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50 Pisco Punch
Made famous by San Francisco’s Bank Exchange bar, the Pisco Punch came on the coat-tails of trade and immigration to the Californian city. The recipe was never written down, instead romantically handed down from one Bank Exchange bartender to another, which hundreds of years later really isn’t helpful. Students of newspapers and books of the time suggest you won’t go too far wrong with pisco, pineapple, gum syrup and lemon juice.
49 Sidecar
Probably the most famous brandy drink, the Sidecar is looking a little beaten down these days. Many bartenders say that the original recipe is unbalanced, but this brandy, triple sec and lemon drink can be tweaked to taste. It has Parisian roots but the original creator has never come forward – or at least not in the singular.
48 Corpse Reviver #2
Featuring gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur and lemon, this classic cocktail, which dates to the 19th century, was returned to life by curious bartenders in the 21st century peeling back the pages of cocktail tomes to find inspiration. It most famously features in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930, but is still found on occasion in the world’s best bars – some, rightly, prefer it to the Corpse Reviver #1.
47 Blood & Sand
Originating from 1922, the Blood & Sand was inspired by the eponymous film. A century later and this scotch, cherry brandy (the blood), sweet vermouth, and orange juice (the sand) cocktail is still an occasional mix at the world’s best bars. It’s one of three scotch cocktails in this year’s list of 50.
46 Tommy’s Margarita
This simple but logical twist on the Margarita by Julio Bermejo of Tommy’s in San Francisco, sees agave syrup replacing orange liqueur – and always 100% agave tequila. It’s become the bartender’s preferred Margarita method, made around the world, sometimes under the guise of the original.
45 Irish Coffee
For those that do it well – think Dead Rabbit, Swift and Homeboy – the Irish Coffee is approached forensically, with temperature and viscosity honed to perfection. The drink is thought to have been created by Joe Sheridan, the head chef of Foynes flying boat terminal, Ireland, but head to Dead Rabbit for the recipe: 1½ parts Irish whiskey, ¾ parts demerara syrup, four parts hot brewed coffee and heavy cream, lightly whipped.
44 Bobby Burns
Making its debut in our list this year, the Bobby Burns is something of an occasional cocktail, though a little more frequent than on Burn’s Night once a year. In structure it’s a Manhattan, just with scotch and a few dashes of Benedictine. It was part of the top-10 repertoire in 10% of our sample.
43 Last Word
