7 Classic Cocktails To Make At Home
Certified classic cocktails everyone should know how to make.
From a tried-and-true Manhattan or a versatile Negroni, everyone should know how to make these timeless, certified classic cocktails.
The Manhattan
With a name like Manhattan, this better be a good cocktail. The thing is, it isn’t. It’s a great one. Master this cocktail so that you can one day offer your dinner guests or the person fixing your wifi router a casual, elegant Manhattan.
How It Tastes: Strong, Rich, Pretty Much Like Whiskey
Drink If You Like:Old Fashioned, Rob Roy
The Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is incredibly simple to make, and you probably have some of the ingredients around your house already.
How It Tastes: Strong, Clean, Slightly Sweet
Drink If You Like:Manhattan, Sazerac
How To Make An Old Fashioned →
The Negroni
A Negroni is sort of like an American Girl doll or Lego set, except, you know, for adults. You can easily customize it and make it your own, and there are lots of variations you can mess around with. The classic version is perfect for a pre-dinner drink, warm afternoons, or when you’re lying on a fluffy rug near a fireplace in a dark cabin or perhaps even an apartment. As an added bonus, few drinks are harder to mess up.
How It Tastes: Strong, Bitter, Summery
Drink If You Like:Boulevardier, Martini
The Martini
Ah, the martini. Find a better cocktail with fewer ingredients. You probably can’t. That said, this is probably the most controversial cocktail, due to the polarizing argument of gin versus vodka.
How It Tastes: Strong, Floral, Pretty Much Like Gin
Drink If You Like:Negroni, Vesper
The Spritz
You’ve probably had an Aperol Spritz, but you can actually make a spritz with just about any amaro or liqueur.
The Sazerac
When you’re starting out as a bartender, the Sazerac is one of the first things you learn to make. Why? Because it’s a certified classic. Sure, it’s also kind of an obscure drink nowadays and people rarely order them - but it’s not like a lawyer can just turn to a judge and say, “I’m sorry your honor, that law’s too obscure, and I didn’t bother to learn it.” Seeing as how you probably aren’t a professional bartender, here’s another reason to make Sazerac: it’s a delicious drink.
How It Tastes: Strong & Complex
Drink If You Like: Old Fashioned & Manhattan
Cosmopolitan
Old Fashioneds used to have fruit muddled in them. And Gimlets used to be made with sweetened lime juice. Our point is, cocktails change, and the next drink that needs an update is the Cosmopolitan (which will henceforth be referred to as the Cosmo).
How It Tastes: Bright, fresh, like the pink drink you deserve.
Why You Should Make One: Because Cosmos are better than you think, even if you already think Cosmos are pretty good.
Suggested Reading
“Sour mix” (the pre-made stuff) gives this drink a bad name. Here’s how to make a world-class Whiskey Sour instead.
How to make 4 of our favorite rum cocktails: a Mojito, a Dark & Stormy, Rum Punch, and a Rum Old Fashioned.
How to make 4 of our favorite blended beverages: a Frozen Margarita, Frozen Paloma, Frozen Daiquiri, and Piña Colada.