The 24 Classic co*cktails You Should Know How to Make (2024)

Published 02/2/22

• Manhattan

  

  No one knows for certain who created this co*cktail or where. Despite its mysterious history, it likely came into being sometime around the 1880s as a combination of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and aromatic bitters. While many bartenders today substitute bourbon for rye, there’s nothing like the original.

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• Negroni

  

  One co*cktail above all others reveals you as a savvy drinker, according to the legendary Gary Regan, who famously said that whether you’re trying to impress a first date or your boss, ordering a Negroni will do it. Born of a happy accident during the early 20th century, this drink was created by Count Camillo Negroni, who swapped the traditional club soda in his Americano with gin. The Negroni’s bitter intensity and easy equal-parts formula have helped make it a favorite among home and professional bartenders alike.

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• Martini

  

  The Martini is known for its allure and sophistication, but its origins are muddled at best. The formula appeared in print under several different names around the turn of the 20th century. Made traditionally with gin (although vodka is a frequent substitute), dry vermouth, and orange bitters, it’s a co*cktail that ignites the imagination.

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  See Also

  The co*cktails from NYC's Milk & Honey That Changed Bars Forever

• Daiquiri

  

  The blender has certainly put its stamp on the Daiquiri, but this profoundly simple drink is at its best when it stays clear of a steel blade. Simply shake up rum, simple syrup and a blast of fresh lime juice, and you have the most perfect of citrusy co*cktails.

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• Old Fashioned

  

  The very first definition of the word “co*cktail” in print (way back in 1806) described a combination of sugar, bitters, water, and spirit. In other words, this drink is precisely what the word co*cktail referred to 200 years ago. Old Fashioned, indeed. It typically calls for bourbon or rye whiskey, but variations abound. In theory, you could swap out the spirit, sweetener or bitters for endless new versions of the Old Fashioned. But the original is so solid, it's definitely where you should start.

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• Whiskey Sour

  

  “Egg white or no?” is the most important decision you’ll need to make with this co*cktail. When the recipe for this co*cktail first appeared in 1862 in the famed Jerry Thomas Bartender’s Guide, it called for an egg white to be shaken along with whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup, taming the tartness and giving the drink a richer texture. In modern times, however, it’s common for the egg to be left out. Our suggestion: Try it both ways and find out which you prefer.

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• Tom Collins

  

  A likely descendent of the gin punches of the 19th century, this mix of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda tastes like a spiked sparkling lemonade and goes down just as easily. With no special equipment needed to make it—it’s built right in the same glass you drink it out of—this is one simple, cooling co*cktail you’ll be glad to know how to make on a hot summer afternoon.

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• Sazerac

  

  Ever been to New Orleans? If so, then you’ve probably had this co*cktail. Created in the mid-1800s at the Sazerac Coffee House in the storied Crescent City, the Sazerac is a complex concoction that starts with an absinthe rinse. Rye whiskey (originally cognac, but that swap happened pretty early), bitters (most often Peychaud’s), and a sugar cube create a boozy yet fragrant sipper.

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• Paloma

  

  It may get overshadowed by the Margarita stateside, but this is Mexico’s favorite co*cktail. Drink snobs will tell you the tequila should be joined in the glass by freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and club soda, with a squeeze of lime, but we’ve tried it both ways and can assure you that the standard way of making the drink, with grapefruit soda (and, yes, that same squeeze of lime) is every bit as delicious and a whole lot easier.

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• Moscow Mule

  

  Said to have been created in the 1940s as a way to introduce Americans to vodka, a then-uncommon spirit, this simple three-ingredient co*cktail is an easy mix of vodka, lime juice, and spicy ginger beer. It’s perhaps most notable for the vessel it’s traditionally served in, an eye-catching copper mug.

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• Sidecar

  

  It’s now common practice to sip cognac neat. It sure does shine that way. But you’ll gain a new appreciation for the remarkably versatile French spirit after you try it in this citrusy co*cktail, a mixture of cognac, fresh lemon juice, and the orange liqueur Cointreau. Don’t balk at the sugar-coated rim: It’s there to mask the Sidecar’s wicked tongue.

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• Martinez

  

  This co*cktail is widely considered the precursor to the modern Martini, but the family likeness isn’t particularly close. The Martinez calls for gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Angostura bitters, rendering a flavorful and sweet-leaning co*cktail that bears only a hint of resemblance to its dry-vermouth relation. Try it side-by-side with a Martini and see if you can find the common thread between the two.

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• Pimm's Cup

  

  An abundance of garnishes is the name of the game with this co*cktail that often resembles a bouquet of garden-fresh produce. Gin-based Pimm’s No. 1 liqueur combines with lemon juice and ginger ale in a glass topped with everything from cucumber slices to various fruits, plus a mint sprig. Add a sprinkle of powdered sugar if you’re feeling particularly festive.

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• Pisco Sour

  

  The Pisco Sour is so popular that both Chile and Peru claim it as their national drink. Little wonder: It’s a tart, frothy masterpiece of pisco (the unaged grape brandy native to those two countries), lime juice, simple syrup, and an egg white. Three drops of bitters finish it off to create an aromatic and aesthetically pleasing refreshment.

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• French 75

  

  This most festive of co*cktails, named for a piece of French artillery used in World War I, calls for a Champagne topper to the shaken mix of gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. The bubbly element renders it an ideal drink for New Year’s Eve or similar celebrations, but it’s a great way to kick off an ordinary weekend brunch as well.

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• Mint Julep

  

  This bourbon co*cktail is the signature drink of the Kentucky Derby, sure. But drinking it shouldn’t be relegated to just one day a year. The blend of whiskey, simple syrup, and muddled mint leaves, most frequently served in a julep cup over crushed ice and sporting a mint sprig topper, is a fun way to cool down on any hot day.

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• Last Word

  

  One of the few classic co*cktails with origins that can be traced with certainty, the Last Word was first served at the Detroit Athletic Club around 1915. A flavorful mix of gin, herbaceous green Chartreuse, sweet maraschino liqueur, and tart lime juice, this polarizing co*cktail may not be for everyone, but its many fans are a truly devoted bunch.

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• Irish Coffee

  

  There aren’t many reliably delicious ways to get both your caffeine and booze fixes at the same time. The Irish Coffee does the job beautifully. The drink—called Gaelic Coffee in the Old Country—is a blend of Irish whiskey, coffee, brown-sugar syrup, and cream. Pro tip: Whip the cream just enough so that it floats on top of the drink.

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• Corpse Reviver No. 2

  

  If you like a Last Word, you’re sure to love this co*cktail, which features a few similar flavor notes: gin, herbaceous absinthe, tart citrus, and mellow liqueur. It’s an entirely different drink, however. Here, London Dry gin combines with Lillet Blanc, orange liqueur, and lemon juice in an absinthe-rinsed glass. Originally created as a hangover cure, this co*cktail is just as likely to send you back into one—in the most delicious of ways, of course.

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• Mojito

  

  This Cuban classic calls for combining unaged white rum, lime juice, muddled mint leaves, and sugar before topping it all with club soda. It’s a refreshing drink that provides a blast of flavor to take you straight into the Caribbean tropics, as perfect at a party as it is poolside.

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• Gin Fizz

  

  This bright and effervescent combination of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, an egg white, and club soda—akin to a Tom Collins plus egg white, or a Gin Sour with bubbles—produces a fizzy, frothy delight. Add orange flower water and a splash of cream, and you’ll get the famed Ramos Gin Fizz, a New Orleans classic and the bane of bartenders everywhere for the amount of shaking required to make one properly. This, however, is the more simple and most classic version of the drink.

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• Bloody Mary

  

  It’s a hangover cure, a nutritious breakfast, an airport bar staple. This tomato- and vodka-based classic, created in Paris in the 1920s, is one of those drinks every city, every bar, and every bartender makes their own way. If you’ve only ever had it with bottled mix and a fridgeful of garnishes, try a more traditional version with Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and celery salt, plus good vodka and tomato juice. The drink’s balance may surprise you.

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• Gimlet

  

  Believed to have been created by British sailors (as many of the oldest co*cktails were) as a way to prevent scurvy, this drink mixes a clear spirit, lime juice, and simple syrup to create a refreshing (and vitamin C-filled) co*cktail. The original used gin as its base, while the vodka-based variation has since greatly surpassed it in popularity. Either one is worth a spot in your summertime heavy co*cktail rotation.

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• Margarita

  

  You’ve probably had a bad Margarita. Or more than one. But when this zesty classic is made correctly—with quality tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice—the drink carries itself upright. The history of the Margarita is deep: Its progenitor, the Tequila Daisy, has been around since the 1930s, when there were no bottled mixes. Or blenders. The drink has come a long way, but finding your way back to its earliest incarnations is key to appreciating it.

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