You know the old saying, “if it aint broke, don’t fix it”? That goes double for a good cocktail. Don’t get us wrong, we love an inventive modern cocktail as much as anyone, but when you get right down to it, some things are classics for a reason. After all, the flavors of the margarita, the Manhattan, the martini (and its many variations) have stood the test of time… and, even better, can be readily ordered up in just about any bar.
The classics themselves run the gamut from spirit-forward sips (think: the Old Fashioned and Manhattan) and simply shaken favorites (cosmos, gimlets) to sparkling variations (there’s a champagne cocktail for every taste) and tropical tastes (we do indeed love a piña colada). So whether you’re brushing up on your at-home mixology menu or looking for a go-to order for your next cocktail hour, you’ll never be sorry to have the recipe for one of these classics in your back pocket.
GETTY IMAGESOld Fashioned
There may be no better test of a bartender’s mettle than ordering an Old Fashioned. The recipe is simple:
– 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
– 2 dashes Angostura bitters
– 1 sugar cube or 1 tsp sugar
– Orange twist garnish
Put sugar in glass. Cover it with dashes of bitters. Add whiskey and stir until sugar dissolves. Add ice, stir again, and serve. (If the barman starts shaking the ingredients or muddling fruit, have your next round at another bar.)
GETTY IMAGESMargarita
Cloyingly sweet margarita mixes have given this drink a bad name. A well-made version is a fresh mix of lime juice and tequila, with a hint of sweetener:
– 2 oz silver tequila
– 1 oz Cointreau
– 1 oz lime juice
– Salt for the rim
Since this recipe includes fresh juice, it should be shaken. Serve over ice in a glass with a salted rim.
GETTY IMAGESCosmopolitan
The cosmo became almost ubiquitous in the ’90s thanks to the TV show Sex and the City, but this spin on the martini remains just as tasty today as when Carrie Bradshaw made it famous.
– 1.5 oz citrus vodka
– 1 oz Cointreau
– .5 oz lime juice
– .25 oz cranberry juice
Build all ingredients in a shaker tine with ice and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with lime wheel or zest.
GETTY IMAGESNegroni
A favorite of bartenders all over the world, the Negroni is a simple three-ingredient cocktail:
– 1 oz gin
– 1 oz Campari
– 1 oz sweet vermouth
Stir ingredients with ice.
