Another take on the Last Word that leans in a similar direction is Phil Ward’s Division Bell, with mezcal, Aperol, maraschino and lime. Meanwhile, agave bar Naked & Famous in London’s Notting Hill makes its namesake drink with both mezcal and blanco tequila.
26. Aviation
The Aviation continues its ascent, up from 35th place last year and flying among other pre-Prohibition classics on this list, despite its defining ingredient being absent for much of its existence. A few years after the drink’s first mention in print, in Hugo Ensslin’s 1917 Recipes for Mixed Drinks, the Eighteenth Amendment helped to bring about the demise of crème de violette, with the Aviation becoming known as a combination of gin, lemon juice and maraschino. The cocktail renaissance of the early 2000s saw the return of crème de violette, and a return to floral form for this enduring classic.
25. Cosmopolitan
You can’t talk Cosmos without mentioning Sex and the City. The show took an almost forgotten classic and brought it into the 21st century and it’s remained a regular choice in the world’s best bars ever since.
Cheryl Cook in Miami and Toby Cecchini in New York contest its creation, but for certain we can date the boozy pink drink to the tail end of the ’80s and credit a ’90s television series for taking it mainstream.
24. Pisco Sour
Much like the ongoing debate about the origins of pisco, both Chile and Peru have variations on the Pisco Sour. The latter, which uses egg white and cocktail bitters, is the globally recognised style and it’s said to date back to the early 20th century when American bartender Victor Vaughen Morris opened Morris’ Bar in Lima.
Despite dropping eight places over the past two years, the Pisco Sour remains in the top half of the list and is unquestionably a bona fide classic.
23. Zombie
Falernum, various fruit juices and lots of rum are the basis of the Zombie, a punchy creation by Don Beach at Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood in the 1930s. This tiki classic has provenance, plenty of booze and staying power among the world’s best bars, mirroring its performance in 2024.
As with other tiki classics, the Zombie is presented and twisted in lots of ways around the world. But even sticking with a more traditional style, the drink presents an opportunity to mix several different rums and juices – allowing bartenders to fine-tune the cocktail to suit different palates.
22. Gin Fizz
Despite being one of the oldest classics, the Gin Fizz continues its steady creep up the top 50 list.
Legendary figure Jerry Thomas listed Holland gin, lemon juice, sugar and soda water in the original recipe, but the Ramos Gin Fizz, a twist with the addition of cream and orange water, carries a similarly impressive legacy.
This iteration was first thought up by Henry Charles Ramos in New Orleans in 1888 and, despite its notoriously laborious recipe, bartenders have a long-standing respect for the drink and its role in New Orleans folklore.
21. Vodka Martini
It’s true that gin remains the dominant choice in a Martini globally, but its vodka cousin has risen a whopping 21 places from last year. Probably on the back of the wider Martini movement, the Vodka Martini is also benefiting from the surge in craft, flavour-forward vodkas now thriving in premium markets.
Of course, Ian Fleming’s James Bond has a role to play in the drink’s historic popularity, and with Amazon now having creative control of the series, we may see the drink continue to rise through our ranking.
20. Americano
Said to have been born in the mid-19th century, the Americano pre-dates the Negroni and serves as a more aperitivo-style serve. American tourism is largely credited with the name, while the simple combination of Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water is thriving under the simultaneous success of both the Negroni and Spritz movement across Europe.
Today, Camparino in Galleria next door to Milan’s Duomo cathedral is the spiritual home of the Americano, where tourism continues to play a significant role in the widespread popularity of the drink.
19. Bloody Mary
