black Russian

VodkaRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Vodka
  • ¾ oz Coffee liqueur (Kahlúa)
Method

Pour vodka and coffee liqueur into an old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Stir gently. Add cream to make it a White Russian.

Boulevardier

Boulevardier

BourbonCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Bourbon or Rye whiskey
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz Sweet vermouth
  • Orange peel to garnish
Method

A Negroni with bourbon in place of gin. Stir all ingredients with ice for about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe or over a large rock. Express an orange peel and garnish.

Bramble

Bramble

GinRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz London Dry Gin
  • 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ½ oz Simple syrup
  • ½ oz Crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur)
  • Fresh blackberries to garnish
Method

Created by Dick Bradsell in London in 1984. Shake gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Drizzle crème de mûre over the top so it bleeds through the ice. Garnish with fresh blackberries.

C 5 cocktails
Caipirinha

Caipirinha

CachaçaRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Cachaça
  • 1 Lime, cut into wedges
  • 2 tsp Demerara sugar
Method

Brazil's national cocktail. Place lime wedges and sugar into a rocks glass and muddle firmly to release the lime juice and oils. Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour in the cachaça. Stir well and serve.

Clover Club

Clover Club

GinCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Gin
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ½ oz Raspberry syrup or grenadine
  • 1 Egg white
Method

A pre-Prohibition classic. Dry shake all ingredients without ice first to emulsify the egg white. Add ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. The foam top is essential.

Corpse Reviver No. 2

Corpse Reviver No.2

GinCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • ¾ oz London Dry Gin
  • ¾ oz Cointreau
  • ¾ oz Lillet Blanc
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 dash Absinthe (rinse)
Method

Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe and discard the excess. Shake remaining ingredients with ice and strain into the absinthe-rinsed coupe. Harry Craddock wrote in 1930: "Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again."

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan

VodkaMartini Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Citron vodka
  • ¾ oz Cointreau
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz Cranberry juice (unsweetened)
  • Flamed orange peel to garnish
Method

Shake all ingredients with ice until very cold. Double-strain into a chilled martini glass. The cranberry gives the iconic pink colour. Garnish with a flamed orange peel for a showstopper finish.

Cuba Libre

Cuba Libre

RumHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz White or light rum
  • Cola, to top
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • Lime wedge to garnish
Method

Not just a rum and Coke — the fresh lime is essential. Fill a highball glass with ice, pour in the rum and lime juice, then top with cold cola. Squeeze in the lime wedge and drop it in. Stir once.

D 4 cocktails
Daiquiri

Daiquiri

RumCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Light white rum
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ¾ oz Simple syrup
Method

The most important three-ingredient cocktail in existence. Shake all ingredients very hard with lots of ice for 15 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe. The perfect balance of spirit, sour, and sweet.

Dark and Stormy

Dark & Stormy

RumHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Gosling's Black Seal rum
  • 4 oz Ginger beer
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • Lime wedge to garnish
Method

Technically trademarked by Gosling Brothers — only their Black Seal rum makes an "official" Dark & Stormy. Fill highball with ice, add lime juice and ginger beer, then float the dark rum on top. Do not stir.

Death in the Afternoon

Death in the Afternoon

AbsintheFlute
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Absinthe
  • 4 oz Champagne, chilled
Method

Invented by Ernest Hemingway, who wrote: "Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly." The louche effect as the Champagne hits the absinthe is beautiful.

Dirty Martini

Dirty Martini

Gin / VodkaMartini Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2½ oz Gin or Vodka
  • ½ oz Dry vermouth
  • ½ oz Olive brine
  • 2–3 Olives to garnish
Method

Stir or shake (your call — gin purists stir) with ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a well-chilled martini glass. The olive brine adds a savoury, salty dimension. Garnish with your olives on a cocktail pick.

E 2 cocktails
El Diablo

El Diablo

TequilaHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Blanco tequila
  • ½ oz Crème de cassis
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • Ginger beer, to top
  • Lime wedge to garnish
Method

Shake tequila, cassis, and lime juice with ice. Strain into a highball over fresh ice. Top with ginger beer and stir briefly. The cassis bleeds a devilish crimson through the ginger — hence the name.

Espresso Martini

Espresso Martini

VodkaMartini Glass
❄️ Try: Frozen Salted Espresso Martini Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Vodka
  • 1 oz Coffee liqueur (Kahlúa)
  • 1 oz Freshly pulled espresso, cooled slightly
  • ¼ oz Simple syrup
  • 3 coffee beans to garnish
Method

Created by Dick Bradsell in London in 1983. Shake all ingredients hard with ice — the vigorous shake creates the essential frothy crema on top. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with three coffee beans.

F 2 cocktails
French 75

French 75

GinFlute
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Gin (or Cognac)
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ½ oz Simple syrup
  • 3 oz Champagne, to top
  • Lemon peel or cherry to garnish
Method

Named after the French 75mm field gun — it hits with equal force. Shake gin, lemon, and syrup with ice. Strain into a flute and top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

French Martini

French Martini

VodkaMartini Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Vodka
  • ½ oz Chambord raspberry liqueur
  • 1½ oz Pineapple juice
  • Lemon peel to garnish
Method

Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice. The pineapple juice creates a thick, frothy head when shaken hard. Double-strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

G 4 cocktails
Gimlet

Gimlet

GinCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2½ oz London Dry Gin
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ¾ oz Simple syrup
  • Lime wheel to garnish
Method

The original recipe used Rose's Lime Cordial (no fresh juice). The modern version with fresh lime is sharper and more refreshing. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.

Gin and Tonic

Gin & Tonic

GinCopa / Highball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Gin
  • 4 oz Premium tonic water (Fever-Tree or 1724)
  • Garnish: lime, cucumber, or herbs to match the gin
Method

The world's most popular long drink. Fill a copa or highball glass with ice, pour gin over the ice, then add cold tonic. Never stir vigorously — a gentle lift with a bar spoon preserves the carbonation. Match garnish to your gin's botanicals.

Gin Fizz

Gin Fizz

GinHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Gin
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Simple syrup
  • Club soda, to top
  • Lemon slice to garnish
Method

Shake gin, lemon juice, and syrup with ice. Strain into a highball glass without ice and top with soda. For a Silver Fizz add an egg white; for a Ramos Gin Fizz add cream and orange flower water and shake for 12 minutes.

Grasshopper

Grasshopper

Crème de MentheCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1 oz Green crème de menthe
  • 1 oz White crème de cacao
  • 1 oz Heavy cream
  • Fresh mint to garnish
Method

A New Orleans classic from Tujague's restaurant, circa 1918. Shake all ingredients with ice until well chilled and frothy. Strain into a chilled coupe. The bright green colour makes it as visually striking as it is delicious.

H 3 cocktails
Harvey Wallbanger

Harvey Wallbanger

VodkaHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Vodka
  • 4 oz Fresh orange juice
  • ½ oz Galliano L'Autentico
  • Orange slice to garnish
Method

A 1970s icon. Build vodka and OJ in a highball over ice and stir. Float Galliano on top — do not stir after adding it. The herbal vanilla notes of Galliano transform an ordinary Screwdriver into something special.

Hemingway Daiquiri

Hemingway Daiquiri

RumCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz White rum
  • ½ oz Maraschino liqueur
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz Fresh grapefruit juice
Method

Also called the Papa Doble, created at El Floridita in Havana for Hemingway, who was diabetic — hence no sugar. The grapefruit and Maraschino replace the sweetness beautifully. Shake hard and strain into a chilled coupe.

Hot Toddy

Hot Toddy

WhiskeyHeatproof Mug
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Scotch, Bourbon, or Irish Whiskey
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • 6 oz Hot water
  • Lemon slice & cinnamon stick to garnish
Method

Warm the mug with hot water first and discard. Add honey and lemon juice and stir to dissolve the honey. Add whiskey and fill with hot (not boiling) water. Garnish with lemon and cinnamon. A genuine folk remedy with genuine warmth.

I 1 cocktail
Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee

Irish WhiskeyHeatproof Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Irish whiskey
  • 6 oz Strong hot coffee
  • 1 tsp Brown sugar
  • 1 oz Lightly whipped cream
Method

Invented at Foynes Flying Boat terminal, Ireland, 1943. Warm the glass, add sugar and coffee, stir to dissolve. Add whiskey. Float lightly whipped (not stiff) cream over the back of a spoon so it rests on top. Drink the coffee through the cream.

J 1 cocktail
Jungle Bird

Jungle Bird

RumRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Jamaican dark rum
  • ¾ oz Campari
  • 1½ oz Pineapple juice
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz Simple syrup
  • Pineapple frond to garnish
Method

Created at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in 1978. The combination of bitter Campari with tropical pineapple and funky Jamaican rum sounds unlikely but is genuinely extraordinary. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice.

K 2 cocktails
Kentucky Mule

Kentucky Mule

BourbonCopper Mug
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • 4 oz Ginger beer
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • Lime wedge & mint to garnish
Method

A Moscow Mule made with bourbon instead of vodka — arguably better. Fill a copper mug with ice, add bourbon and lime juice, top with ginger beer. The bourbon's caramel notes work beautifully against the ginger heat.

Kir Royale

Kir Royale

ChampagneFlute
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 5 oz Champagne or Crémant, well chilled
  • 1 oz Crème de cassis
  • Fresh blackcurrant to garnish (optional)
Method

The elegant French aperitif. Pour crème de cassis into the bottom of a chilled flute, then slowly add cold Champagne. The cassis rises up through the bubbles in beautiful dark ribbons. Stir once very gently.

L 3 cocktails
Last Word

Last Word

GinCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • ¾ oz London Dry Gin
  • ¾ oz Green Chartreuse
  • ¾ oz Maraschino liqueur
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
Method

A Prohibition-era Detroit cocktail, forgotten for decades and revived by the cocktail renaissance. Equal parts — perfect balance. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish. The herbal complexity of Chartreuse is the star.

Lemon Drop

Lemon Drop Martini

VodkaMartini Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Citron vodka
  • 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Triple sec
  • ½ oz Simple syrup
  • Sugar rim and lemon wheel to garnish
Method

Sugar the rim of a chilled martini glass. Shake all ingredients hard with ice and strain into the prepared glass. Bright, refreshing, and unapologetically popular for good reason.

Long Island Iced Tea

Long Island Iced Tea

Multi-SpiritHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • ½ oz Vodka
  • ½ oz Tequila
  • ½ oz Light rum
  • ½ oz Gin
  • ½ oz Triple sec
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • Cola, to top
Method

Build all spirits and lemon juice over ice in a tall glass. Top with a float of cola — just enough to give the iced tea colour. The alcohol content is deceptive; this drinks like lemonade but packs the punch of four shots.

M 6 cocktails
Mai Tai

Mai Tai

RumTiki / Rocks
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Aged Jamaican rum
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz Orgeat syrup
  • ½ oz Orange curaçao
  • Mint sprig, lime wheel, cherry to garnish
Method

Created by Trader Vic in 1944. "Mai Tai" means "out of this world" in Tahitian. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over crushed ice in a tiki mug or rocks glass. The orgeat almond syrup is essential — do not substitute.

Manhattan

Manhattan

Rye / BourbonCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Rye or Bourbon whiskey
  • 1 oz Sweet vermouth
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Maraschino cherry to garnish
Method

Stir — never shake — with ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Express an orange peel over the surface if you like, then add the cherry on a pick. One of the greatest cocktails ever created.

Margarita

Margarita

TequilaRocks / Coupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Blanco tequila
  • 1 oz Fresh lime juice
  • ¾ oz Triple sec (Cointreau)
  • Salt rim, lime wheel to garnish
Method

Rub the rim with lime and dip in coarse salt (outside only). Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into the glass — over ice or up. For Tommy's Margarita, replace triple sec with ½ oz agave nectar for a purer agave flavour.

Mint Julep

Mint Julep

BourbonSilver / Copper Cup
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2½ oz Kentucky Bourbon
  • 6–8 Fresh mint leaves
  • ½ oz Simple syrup
  • Packed crushed ice
  • Mint bouquet to garnish
Method

Gently slap the mint against your palm to release the aroma — do not muddle it, which makes the drink bitter. Add mint and syrup to the cup, fill with crushed ice, add bourbon, and stir until the outside of the cup frosts. Add more ice and garnish with a mint bouquet held close to the nose.

Mojito

Mojito

RumHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Light white rum
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • 2 tsp Sugar
  • 8 Fresh mint leaves
  • Club soda, to top
  • Mint sprig to garnish
Method

Muddle mint with sugar and lime juice in the glass. Add rum and fill with crushed ice. Top with soda and stir gently. The key is fresh mint and fresh lime — pre-made sour mix is an insult to this Cuban classic.

Moscow Mule

Moscow Mule

VodkaCopper Mug
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Vodka
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • 4 oz Ginger beer
  • Lime wedge & mint to garnish
Method

A 1940s marketing exercise that became a classic. Fill a copper mug with ice, add vodka and lime juice, top with ginger beer. The copper mug keeps it colder and adds a faint metallic note that amplifies the ginger. Invented at the Cock 'n Bull pub in Hollywood.

N 2 cocktails
Negroni

Negroni

GinRocks Glass
🌵 Try: Mezcal Negroni recipe Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1 oz London Dry Gin
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz Sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica recommended)
  • Orange peel to garnish
Method

Equal parts, always. Stir over ice for 25–30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Express an orange peel over the surface, rub the rim, and drop it in. Possibly the most perfect cocktail ever invented.

New York Sour

New York Sour

BourbonRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Bourbon or Rye
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Simple syrup
  • 1 Egg white (optional)
  • ½ oz Dry red wine float (Malbec or Shiraz)
Method

A Whiskey Sour with a dramatic red wine float. Shake whiskey, lemon, syrup, and egg white with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Slowly pour red wine over the back of a spoon so it floats on top without mixing. The two-tone effect is stunning.

O 2 cocktails
Old Fashioned

Old Fashioned

Bourbon / RyeRocks Glass
🔥 Try: Smoked Old Fashioned recipe Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Bourbon or Rye whiskey
  • 1 sugar cube (or ½ tsp Demerara sugar)
  • 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Dash of water
  • Large ice cube
  • Orange peel & cherry to garnish
Method

The original cocktail (circa 1806). Muddle the sugar cube with bitters and a dash of water in a rocks glass until dissolved. Add a large ice cube, pour in the whiskey, and stir gently. Express an orange peel over the top and drop it in.

Oaxacan Old Fashioned

Oaxacan Old Fashioned

MezcalRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Reposado tequila
  • ½ oz Mezcal
  • 1 bar spoon Agave nectar
  • 2 dashes Mole bitters (or Angostura)
  • Flamed orange peel to garnish
Method

Created by Phil Ward at Death & Co, NYC. The smokiness of mezcal replaces the spice of rye whiskey. Stir all ingredients over ice and strain over a large ice cube. Flame an orange peel over the glass — hold it skin-side down over a lit match, then squeeze — for a caramelised citrus finish.

P 5 cocktails
Paloma

Paloma

TequilaHighball
🌶️ Try: Spicy Paloma recipe Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Blanco tequila
  • 3 oz Grapefruit soda (Jarritos or Squirt)
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • Salt rim (optional)
  • Grapefruit wedge to garnish
Method

Mexico's favourite cocktail — more popular there than the Margarita. Build over ice in a highball: tequila, lime juice, and pinch of salt, top with grapefruit soda. Stir once. For the best version use Jarritos Toronja soda and add a touch of fresh grapefruit juice.

Paper Plane

Paper Plane

BourbonCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • ¾ oz Bourbon
  • ¾ oz Aperol
  • ¾ oz Amaro Nonino
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
Method

Created by Sam Ross in 2007, a modern equal-parts classic. Bitter, boozy, sour, and sweet in perfect balance — the four compass points of a perfect cocktail. Shake hard and strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish. Nothing needs adding.

Penicillin

Penicillin

ScotchRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Honey-ginger syrup*
  • ¼ oz Islay single malt (Laphroaig), to float
  • Candied ginger to garnish
Method

*Honey-ginger syrup: blend equal parts honey and water with fresh ginger. Strain. Shake blended Scotch, lemon, and honey-ginger syrup with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Float Islay Scotch over the back of a spoon. The smoky float hits you before the sweetness underneath.

Pina Colada

Piña Colada

RumHurricane / Tall
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz White rum
  • 1½ oz Cream of coconut (Coco López)
  • 1½ oz Fresh pineapple juice
  • 1 cup Crushed ice
  • Pineapple wedge & cherry to garnish
Method

Invented in Puerto Rico in 1954, it is the country's official national drink. Blend all ingredients with crushed ice until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass. The key is Coco López cream of coconut — not coconut milk, not coconut cream. Garnish extravagantly.

Pisco Sour

Pisco Sour

PiscoCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Pisco (Peruvian or Chilean)
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ¾ oz Simple syrup
  • 1 Egg white
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters (on the foam)
Method

Dry shake (without ice) all ingredients first to foam the egg white. Add ice and shake again vigorously. Strain into a coupe — the foam should be thick and white. Add 2–3 drops of Angostura bitters on the foam surface in a decorative pattern.

Q 1 cocktail
Queen's Park Swizzle

Queen's Park Swizzle

RumHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Demerara rum (El Dorado 12yr)
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz Simple syrup
  • 6–8 Fresh mint leaves
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Method

From the Queen's Park Hotel in Trinidad, circa 1920. Muddle mint gently with syrup and lime in the glass. Fill with crushed ice. Add rum. Swizzle vigorously with a swizzle stick or bar spoon between palms until the outside of the glass frosts. Dash bitters over the top to create a beautiful bleeding effect.

R 2 cocktails
Rob Roy

Rob Roy

ScotchCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Scotch whisky (blended)
  • 1 oz Sweet vermouth
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Maraschino cherry to garnish
Method

A Manhattan made with Scotch instead of American whiskey. Created at the Waldorf-Astoria in 1894. Stir with ice for 30 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe. The earthiness of Scotch adds a dimension the Manhattan lacks — neither is superior, both are essential.

Rusty Nail

Rusty Nail

ScotchRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Scotch whisky
  • ¾ oz Drambuie
  • Lemon peel to garnish
Method

A Rat Pack-era classic. Drambuie is a whisky liqueur made with Scotch, heather honey, herbs, and spices — the combination with a good blended Scotch creates an exceptionally warming drink. Stir over a single large ice cube and garnish with lemon peel.

S 5 cocktails
Sazerac

Sazerac

Rye WhiskeyRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Rye whiskey
  • ½ tsp Simple syrup
  • 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
  • Absinthe rinse
  • Lemon peel to garnish (do not drop in)
Method

America's oldest cocktail, from New Orleans circa 1838. Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe and discard. Stir rye, syrup, and bitters with ice. Strain into the absinthe-rinsed glass. Express a lemon peel over the top and discard — the oils only, not the peel itself.

Sex on the Beach

Sex on the Beach

VodkaHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Vodka
  • ½ oz Peach schnapps
  • 2 oz Orange juice
  • 2 oz Cranberry juice
  • Orange slice to garnish
Method

An unashamed 1980s crowd-pleaser. Build over ice in a highball glass. The layers of orange and cranberry create the sunset effect. Stir lightly before drinking. Easy, delicious, and exactly what it says on the label.

Sidecar

Sidecar

CognacCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Cognac (VSOP)
  • ¾ oz Cointreau
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • Sugar rim (optional)
  • Orange peel to garnish
Method

A post-WWI classic from Paris. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe — with or without a sugar rim (purists say no). Cognac's warmth, Cointreau's orange sweetness, and lemon's brightness form a timeless trinity.

Singapore Sling

Singapore Sling

GinHurricane / Highball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Gin
  • ½ oz Cherry Heering
  • ¼ oz Cointreau
  • ¼ oz Bénédictine
  • 4 oz Pineapple juice
  • ½ oz Lime juice
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • Grenadine to top, cherry & pineapple to garnish
Method

Created at the Raffles Hotel, Singapore, circa 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a tall glass. Top with a splash of grenadine and garnish generously. The original tropical cocktail.

Southside

Southside

GinCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz London Dry Gin
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ¾ oz Simple syrup
  • 6–8 Fresh mint leaves
  • Mint sprig to garnish
Method

A Gimlet with mint — or a Mojito with gin instead of rum. Said to originate from Chicago's South Side speakeasies during Prohibition, where mint masked the rough gin. Add mint to the shaker, shake hard with ice (the shaking bruises the mint appropriately), double-strain into a coupe.

T 3 cocktails
Tequila Sunrise

Tequila Sunrise

TequilaHighball
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Blanco tequila
  • 4 oz Fresh orange juice
  • ½ oz Grenadine
  • Orange slice & cherry to garnish
Method

Build tequila and OJ over ice in a highball and stir to mix. Slowly pour grenadine down the side of the glass — it is heavier than OJ and sinks to create the sunrise gradient. Do not stir after adding grenadine. Garnish and serve.

Tom Collins

Tom Collins

GinCollins Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz London Dry Gin
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Simple syrup
  • 3 oz Club soda
  • Lemon slice & cherry to garnish
Method

Shake gin, lemon, and syrup with ice. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with cold soda. The Collins glass was invented specifically for this drink. It gave its name to the entire Collins cocktail category.

Tommy's Margarita

Tommy's Margarita

TequilaRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz 100% agave blanco tequila
  • 1 oz Fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz Agave nectar
Method

Invented by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, San Francisco. By replacing triple sec with agave nectar the focus shifts entirely to the tequila's character. Use a quality single-estate agave tequila and you will never go back to the original. Shake with ice, strain over rocks.

U 1 cocktail
Uptown Manhattan

Uptown Manhattan

Rye WhiskeyCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Rye whiskey
  • ½ oz Sweet vermouth
  • ½ oz Dry vermouth
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Lemon twist to garnish
Method

A "Perfect Manhattan" — using both sweet and dry vermouth in equal measure for a drier, more elegant result. Stir all ingredients over ice for 25–30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Express a lemon peel and discard. The balance of both vermouths creates a subtler, more complex drink than a standard Manhattan.

V 2 cocktails
Vesper Martini

Vesper Martini

Gin & VodkaMartini Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 3 oz Gin
  • 1 oz Vodka
  • ½ oz Lillet Blanc
  • Thin lemon peel to garnish
Method

James Bond ordered his Vesper "shaken, not stirred" — but stirring produces a cleaner, more integrated drink. Created by Ian Fleming in Casino Royale (1953). Shake or stir with lots of ice, strain into a chilled deep martini glass, garnish with a thin lemon peel.

Vieux Carré

Vieux Carré

Rye & CognacRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • ¾ oz Rye whiskey
  • ¾ oz Cognac
  • ¾ oz Sweet vermouth
  • 1 bar spoon Bénédictine
  • 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Lemon peel to garnish
Method

Created at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, 1938. Named for the French Quarter (Vieux Carré). Stir all ingredients over ice and strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. One of the most complex and rewarding cocktails ever created — it represents the entire history of New Orleans in a glass.

W 3 cocktails
Whiskey Sour

Whiskey Sour

BourbonRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Simple syrup
  • 1 Egg white (for Boston Sour)
  • Cherry & orange slice to garnish
Method

For a Boston Sour (with egg white), dry shake first then shake with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. The egg white adds a silky texture and foam that elevates the drink from good to exceptional. Garnish with cherry and orange.

White Negroni

White Negroni

GinRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz London Dry Gin
  • 1 oz Suze (French gentian liqueur)
  • 1 oz Lillet Blanc
  • Lemon peel to garnish
Method

Created in 2001 by Wayne Collins in Bordeaux when he ran out of Campari. The Suze brings bitterness from a different botanical source — gentian root — and the Lillet's floral sweetness replaces vermouth. Stir with ice and strain over a large rock. More delicate than a classic Negroni.

White Russian

White Russian

VodkaRocks Glass
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Vodka
  • 1 oz Coffee liqueur (Kahlúa)
  • 1 oz Heavy cream
Method

The Dude abides. Pour vodka and coffee liqueur into a rocks glass over ice. Float the cream over the back of a spoon so it rests on top. You can stir it in or let it blend as you drink — both are correct. For a Caucasian, use milk instead of cream.

X 1 cocktail
Xalapa Punch

Xalapa Punch

Rum & BrandyPunch Cup
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Strong black tea, cooled
  • 1 bottle Champagne or sparkling wine
  • 1 cup Dark rum
  • ½ cup Brandy or Armagnac
  • ½ cup Simple syrup
  • Juice of 4 lemons
  • Large ice block
Method

Named for Jalapa, Mexico. A classic party punch — combine all liquid ingredients in a large punch bowl over an ice block (a single large block melts slowly and dilutes less). Taste and adjust sweetness. Ladle into punch cups and garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint. Serves 10–12.

Y 1 cocktail
Yellow Bird

Yellow Bird

RumCoupe
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz White rum
  • ¾ oz Galliano
  • ¾ oz Triple sec
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • Lime wheel to garnish
Method

A Caribbean classic named after a traditional Jamaican folk song. The Galliano's vanilla-herbal character gives the Yellow Bird its golden colour and distinctive flavour. Shake all ingredients hard with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Bright, tropical, and completely underrated.

Z 1 cocktail
Zombie

Zombie

RumHighball / Tiki
Full Recipe — tips, variations & more
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz White rum
  • 1½ oz Gold rum
  • 1 oz 151-proof rum (float)
  • ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
  • ¾ oz Fresh grapefruit juice
  • ½ oz Cinnamon syrup
  • 1 tsp Grenadine
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • Fresh mint & cherry to garnish
Method

Invented by Donn Beach (Don the Beachcomber) in 1934. So strong he limited customers to two. Shake all ingredients except the 151 with crushed ice. Pour into a tall glass. Float the 151 on top. The three-rum blend creates extraordinary depth. The original recipe was secret for decades — handle with respect.

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