McElhone’s book also includes the Old Pal, a similar drink made with rye, Campari and dry vermouth. Nowadays, the Boulevardier tends to be served up or on the rocks, with a larger proportion of whiskey, and occasionally rye replacing bourbon.
12. Penicillin
The Penicillin is arguably the most prominent modern-day classic, hailing from Milk & Honey and bartender Sam Ross. One may assume its origins went further back than the mid-2000s, with its uncomplicated combination of blended Scotch, lemon juice and sugar in the form of a ginger and honey syrup, topped with a float of peaty Islay single malt. The resulting serve is deserving of its medicinal name, and its status as a classic too.
With Whiskey Sour roots, the Penicillin gets its base ingredients via another Milk & Honey classic, the Gold Rush, made with bourbon, lemon and honey.
11. Pornstar Martini
The Pornstar Martini is a distinctive cocktail, not least because of the shot of fizz served alongside it. The serve has a fruity flavour profile, with both the looks and the personality to become one of the most successful and mainstream of the modern-day classics.
Its creator, the late Douglas Ankrah, once wrote that the first time he made these, in 2002, the whole bar was ordering them by the end of the night. The bar in question was Ankrah’s Townhouse in London’s Knightsbridge, but his other venue, Soho’s LAB, often gets the credit. In today’s bar world, you can get a Pornstar Martini nearly everywhere, and you needn’t go further than your local supermarket for a canned version of the classic, perhaps bearing a less risqué name.
10. Manhattan
The Manhattan is a cocktail with hazy origins and a number of competing stories about its inception. Not only is it the most famous cocktail to be named after a New York borough, the Manhattan also has some of the most colourful origin stories of the classics.
One of these is that the serve was created for a party in 1874 at New York's Manhattan Club, held by Winston Churchill's mother, except she was pregnant with Winston at the time, and probably in Europe. Another story credits a man who ran a bar on Broadway named Black in the 1860s. However, we may never know the classic's true origins for certain.
Regardless of who invented it, this famous combination of whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters prevails, along with some of its most widespread modern takes, such as the Rob Roy, or more recent Black Manhattan by US bartender Todd Smith. Smith's iteration was created at San Francisco's Bourbon & Branch, and is a simple, effective riff that replaces the sweet vermouth with an amaro – Averna in this case.
9. Paloma
The Paloma has confirmed its staying power for another year running. Not just known locally in Mexico anymore, the Paloma has continued to assert itself in the global bar scene.
At its core, the classic is a deceptively simple mixed drink of tequila and grapefruit soda, or Squirt if you're in Mexico, with contemporary versions tending to include lime juice too, and sometimes salt.
With a modest yet effective premise, the serve leaves room for improvisation. Much like the recent evolution of the Margarita, there are mezcal versions out there, as well as spicy ones, while some opt to deconstruct the grapefruit soda, using fresh juice instead.
The Paloma has become such a staple that many bars across the globe are championing the serve in all its glory. Athens' Barro Negro teamed up with Three Cents to unite and form the official Paloma Embassy with the goal to deliver the “best Paloma in town”.
8. Aperol Spritz
Picture perfect with a low-abv and distinctive flavour to match, the Aperol Spritz is popular in venues and on social media alike, taking the world by storm about a decade ago.
With the aperitivo moment remaining ever popular, and the drinking occasion creeping earlier and earlier into the day, the serve has been able to dovetail with a number of drinking trends – such as moderation and a desire for lighter flavours – that are prevalent today.
The drink’s main ingredient was created by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri, presented to the Padua International Fair in 1919, and its signature serve – three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda – came later, in the ’50s, according to the brand.
