Cocktails are a delightful way to unwind and celebrate. With countless classic recipes, you can experience a taste of history while enjoying unique combinations of spirits, mixers, and garnishes.
In this article, you’ll find popular and timeless cocktail recipes that cater to various preferences. Mastering these recipes will elevate your home bartending skills and impress your guests.
Whiskey Sour
Ingredients:
- 2 oz bourbon
- 3/4 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- Optional: egg white
Follow these steps for a perfect Whiskey Sour:
- Combine bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
- If desired, add egg white for a frothy texture.
- Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until chilled (~20 seconds).
- Strain into a lowball glass filled with clear ice and garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Enjoy this classic sour cocktail, perfect for any occasion.
Daiquiri
A timeless classic, Daiquiri offers a perfect blend of flavors. Prepare it using light or white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. Follow this simple recipe:
- Combine 3 tablespoons rum, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 tablespoon syrup in a shaker.
- Fill with ice, shake, and strain into a glass.
Enjoy your refreshing, zesty, and slightly sweet cocktail!
Martini
A classic martini combines gin or vodka with dry vermouth in a 5:1 ratio. For extra flair, garnish with an olive or lemon peel.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 oz. gin or vodka
- 0.5 oz. dry vermouth
- Olive or lemon peel (garnish)
Mix your ingredients in a shaker and strain into a chilled glass. Enjoy!
Manhattan
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Rye Whiskey
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- Garnish: Cherry
Instructions:
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add whiskey, vermouth, and bitters.
- Stir well, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Enjoy your classic Manhattan cocktail, a timeless drink dating back to the late 1800s, featuring a balanced combination of whiskey, vermouth, and bitters.
Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
- 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
- 1 sugar cube
- 2-3 dashes bitters
- Splash of water
- Orange peel
Instructions:
- Muddle the sugar, bitters, and water in a glass.
- Add ice and whiskey, then stir gently.
- Garnish with an orange peel twist.
Note: Experiment with different whiskey types and bitters to find your ideal combination.
Negroni
Negroni is a classic cocktail that’s both bitter and sweet. To prepare it, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine the gin, Campari, and vermouth. Stir well for 30-45 seconds to chill the drink. Strain it into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Express an orange peel over the drink to release essential oils, and garnish with the orange peel. Enjoy your refreshing Negroni!
Margarita
A Margarita is a classic cocktail made with tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. To make one, follow these steps:
- Prepare the glass: Wet the rim and dip it in salt. Add a large ice cube and freeze the glass.
- Mix the cocktail: Fill a shaker with ice, add 1 ½ oz tequila, 1 oz orange liqueur, and ¾ oz lime juice. Shake until chilled.
- Serve: Strain the mix into the prepared glass. Enjoy your perfectly balanced, timeless Margarita!
Mojito
A Mojito is a classic Cuban cocktail that’s refreshing and easy to make. Here are the steps briefly explained.
- In a glass, muddle 6 mint leaves with 1 lime wedge.
- Add 2 more lime wedges, 2 tbsp sugar (or simple syrup), and muddle again.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Pour 2 oz rum and stir.
- Top with 2 oz club soda.
- Garnish with mint and lime.
Enjoy your zesty Mojito!
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan, or “cosmo”, gained fame in the 1990s, thanks to Sex and the City. This classic drink features a mix of vodka, orange liqueur, lime juice, and cranberry juice.
Here’s a recipe for you:
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz cranberry juice cocktail
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ¾ oz triple sec
Simply combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lime wheel. Enjoy your sophisticated cosmo!
Bloody Mary
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz vodka
- 3 oz tomato juice
- 0.5 oz lemon juice
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash hot sauce
- 1 pinch celery salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- Garnishes: celery stalk, olives
- Wet the rim of a highball glass with a lemon wedge, then dip it in celery salt to coat.
- Fill the glass with ice. In a shaker, combine the vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, and black pepper. Shake well.
- Strain the mixture into the prepared glass and garnish with a celery stalk and olives. Enjoy your Bloody Mary!
Tom Collins
Ingredients:
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- Club soda
- Lemon wheel and maraschino cherry for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Pour gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a Collins glass filled with ice.
- Stir thoroughly and top with club soda.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry if desired. Enjoy your refreshing Tom Collins!
Gin and Tonic
A classic, refreshing cocktail, the Gin and Tonic offers a perfect balance of flavors. Here’s a simple recipe:
- Fill a highball glass with ice
- Add 2 oz Gin (London dry or Plymouth)
- Top with 6 oz Tonic water
- Gently stir
- Garnish with lime wheels or seasonal garnishes
In just a few steps, you’ve created the quintessential summer drink. Cheers!
White Russian
A White Russian is a decadent, easy-to-make cocktail. To make one, follow these steps:
- Fill a rocks glass with ice.
- Add 1 oz vodka and 1 oz Kahlúa. Stir to mix.
- Top with 1 oz heavy cream. For a layered look, pour slowly over the back of a spoon.
Enjoy this creamy, sweet drink as a nightcap or dessert in a glass.
Black Russian
Ingredients:
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz Kahlúa (coffee liqueur)
In a rocks glass, combine the vodka and Kahlúa. Fill it with ice and give it a stir, ensuring all ingredients are mixed well. This simple yet delightful cocktail offers a sweet and robust coffee flavor, with a ~27% ABV. Enjoy your Black Russian responsibly!
Irish Coffee
Preparing a perfect Irish Coffee is simple. First, warm your glass by filling it with hot water for 2 minutes, then discard the water. Combine hot coffee (preferably dark roast) with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, stir until dissolved. Add 1 ounce of Irish whiskey, like Jameson.
Finish by topping with lightly whipped cream (unsweetened) – pour gently over the back of a spoon. Enjoy without stirring, sipping the coffee through the cream.
Long Island Iced Tea
Ingredients:
- 0.5 oz vodka
- 0.5 oz tequila
- 0.5 oz white rum
- 0.5 oz gin
- 0.5 oz triple sec
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- 1.5 oz cola
To make the perfect Long Island Iced Tea, simply follow these steps:
- Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
- Add vodka, tequila, rum, gin, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Gently stir to mix the ingredients.
- Add cola to the glass, pouring it last.
- Garnish with a lemon slice and serve.
Enjoy your refreshing Long Island Iced Tea!
Pina Colada
Ingredients:
- 2 oz rum
- 3 oz pineapple juice
- 1.5 oz cream of coconut
- 1 cup ice
- lime juice (optional)
Instructions:
- Blend rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, and lime juice (if using) with ice until smooth.
- Pour mixture into a chilled Hurricane glass.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and enjoy your refreshing Pina Colada!
Mai Tai
No fluff, helpful, concise
In just 50 words, here’s how you can make a classic Mai Tai:
- Combine white rum, orange curaçao, lime juice, and orgeat in a shaker with crushed ice.
- Shake for 3 seconds and pour into a double rocks glass.
- Float dark rum on top.
- Garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig. Enjoy responsibly!
Zombie
The Zombie cocktail is a potent combination of various rums, fruit juices, and sweeteners. Featuring ingredients like:
- *Jamaican,
- Puerto Rican, and
- 151-proof rum*
- Lime juice
- Falernum
- Grenadine
- Absinthe
- Don’s mix (cinnamon-flavored simple syrup mixed with fresh grapefruit juice)
Mix these in a cocktail shaker, strain into a tall glass, garnish with fresh mint and lime wedge, and enjoy this strong yet fruity drink responsibly.
Hurricane
To make a Hurricane cocktail, you’ll need:
- 1 oz light rum
- 1 oz dark rum
- 2 oz passion fruit juice
- 1 oz orange juice
- 0.5 oz lime juice
- 1 tbsp simple syrup
- 1 tbsp grenadine
- Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
- Strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.
Sazerac
To make a Sazerac:
- Fill an Old-Fashioned glass with ice to chill.
- In a mixing glass, muddle a sugar cube, splash of water, and 3 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters.
- Add 1.5 oz rye whiskey.
- Stir with ice until chilled (15-20 seconds).
- Remove ice from Old-Fashioned glass and coat with 0.25 oz absinthe.
- Strain mixture into prepared glass.
- Express lemon peel’s oils over the drink and garnish with peel.
Enjoy your classic Sazerac cocktail!
French 75
French 75 is a timeless cocktail perfect for any celebration. Here’s a quick recipe to make your own:
In a shaker, combine:
- 1 oz gin (bold)
- 0.5 oz lemon juice (italic)
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
Shake with ice, strain into champagne flute.
Top with champagne, garnish with lemon twist.
Enjoy your classy, no-nonsense French 75!
Sidecar
Sidecar is a classic cocktail with a century of history, known for its combination of cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. To make a Sidecar:
- Wet the rim of a chilled martini glass and dip in sugar.
- In a shaker, mix:
- 2 oz cognac
- 1 oz orange liqueur (e.g. Cointreau)
- 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
- Ice
- Shake well and strain into the prepared glass.
Garnish with a lemon or orange twist and enjoy your Sidecar!
Tequila Sunrise
The Tequila Sunrise is a classic cocktail that’s visually appealing and simple to make. Here’s a concise recipe to create your own Tequila Sunrise:
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Add 2 oz of blanco tequila.
- Pour 4 oz of orange juice.
- Slowly drizzle 1/2 oz of grenadine, allowing it to settle at the bottom.
Garnish with an orange wedge and cherry. Enjoy your refreshing, vibrant Tequila Sunrise!
Hi, I'm Benjamin. I love cooking, long walks, and my girlfriend! Here you’ll find simple and delicious recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less.