Martinis, margaritas, mojitos, oh my! There’s a reason certain beverages have stood the test of time. So whether you’re hosting a soirée and need a refresher or are new to crafting cocktails, here are eight classic cocktail recipes we think everyone should have in their repertoire.
Martini
The principal ingredient in a martini is vodka, so the outcome depends on the bartender’s vodka of choice. The other variable that will affect the taste? The garnish. You can get as creative (or bougie) as you wish, but a few of our favorites include blue cheese-stuffed olives, a twist of grapefruit, or pickles. Check out this classic martini recipe from Delish.
Ingredients:
- 2½ oz vodka
- ½ oz dry vermouth
- Ice
- Green olive or strip lemon zest removed with a peeler, for garnish
Instructions:
- Optional: Freeze martini glass for 15 minutes before making the drink.
- For a shaken martini: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka and vermouth and shake until well chilled. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with olive or lemon peel and serve.
- For a stirred martini: Pour vodka and vermouth into mixing glass or cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir vigorously, about 20 seconds, until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with olive or lemon peel and serve.
Manhattan
If you want a multidimensional cocktail, we recommend the classic Manhattan, which is booze-forward, though there are some herbal undertones. Check out this recipe from Food and Wine.
Ingredients:
- Ice
- 2 oz rye whiskey
- 1 oz Carpano Antica Formula or other sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 maraschino cherry for garnish
Instructions:
- Fill a pint glass with ice. Add rye, vermouth, and bitters. Stir well.
- Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with maraschino cherry.
Negroni
Negronis pack a lot of flavors, including herbs, licorice root, and sweet vermouth, all garnished with orange to balance out the flavors. Check out this recipe from the New York Times.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz gin, preferably Bombay Sapphire Dry
- 1 oz sweet vermouth, preferably Cinzano Rosso
- 1 oz Campari
- Ice
- Orange twist
Instructions:
- Combine liquid ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and stir until chilled, about 30 seconds.
- Strain into rocks glass filled with ice. Squeeze orange twist over drink and slip into glass.
Paloma
If you love a good margarita, are naturally drawn to citrus beverages, or plan on hosting a summer get-together, this tart, slightly sweet cocktail may be just what you’re looking for. Check out this recipe from Love and Lemons.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz tequila
- 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice, plus wedges for garnish
- 2 oz sparkling water
- ½ oz lime juice
- ¼ oz agave nectar or simple syrup, or to taste
- Coarse sea salt, for the rim
- Ice
Instructions:
- Salt the rim of the glass by rubbing a grapefruit wedge around the edge and dipping it onto a small plate of salt.
- Mix tequila, grapefruit juice, sparkling water, lime juice, and agave nectar into glass. Fill remainder of glass with ice. Adjust sweetness to taste. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.
Margarita
Who doesn’t love good marg on a hot day? Once you master this classic recipe, you can have a lot of fun with it. Until then, here’s how to mix a classic, tangy, sour, slightly sweet, and super refreshing margarita. Check out this recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
Ingredients:
- 1½ oz silver tequila
- 1½ orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec)
- ¾ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- Agave nectar or simple syrup, to taste (optional)
- Ice
- Lime wedge and coarse salt for rim
Instructions:
- Salt the rim (optional). Run a lime wedge (the juicy part) around the top rim of your serving glass. Fill a shallow bowl or plate with salt, then dip the rim until covered with your desired amount of salt. Set aside.
- Add tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and a few ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Cover and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. Taste and stir in 1-2 tsp sweetener, if desired.
- Fill serving glass with ice. Strain in the margarita mix. Garnish with a lime slice, serve and enjoy.
French 75
Another classic summer sipper: the French 75. It’s a combo of the gin’s botanical flavors, the fresh lemon’s tartness, and the sweetness of the simple syrup. Check out this recipe from Bon Appétit.
Ingredients:
- 1½ oz gin, such as Hendrick’s
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz simple syrup
- 2 oz champagne
- Long spiral lemon twist, for garnish
Instructions:
- Combine gin, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.
- Strain cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer or slotted spoon into a large flute. Top with champagne, and garnish with long spiral lemon twist.
Mojito
Nothing says summertime quite like a mojito, a refreshing, sweet, fizzy mint-lime sipper that is a true crowd-pleaser. Check out this recipe from Cookie and Kate.
Ingredients:
- 1½ tsp sugar, to taste
- 4 leafy sprigs fresh mint, about 5-6 inches each
- 2 oz white rum
- ¾ oz lime juice
- Ice
- Club soda or sparkling water
- 1-2 drops of Angostura bitters (optional)
- 1 lime round, for garnish
Instructions:
- In a sturdy, heavy-bottomed, tall cocktail glass, add sugar and 3 sprigs of mint (reserve the last sprig for garnish).
- Muddle mint with sugar 5-10 times, until mint is very fragrant (but not so much that it completely falls apart).
- Pour in rum and lime juice, and gently stir to dissolve the sugar. Fill glass with ice.
- Fill glass with club soda nearly to the top. Gently stir to combine, then use your spoon to drag some of the muddled mint higher up into the glass.
- Taste, and stir in more sugar if desired. Add a drop or two of bitters, if desired.
- To garnish, place the lime round in the glass. Gently clap the remaining sprig of mint between your palms (this releases some of the oils) and tuck it into your glass, leaving the top exposed. Serve cold with a wide straw.
Old Fashioned
If you fancy yourself a bourbon person, this drink is for you. This vintage cocktail is made with bourbon and lightly sweetened with sugar and bitters. Check out this recipe from Liquor.com.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 tsp water
- 2 oz bourbon (or rye whiskey, if preferred)
- Orange twist, for garnish
Instructions:
- Add sugar and bitters into a mixing glass. Add water, then stir until sugar is nearly dissolved.
- Fill mixing glass with ice. Add bourbon, and stir until well chilled.
- Strain into rocks glass over one large ice cube.
- Express the oil of an orange twist over the glass, then drop into glass to garnish.