40. Piña Colada
While we know that the Piña Colada was almost certainly born in Puerto Rico, there are at least three bartenders who could be responsible for its creation. Two of these claims originate at San Juan’s Caribe Hilton Hotel’s Beachcomber Bar, by either Ramón Pérez or Ricardo Garcia, while it may also have been created by Ramón Mingot in 1963 at Barrachina in Old San Juan. We may never know. One of the most prominent contemporary twists comes from Coupette in London’s Bethnal Green. Its Champagne Piña Colada combines rum and champagne with coconut sorbet and pineapple cordial.
39. Old Cuban
This Audrey Saunders classic, despite its name, is little more than two decades old. Created in 2001, while Saunders was working at Beacon restaurant in New York, it takes inspiration from the Mojito as well as the French 75, resulting in a timeless combination of aged rum, mint, sugar syrup, lime juice, Angostura and champagne, served up.
For a modern-day version that stays true to the spirit of the original, there’s the one on the list at Double Standard at The Standard London, by Zoe Burgess, with Eminente Ambar Claro rum, lime, fresh mint, Angostura bitters and Chapel Down Vintage Reserve.
38. Mai Tai
While it may have dropped significantly from 19th place last year, the Mai Tai remains among the most enduring and recognisable of tiki classics. Among those who have claimed responsibility for it, the most prominent is Victor Jules Bergeron, or Trader Vic, who claimed to have come up with this mix of J Wray & Nephew rum, lime juice, curaçao, orgeat and rock candy syrup in 1944, at his bar in Oakland. Legend has it that the first time Vic made the drink, it was described as “mai tai-roa aé”, meaning, in Tahitian, “out of this world – the best”.
37. Sazerac
The Sazerac remains relatively unmodified since its origins in the mid-1800s, apart from a necessary change to its base spirit along the way. Created in New Orleans, most likely at the Exchange Coffee House, it originally combined Sazerac de Forge et Fils cognac and Peychaud’s Bitters, with absinthe following soon afterwards. Rye whiskey stepped in when phylloxera hit the cognac industry, although in modern times both spirits are often used together. Nowadays, New Orleans French Quarter bar Jewel of the South opts for rye for its Jewel Sazerac, adding Madeira and French wine Matifoc Rancio Sec into the mix.
36. Last Word
Despite having been in existence for over a century and spawning more than a few enduring twists – two of which are on this list – the Last Word was nearly lost to us. One of its original proponents was vaudeville actor Frank Fogarty, after he visited its likely birthplace, the Detroit Athletic Club, in 1916, but its fame was short-lived. It was bartender Murray Stenson, in the early 2000s who brought this equal-parts combination of gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice back to prominence. Among the many successful modern-day riffs on the Last Word is Sam Ross’s creation the Paper Plane, in 30th position on this year’s list, combining bourbon, amaro, Aperol and lemon juice.
35. Bramble
The legendary, late Dick Bradsell’s contributions to the world of classic cocktails don’t end with the Espresso Martini. Among his other enduring creations is the Bramble, which Bradsell created in the 1980s while working at Soho members’ club Fred’s. Setting out to create a distinctly British cocktail, he combined gin, lemon juice and sugar – in the style of a Sour – served on crushed ice, and finished with a distinctive splash of colour in the form of a drizzle of blackberry liqueur, aka crème de mûre. Nowadays, at its namesake bar in Edinburgh, it’s made with the bar’s own Lucky Bramble Liqueur.
