Amaretto Sour
A lush, nutty sour that balances sweet almond-flavoured amaretto with bright lemon juice. Chef Jeffrey Morgenthaler's version with egg white gives it a gorgeous, frothy head.
Americano
The granddaddy of the Negroni: Campari and sweet vermouth lengthened with a splash of soda. Ordered by James Bond before he upgraded to Negronis. Born in Milan's Caffè Campari in the 1860s.
Aperol Spritz
Italy's golden aperitivo. Vivid orange, bittersweet Aperol with Prosecco and soda — the taste of a sunny Italian piazza.
Aviation
A pre-Prohibition classic that earns its name from its stunning sky-blue colour — gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice create a floral, aromatic masterpiece.
Bahama Mama
Sun, sand and two kinds of rum. This tropical blender favourite combines dark and coconut rum with pineapple and orange juice for a drink that tastes like a Bahamian sunset tastes — golden, warm and a little bit magical.
Banana Daiquiri
Creamy and unexpectedly elegant. Frozen banana and white rum blended into a rich, smooth daiquiri that drinks like a tropical milkshake for adults.
Bee's Knees
A Prohibition-era speakeasy classic. Gin, honey syrup, and lemon juice in a Golden Age cocktail that proves simplicity is genius.
Bellini
Born at Harry's Bar in Venice, the Bellini is a dreamy blend of fresh white peach purée and Prosecco that feels like summer in a glass.
Between the Sheets
A cheeky 1930s classic from Harry MacElhone's Bar in Paris — a Sidecar variation that swaps half the Cognac for white rum, making it lighter, fruitier, and dangerously drinkable.
Black Russian
Created in Brussels in 1949 by barman Gustave Tops for the US Ambassador, the Black Russian is a supremely simple two-ingredient classic — vodka and coffee liqueur.
Blood and Sand
Named after the 1922 Rudolph Valentino bullfighting film. Equal parts scotch, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth and orange juice — one of the rare scotch cocktails that actually works, and works beautifully.
Bloody Mary
The legendary morning cocktail. Savory, spicy, and packed with umami — tomato juice meets vodka for the ultimate cure.
Blue Lagoon
Created by Andy MacElhone at Harry's New York Bar, Paris, in 1960. Vodka, blue curaçao and lemonade — impossibly blue, tropical and unapologetically fun. The cocktail equivalent of a summer poster.
Boulevardier
The bourbon-lover's Negroni: equal parts bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth stirred to silky perfection. Created in 1920s Paris by Erskine Gwynne.
Bramble
Dick Bradsell's 1984 London masterpiece. Gin and lemon on crushed ice, with crème de mûre drizzled over the top to bleed through like a summer bramble bush in full fruit.
Cadillac Margarita
The Margarita dressed for dinner. Premium reposado tequila and Grand Marnier orange liqueur elevate the classic into something richer, smoother, and unmistakably luxurious.
Caipirinha
Brazil's national cocktail, built on cachaça — a sugarcane spirit. Simple, punchy, and refreshing with muddled lime and sugar.
Campari Soda
A minimalist Italian classic. Bitter, effervescent, and impossibly refreshing — the aperitivo stripped down to its essence.
Campari Tonic
Campari meets tonic water — an aperitivo that's more bitter and complex than a Spritz, more effervescent than an Americano. The quinine in the tonic amplifies Campari's herbal bitterness beautifully. Two ingredients, maximum impact.
Clover Club
A pre-Prohibition pink gem. Gin with fresh raspberries, lemon, and egg white creates a silky, rosy cocktail of rare elegance.
Corpse Reviver #2
Harry Craddock's legendary hangover cure from the Savoy Cocktail Book — equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and lemon, with an absinthe rinse that haunts every sip.
Cosmopolitan
Made famous by Sex and the City, the Cosmopolitan is a sophisticated pink cocktail of citrus vodka, triple sec, cranberry, and lime.
Cuba Libre
Rum, cola and a squeeze of lime — one of the most ordered cocktails on Earth. Born during the Spanish-American War when American soldiers mixed their Coca-Cola with Cuban rum.
Cynar Spritz
The bartender's secret weapon. Earthy, artichoke-based Cynar meets Prosecco for a vegetal, complex spritz that's bitter, herbal, and utterly compelling.
Daiquiri
Ernest Hemingway's favorite. A minimalist masterpiece of white rum, lime juice, and sugar — clean, tart, and utterly refreshing.
Dark 'n' Stormy
Bermuda's signature drink. Dark rum floated over spicy ginger beer creates a dramatic, stormy appearance — bold and refreshing.
Dry Martini
The pinnacle of cocktail craft — gin and a whisper of dry vermouth, stirred cold and served in a chilled glass. Deceptively simple, endlessly debated.
El Diablo
The Devil. Tequila, crème de cassis, ginger beer, and lime in a gorgeous deep red cocktail that bites back just when you least expect it.
El Presidente
A Cuban classic from the Prohibition era, named for Cuban presidents. Aged rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and a hint of grenadine — stirred, amber-hued and deeply elegant.
Elderflower Collins
A Tom Collins dressed in spring flowers. St-Germain elderflower liqueur adds a delicate floral sweetness that turns a classic highball into something truly gorgeous. Perfect for a garden party or warm afternoon.
Espresso Martini
Dick Bradsell's legendary cocktail from 1980s London. Rich espresso, vodka, and coffee liqueur create a perfectly frothy, caffeine-powered classic.
Fernandito
Argentina's national drink — and no, it's not Malbec. Fernet-Branca mixed with Coca-Cola is the unofficial cocktail of Buenos Aires, drunk in enormous quantities at asados and football matches alike. Bitter, herbal and strangely addictive.
French 75
Named after a WWI artillery gun for its kick, this elegant gin and Champagne cocktail is bubbly, citrusy, and dangerously smooth.
Garibaldi
Two ingredients, zero pretension. Campari and a huge pour of freshly squeezed, aggressively aerated orange juice. The trick is a fluffy, foamy OJ — bartender Naren Young made this the signature of Dante NYC, and it became a modern institution.
Gimlet
A classic British cocktail of gin and lime cordial — short, sharp, and clean. Simple to make but endlessly satisfying.
Gin & Tonic
A British institution. Crisp, botanical gin meets the slight bitterness of tonic water for the ultimate aperitif.
Gin Fizz
One of the great classic long drinks: gin, fresh lemon juice and sugar, topped with soda water. Clean, bright and endlessly refreshing.
Godfather
Named after the 1972 film, the Godfather is a brooding two-ingredient sipper — Scotch whisky softened with the sweet almond warmth of Disaronno amaretto.
Gold Rush
A whiskey sour stripped back to its essentials — just bourbon, fresh lemon, and honey syrup. Created at Milk & Honey in New York City around 2000, it became a modern classic overnight.
Grasshopper
A New Orleans dessert cocktail from Tujague's bar, 1918. Green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and cream — vibrantly green, minty-chocolate and utterly indulgent.
Greyhound
A sharp, two-ingredient refresher that proves vodka's best talent is disappearing into fresh citrus. Grapefruit juice provides bitterness and brightness; the vodka simply delivers it efficiently.
Hanky Panky
The first cocktail ever created by a woman for a major bar — Ada Coleman invented this at the Savoy's American Bar around 1903. Gin, sweet vermouth, and a bold dash of Fernet-Branca make it unforgettable.
Harvey Wallbanger
A groovy 1970s icon: a Screwdriver topped with a float of Galliano herbal liqueur. Legend says it's named after a California surfer who kept bumping into walls after one too many.
Hemingway Daiquiri
Ernest Hemingway drank this at El Floridita in Havana — he asked the bartender to double the rum and skip the sugar. The result is a perfectly dry, citrus-forward daiquiri also known as the Papa Doble.
Hugo Spritz
Born in the South Tyrol mountains of northern Italy, the Hugo is a delicate, floral alternative to the Aperol Spritz — elderflower liqueur, Prosecco, mint, and soda.
Hurricane
Born at Pat O'Brien's bar in New Orleans during World War II, the Hurricane is a rum powerhouse disguised as fruit punch. Two rums, passion fruit, citrus, and grenadine create a storm in a glass that is stronger than it tastes.
Irish Coffee
Invented at Foynes Airport in 1943 by chef Joe Sheridan to warm cold transatlantic passengers — hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and a thick float of cream.
Jungle Bird
Created at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in 1978, the Jungle Bird is a tropical bitter classic — dark rum meets Campari, pineapple, and lime in perfect harmony.
Kentucky Mule
The Moscow Mule's Southern cousin. Bourbon brings warmth, vanilla, and caramel to the spicy ginger beer and sharp lime, creating a drink that feels like autumn in a copper mug.
Kir
Named for Félix Kir, the mayor of Dijon, who popularised it after WWII. Dry white Burgundy wine with a splash of blackcurrant liqueur — the aperitif of France, deceptively simple.
Kir Impérial
An elegant variation of the Kir Royale, where raspberry liqueur lends Champagne a delicate fruitiness and soft pink hue.
Kir Royale
A touch of blackcurrant liqueur transforms a flute of Champagne into an elegant, jewel-toned aperitif beloved across France.
Last Word
A Detroit Prohibition-era gem revived in the 21st century. Equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, and lime — complex, herbal, and alive.
Lemon Drop Martini
A sweet and tart crowd-pleaser from 1970s San Francisco, the Lemon Drop Martini balances citrus vodka with fresh lemon and a sugared rim.
Limoncello Spritz
Italy's sunshine in a glass — limoncello's sweet lemon intensity paired with Prosecco and soda water creates a bright, zesty aperitivo perfect for warm evenings.
Lion's Tail
A Prohibition-era gem from the 1930s. Bourbon, lime and allspice dram (a Jamaican pimento liqueur) create a spiced sour that's exotic, warming and deeply complex — one of the great forgotten cocktails finally getting its due.
Long Island Iced Tea
Five spirits in one glass, and it somehow tastes like iced tea. The Long Island is a legendary (and potent) American party cocktail.
Madras
A breezy three-ingredient sipper: vodka stretched with cranberry and orange juice. Cousin to the Sea Breeze, it's the drink that defined 1980s American bar culture.
Mai Tai
Trader Vic's 1944 masterpiece. A complex tropical blend of aged rum, orange curaçao, orgeat, and lime — pure Tiki magic.
Malibu Sunset
A tropical layered beauty that captures the colours of a Caribbean sunset — coconut rum, bright citrus, and a slow sink of grenadine that paints the glass in amber and crimson.
Mango Daiquiri
Tropical sunshine in frozen form. Sweet mango and white rum blended with lime into a thick, golden slush that tastes like a Caribbean afternoon.
Manhattan
A New York institution since the 1870s. Rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, stirred with bitters, create a deeply satisfying, spirit-forward classic.
Margarita
Mexico's gift to the cocktail world. Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice in perfect harmony — best served on the rocks with a salted rim.
Mexican Mule
Tequila meets ginger beer in a spirited crossover. Cleaner and more agave-forward than its vodka sibling, with a gentle heat that pairs beautifully with a pinch of salt or a slice of jalapeño.
Mezcal Margarita
The Margarita's smoky, mysterious cousin. Mezcal replaces tequila for a drink that is earthy, complex, and layered with campfire warmth — still bright from the lime, but with a finish that lingers.
Mezcal Negroni
Swap gin for smoky mezcal in the classic Negroni and the result is extraordinary — the agave smoke weaves through sweet vermouth and Campari creating a drink of rare depth.
Mimosa
The ultimate brunch cocktail — equal parts fresh orange juice and chilled Champagne make for a bright, celebratory sip.
Mint Julep
The official drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1938, the Mint Julep is bourbon at its most graceful — muddled mint, crushed ice, and a generous pour of America's finest whiskey.
Mojito
Cuba's most beloved export: a refreshing blend of white rum, fresh mint, and zesty lime that tastes like a Caribbean breeze.
Moscow Mule
Served in its famous copper mug, the Moscow Mule is a spicy, zingy mix of vodka, ginger beer, and lime that packs a punch.
Mudslide
A decadent frozen cocktail from the Cayman Islands that drinks like a boozy chocolate milkshake. Vodka, coffee liqueur, and Irish cream blended with vanilla ice cream into something rich, cold, and dangerously easy.
Naked and Famous
A brilliant equal-parts modern classic by Joaquín Simó — mezcal, Aperol, Yellow Chartreuse, and fresh lime juice create a smoky, herbaceous, perfectly balanced drink.
Negroni
Italy's most iconic cocktail — a perfectly balanced trinity of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Bitter, complex, and utterly sophisticated.
Negroni Sbagliato
'Sbagliato' means mistaken in Italian — a bartender in Milan accidentally grabbed Prosecco instead of gin and created something wonderful. Lighter and more festive than the classic Negroni.
New York Sour
A Whiskey Sour dressed for a night out: the same tart, frothy base but with a dramatic float of dry red wine layered on top. The contrast of crimson wine against the pale foam makes it one of the most photogenic cocktails in the book.
Oaxacan Old Fashioned
Invented by Phil Ward at Death & Co in New York, this modern classic splits the spirit base between reposado tequila and smoky mezcal, with agave nectar instead of sugar — a beautiful evolution of the Old Fashioned.
Old Fashioned
The granddaddy of all cocktails. A simple, elegant mix of whiskey, bitters, and sugar that lets the spirit shine through.
Painkiller
Born at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke in the 1970s — this creamy, tropical punch of rum, pineapple, orange, and coconut cream is the drink of sailing holidays.
Paloma
Mexico's most popular cocktail (more beloved there than the Margarita) — blanco tequila, fresh grapefruit juice, and fizzy water over ice with a salted rim.
Paper Plane
Sam Ross's modern classic from 2007. Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice — a perfectly balanced, bittersweet tour de force.
Peach Daiquiri
Soft, fragrant, and summery. Ripe peaches and white rum blended into a velvety frozen cocktail that tastes like August in a glass.
Penicillin
Invented by Sam Ross at Milk & Honey in New York in 2005, the Penicillin is a modern classic — blended Scotch with honey-ginger syrup, lemon juice, and a float of peaty Islay whisky.
Pineapple Daiquiri
The tropical standard. Sweet pineapple and white rum blended with lime into a frosty, golden classic that never goes out of season.
Pisco Sour
Peru's pride. The national drink combines pisco brandy with lime juice and egg white for a frothy, tart, and deeply satisfying cocktail.
Piña Colada
Puerto Rico's national cocktail. Creamy coconut, sweet pineapple, and white rum blended into tropical paradise in a glass.
Planter's Punch
The original Caribbean party drink — a generous rum punch built on the old bartender's rhyme: 'one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak.' Traced back to Jamaica in the late 1800s.
Pornstar Martini
Created by Douglas Ankrah in London, this cheeky passion fruit martini served with a shot of Prosecco on the side became one of the world's most ordered cocktails.
Ramos Gin Fizz
New Orleans legend, invented by Henry Ramos in 1888. Gin, cream, citrus, egg white and orange flower water — shaken for 12 minutes by Ramos's army of shaker boys. Impossibly silky.
Raspberry Clover Club
The raspberry-forward cousin of the classic Clover Club — gin, fresh raspberry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white create a gorgeous pink, frothy pre-Prohibition sipper.
Raspberry Daiquiri
Tart, vibrant, and vividly coloured. Frozen raspberries meet white rum and lime for a drink that is as photogenic as it is refreshing.
Rob Roy
Scotland's answer to the Manhattan — created at the Waldorf Astoria in 1894 to celebrate a Rob Roy opera premiere. Scotch whisky and sweet vermouth, stirred with a dash of Angostura.
Rum Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned template applied to aged rum — molasses sweetness, vanilla, tropical oak. What bourbon does for America, aged rum does for the Caribbean. Richer, warmer, more exotic.
Rum Punch
One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak — the Caribbean's simple ratio punch formula makes a balanced, fruity, perfectly refreshing rum drink every time.
Rusty Nail
A mid-century Rat Pack favourite — Scotch whisky sweetened and mellowed with Drambuie, the Scottish honey and whisky liqueur. Stirred, rocks, no fuss.
Salty Dog
A Greyhound with a salted rim — vodka and grapefruit juice where the salt rim transforms every sip. The salt brings out the grapefruit's natural sweetness while cutting through the bitterness. Simple, honest and quietly brilliant.
Screwdriver
The original vodka-and-juice breakfast drink. Fresh orange juice and vodka over ice — nothing more, nothing less. Its brilliance is its honesty; there is nowhere for bad juice to hide.
Sea Breeze
The ultimate beach cocktail: vodka with tart cranberry and fresh grapefruit juice. Popularised in the 1980s, it's the drink that tastes exactly like its name — salty air, sunshine and the sound of waves.
Sex on the Beach
A fruity 1980s classic born in Florida, layering vodka and peach schnapps with bright orange and tart cranberry for a sunset-coloured crowd-pleaser.
Sidecar
A 1920s Parisian classic. Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice shaken to a perfectly balanced citrus sophistication.
Singapore Sling
Created at Raffles Hotel in 1915. A flamboyant tropical sling of gin, cherry liqueur, Bénédictine, and pineapple juice — complex and unforgettable.
Sloe Gin Fizz
Autumnal British hedgerows in a glass. Sloe gin — made from sloe berries steeped in gin — brings a tart, plummy sweetness that dances with fresh lemon in this simple fizz. A countryside classic.
Southside
A Prohibition-era favourite from Chicago's South Side, the Southside is essentially a Gin Mojito — shaken gin with fresh mint, lemon juice, and simple syrup for a bright, refreshing result.
Spicy Margarita
The Margarita's fiery sibling — fresh jalapeño muddled with tequila and lime juice turns a classic into a bold, heat-forward adventure with a salted rim.
Stinger
A Gilded Age classic — brandy and white crème de menthe, stirred or shaken. Winston Churchill reputedly drank one nightly. The original after-dinner cocktail: warming, minty, surprisingly sophisticated.
Strawberry Daiquiri
The frozen classic. White rum, fresh lime, and ripe strawberries blended into a frosty, bright pink refresher that defined poolside drinking.
Tequila Sunrise
Visually stunning and deliciously smooth. Tequila and orange juice with a dramatic grenadine sunrise — looks as good as it tastes.
Ti' Punch
The national drink of Martinique — a tiny but mighty punch built on agricole rhum, cane syrup, and a squeeze of lime. No ice is traditional; the spirit speaks for itself.
Tom Collins
A refreshing gin Collins topped with soda — light, lemony, and perfect for warm days. The original "fizz" cocktail.
Tommy's Margarita
Invented by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, this agave-focused reinterpretation replaces triple sec with agave nectar, letting the tequila shine.
Trinidad Sour
Created by Giuseppe González at Clover Club, NYC, 2009. The only cocktail where Angostura bitters is the primary spirit — 1.5 cl of it. Rye, orgeat, lemon: deeply complex, spicy-sweet, unmissable.
Tuxedo
A forgotten Gilded Age martini variation from the Tuxedo Club, New York, circa 1890. Gin, dry sherry, maraschino and orange bitters — more complex, more interesting than a Martini.
Vesper Martini
James Bond's own creation, named for Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale (1953). Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half of Kina Lillet — shaken, not stirred.
Vieux Carré
Born in 1938 at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans — 'Vieux Carré' is French for the French Quarter. This stirred five-ingredient beauty marries rye, cognac, sweet vermouth and Bénédictine in perfect New Orleans harmony.
Whiskey Smash
A bright, boisterous American classic from the 1860s. Bourbon, fresh lemon wedges, and mint are muddled and shaken into a drink that is essentially the Mint Julep's more outgoing cousin — tart, herbal, and impossible to sip slowly.
Whiskey Sour
The perfect balance of sweet and sour. Bourbon, lemon juice, and sugar shake into a silky, satisfying classic.
White Lady
A 1930s Harry Craddock creation from the Savoy Hotel, the White Lady is a sophisticated gin sour — silky from egg white, bright from lemon, with Cointreau's orange lifting it beautifully.
White Russian
The Dude's drink of choice. Vodka and coffee liqueur topped with heavy cream — indulgent, boozy, and completely satisfying.
Woo Woo
A cheeky 1980s bar staple: vodka and peach schnapps stretched with cranberry juice. It's sweet, peachy and unapologetically fun — exactly the kind of drink that gets a party started.
Zombie
Don the Beachcomber's legendary 1934 creation — so potent it was limited to two per customer. A tiki powerhouse of three rums, tropical juices, and Falernum, with a 151-rum float.