Classic Cocktails That'll Upgrade Your At-Home Mixology Skills
Classic Cocktails That'll Upgrade Your At-Home Mixology Skills
There are some things that one should know as an adult: How to make pasta (yes, even if you’re avoiding carbs), how to sew on a button, and how to make a killer classic cocktail.
If you’re craving a well-crafted vodka cocktail, a classic Old-Fashioned or a beautifully bitter Negroni (à la Stanley Tucci!), chances are good that neither hard seltzer nor sangria recipe will get the job done.
Some of these popular mixed drinks require learning how to use a shaker or breaking out the blender — hello, perfect crushed ice! — but it’s fun to practice and will guarantee you eager volunteer tasters. On the other hand, many classic cocktail recipes call for only two or three ingredients and a few don’t even need any special equipment. An easy cocktail stirred together after a long week can go a long way to making you feel just a little more civilized. (If you're wondering about the calories, take note that choosing wisely — and drinking in moderation — is key.)
Grab some mixers, some fresh citrus, and your favorite spirit and get shakin'!
Classic Daiquiri
This citrusy drink is said to have started its path to popularity by thirsty Americans (Ernest Hemingway, for one) living or visiting Cuba during Prohibition. Although you’ll see variations churning away in frozen slush machines in bars and restaurants all over, the original was once served, very cold, over ice.
Classic Old-Fashioned
Even in the late 1800s, the basic three-ingredient version (whiskey or brandy, sugar and bitters) of this spirits-based drink was considered a throwback to the “good old days,” when cocktails were made without alarmingly trendy additions like vermouth or cura?ao. In the early 20th century, the occasional addition of muddled citrus and cherries became an embellishment we still love today.
Classic Mai Tai
In 1944, Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron, founder of the international Polynesian restaurant chain (yes, that Trader Vic) served his new tiki drink to friends visiting from Tahiti. One sip and it was declared “Maitai’i roe a’e” (“out of this world, the best,” in Tahitian).
Mary Pickford Cocktail
Known as America’s Sweetheart, Mary Pickford was more than just one of our very first movie stars. She was a pioneering producer and businesswoman as well (she helped cofound United Artists studio), so it’s more than appropriate she had a cocktail named after her. This fruity drink was concocted for Pickford by a bartender in Cuba during a stay there.
French 75
Reach for a flute if you fancy a tart, bubbly beverage, originally developed in Paris in the 1920s. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake 2 oz gin, ? oz lemon juice and ? oz simple syrup. Strain into a flute and top with 2 oz sparkling wine. Serve with a lemon twist.
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Fresh Lime Margarita
One of the most popular drinks in the U.S., this refreshing cocktail originated in Mexico and was discovered by Americans in the early 1920s. Stories differ on how it came to be, but the name gives a hint: Margarita is Spanish for "daisy," a flower, but also once a variety of mixed drinks consisting of a spirit plus citrus and a sweetener.
Ramos Gin Fizz
Saloon owner Carl Ramos added egg white and orange blossom water to a traditional fizz. Those additions, and vigorous long-term shaking, gives this cocktail its signature silky texture. It was so popular in Ramos’s New Orleans pre-prohibition bars, especially during Mardi Gras, that he hired employees just to shake the cocktails — they would pass to the next man when they got tired. We think it’s delicious even shaken for just a few minutes, but it makes for a fun party game to pass it on!
Pimm's Cup
Pimm's No. 1 is a gin-based aperitif that was invented in the 1820s in England by oyster-bar owner James Pimm. Its secret formula is a refreshing combination of dry gin, fruit juices and spices. There are other numbered Pimm's aperitifs, each with a different base liquor.
Negroni
This classic aperitif (best enjoyed before dinner!), first created in Florence, Italy in 1919, is the perfect balance of bitter and citrusy. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, stir 1oz gin, 1 oz Campari and 1 oz sweet vermouth. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and serve with an orange twist.
Dark and Stormy
A simple drink originating in Bermuda — no shaker required. Make sure the ginger beer is spicy, and the rum dark and flavorful, to get the full namesake effect.
Classic Mojito
This Cuban favorite goes as far back as the 1910s, and it is apparently still just as popular in bars in Old Havana today.
Manhattan
Rumor has it that this elegant drink was created by Lady Randolph Churchill, the mother of Winston, in the 1880s. It's much easier to master than it looks too (the secret is really good cherries!). In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake or stir 2 oz rye whiskey, 1 oz sweet vermouth and 2 dashes bitters. Strain into a rocks glass with one large cube and serve with a cherry.
Pisco Sour
Dating back to 1900s Peru, this frothy drink is fizzy from vigorous shaking and the addition of an egg white, and refreshing from a hit of both lime and lemon juice. Pisco, a lightly aged brandy distilled from grapes, originated in either Peru or Chile.
Caipirinha
A type of spirit similar to rum, cacha?a is the base of this simple Brazilian cocktail. One origin story: the combo was first consumed in place of water during cholera outbreaks in the 1850s. We don’t suggest that, but we do suggest sipping it on a hot summer day.
Mint Julep
The term julep originates from a Persian word "gulab," which was adapted into English as another term for medicine. It eventually came to slyly refer to a drink as a morning pick-me-up. In 1938, this mint- and bourbon-based julep was named the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, where it's now consumed throughout the day.
Sazerac
This potent drink calls for whiskey, sugar, bitters and absinthe, which was illegal in the United States from the 1900s until 2007. If the idea of a liqueur that was once rumored to have caused hallucinations (among other things) makes you a little wary, try the version made at the Sazerac Bar in New Orleans, made with Herbsaint instead.
Moscow Mule
No romantic origin story here: Reportedly, in the 1940s, a ginger beer maker and a vodka distributor (not to mention a copper mug manufacturer) all had products that needed a boost, so they teamed up and came up with the Moscow Mule. Cheers to cooperation and innovation!
Bloody Mary
The savory Bloody Mary has nursed (or created) many a hangover. The original was served by the bartender at the King Cole Bar in New York's St Regis Hotel as early as 1934 and was known for some years as a Red Snapper (the owner of the hotel reportedly didn't like the original — and now current — name.)
Cosmopolitan
A celeb favorite in the 1980s, the Cosmo became the go-to drink of the glam characters of Sex and the City in the late '90s, and fans everywhere followed.
Classic Sidecar
The Prohibition era sidecar cocktail is a simple combination of three ingredients: cognac (a type of brandy, made only in the Cognac region of France), orange liqueur and lemon juice. The mix of warming brandy, deep orange and bright lemon makes the cocktail not too sweet, not too tart.
Blood Orange Spritz
This light winter twist on the classic Aperol spritz combines champagne, Aperol, and blood orange juice for a festive cocktail that's simple enough to make at any party.
Get the recipe for Blood Orange Spritz ?
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Classic Fruit Sangria
There's nothing more refreshing on a summer day than a glass of classic sangria. This batch combines berries, lemon and basil for a satisfying boozy bev.
Gin Mule
Prefer gin to vodka? This twist on the classic benefits from the herbaceous botanicals and slight sweetness from Britain's favorite liquor. In a cocktail shaker, muddle 10 mint leaves, ? oz lime juice and ? oz simple syrup. Add 1? oz gin, fill with ice and shake. Strain into an ice filled glass and top with 2 oz ginger beer. Garnish with lime and mint.
Tequila Sunrise
The fruity and fresh balance of orange juice, grenadine and tequila make this cocktail
Up your cool quotient by learning what's shaken and what's stirred