50. Gin-Gin Mule
The legendary Audrey Saunders has created more than a few contemporary classics in her time. Perhaps best known is the Gin-Gin Mule, created in New York City around the year 2000, when gin was hardly the most happening ingredient. The ginger beer suggests this is a take on the Mule, as the name confirms, but there’s a whole lot of Mojito here too.
While no doubt helping to popularise gin and, according to some, helping to define an era too, it has also gone on to inspire countless variations, much like it was inspired by classics before it.
49. Jungle Bird
Malaysia’s contribution to the canon of tiki classics, the Jungle Bird doesn’t fall far from the tree, combining dark rum and pineapple juice, but with the welcome addition of Campari. Its original bird-shaped vessel complemented the avian theme of the Kuala Lumpur Hilton’s bar – beverage manager Jeffrey Ong created the drink for the hotel’s opening in 1973.
Rising from the ashes as the highest re-entry on last year’s list, the Jungle Bird has fallen a few places, but lives on regardless in various riffs and twists, with modern bartenders not only switching out its ingredients, but reimagining it in new forms too.
48. Vesper
A good option for Bond fans and indecisive Martini drinkers alike, the Vesper combines both gin and vodka with now-discontinued Kina Lillet. It’s attributed to Ian Fleming, 007’s creator, who named it after agent Vesper Lynd in the first novel in the series, Casino Royale.
Inextricably linked with Bond, it’s no wonder that the Vesper is lower in this year’s rankings than the past two, given it’s been three years since the most recent film was released. While we wait for the next one, there’s no better place for a Vesper than famed Martini specialist Dukes in London’s Mayfair, an old haunt of Fleming’s.
47. Caipirinha
Cachaça, Brazil’s national spirit, is synonymous with the Caipirinha, a good-time cocktail that doesn’t sweat the small stuff when it comes to preparation, or indeed its precise origins. Whether its history is linked with the Spanish flu in the early 1900s, or as a scurvy preventative, it remains as approachable and easy to prepare as ever, with limes muddled with sugar in the glass before adding ice and spirit.
There are countless variations that involve adding an array of different fruits – anything you can think of. Of note is the widespread Caipiroska, with vodka replacing cachaça as the base spirit.
46. Tom Collins
There are as many variations on the Collins as there are origin stories, attributing this straightforward drink of gin (of some kind), lemon juice, sugar and soda water to a varied cast of characters, most, as you’ll expect, named Collins. It’s generally agreed that the Tom Collins was made with Old Tom gin, and many adhere to this today, although it’s not unheard of for London dry to be used.
As for twists, there’s an extended family of Collins out there that’s hard to keep track of. Switch out the spirit, maybe modify one or two of the other ingredients, and name it accordingly.
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45. Singapore Sling
Say what you like about the Singapore Sling, but unlike most other classics its age, we’re at least pretty sure of its origins. The location, famously, was the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, and the bartender behind it, in 1915 according to the hotel, was Ngiam Tong Boon. More than a century later it’s having a resurgence, back on this list for the first time since 2015.
Today a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar is a rite of passage for even the most casual of cocktail-curious tourists to the city, but there are plenty of other places there to sample its national drink.
44. Vieux Carré
This year’s list features two Crescent City classics in a row, with the venerable Sazerac followed by this relative whippersnapper, dating back to around 1938. A testament to the mix of cultural influences in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the Vieux Carré includes two French ingredients, namely cognac and Benedictine, as well as Italian vermouth, Peychaud’s and rye whiskey from closer to home, and Angostura from much further away.
This Manhattan variation is attributed to Walter Bergeron, head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone at the time. You can still get a Vieux Carré there, at the hotel’s Carousel Bar & Lounge.
43. Sazerac
The Sazerac, unlike those classics that have morphed and evolved over the years, remains mostly unchanged since the mid-1800s. It might have dropped significantly on this year’s list, but it’s proven it’s here for the long haul. Likely created at the Exchange Coffee House in New Orleans, it combined Sazerac de Forge et Fils cognac and Peychaud’s Bitters, with absinthe added soon after. Phylloxera caused rye to replace cognac for a while, and nowadays many use both.
Acclaimed French Quarter bar Jewel of the South’s Jewel Sazerac opts for rye, adding Madeira and French wine Matifoc Rancio Sec into the mix.
42. Vodka Martini
While it’s commonplace, when ordering a Martini, to be given an option between vodka and gin, the popularity of the former has fluctuated wildly over the years. Sometimes known as a Vodkatini, or Kangaroo, the Vodka Martini had a boost in the 1950s while its headline ingredient was having a moment, and 007 probably had something to do with that too.
It’s certainly in favour at the moment. One excellent incarnation can be found at Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood Hotel in London. Its award-winning Pika-Tini makes subtle use of honey, olive leaf and chinotto, to great effect.
41. Cosmopolitan
A 1980s icon, the Cosmo might have remained in that decade if it wasn’t for Sex and the City. From its first mention on that show in 1999, this pink drink blew up, remaining a cocktail list fixture ever since. If only we knew who was responsible for the drink itself… Contenders include Toby Cecchini, who says he came up with it at New York’s Odeon in 1988, and Miami bartender Cheryl Cook, who claims to have invented it in 1989.
An inspired modern take comes from Portland bar Room for Improvement, where they use a cranberry and Campari cordial, aptly named Cranpari.
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40. Paper Plane
Chalk another one up for Milk & Honey alumnus Sam Ross, with his Paper Plane joining the Penicillin on this list for the first time. Created in 2008 for the opening of Chicago’s The Violet Hour, it draws on the Last Word’s equal-parts structure, replacing its ingredients with bourbon, Aperol, amaro and lemon juice.
In the short time it’s been around, the Paper Plane has flown all over the world, and been the subject of many a twist and variation itself, one of them ranking 34th on this list. Joaquín Simó’s Naked & Famous riffs on both the Paper Plane and its progenitor the Last Word.
39. Dark ’N Stormy
People have been pouring rum into their ginger beer for time immemorial – in Bermuda, the combination dates back to the 1800s. During the dark days of Prohibition, visiting Americans took to the drink, and popularised it back home after repeal.
Many years later, in the 1970s, Bermudan rum Goslings trademarked the Dark ’N Stormy, and hasn’t been reluctant to enforce that either. So there aren’t, officially, any variations out there – at least not any with the original name. Plenty of inventive rum and ginger beer drinks though, with some opting for ginger syrup and soda, while cider is a common addition too.
38. CaraJillo
Drinkers in Latin America, Mexico in particular, know all about this sweet, boozy, caffeinated pick-me-up, and now, in the wake of the Espresso Martini craze, it seems the rest of us are waking up to it too. The highest new entry on this year’s list, the Carajillo might be new to many, but it’s been kicking around for some time. Some trace it back to the 1800s, to Catalonia in Spain, while others place its origins in Cuba during Spanish rule.
Today, it’s usually made with Spanish liqueur Licor 43, poured over ice with espresso layered over it, or with both ingredients shaken together.
37. White Lady
A no-frills classic, the White Lady’s most exotic component is triple sec, accompanied by gin, lemon juice and egg white. The story is a little more complicated, though. Harry MacElhone created a White Lady around 1919 in London, but with brandy, crème de menthe and Cointreau. He later published a version closer to what we know today, sans egg white, but it’s unclear whether this was his invention.
Regardless, the White Lady is back on this list after a two-year absence. A related classic, at least in name, is early 20th-century cocktail the Pink Lady, with gin, applejack, grenadine and lime juice.
36. Bramble
Yet another seemingly-effortless contribution to the classic cocktail canon by the legendary Dick Bradsell, joining the Espresso Martini higher up on this list, the Bramble was created in the 1980s while Bradsell was working at Soho members’ club Fred’s. With the goal of creating a distinctly British cocktail, he made a Sour-style drink on crushed ice, with gin, lemon juice and sugar, and a drizzle of blackberry liqueur, aka crème de mûre.
Modern takes attempt to elevate, with fresh fruit for example, but rather than improve on the Bramble’s elegant simplicity, perhaps it’s time to revisit neglected Bradsell classics such as the Treacle or Pink Chihuahua.
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35. Aviation
The Aviation is on the up, climbing eight places on this year’s list. Its story is linked with the fortunes of what many would consider today to be its defining ingredient, crème de violette. But a few years after its first mention in print, in Hugo Ensslin’s 1917 Recipes for Mixed Drinks, Prohibition helped to bring about the demise of that floral liqueur, with subsequent recipes calling for just gin, lemon juice and maraschino.
The early 2000s saw the return of crème de violette, particularly fortunate for those partial to cocktails with a floral note, or indeed a pastel purple hue.
34. Naked & Famous
If you’re thinking that the Naked & Famous – with its mix of mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, Aperol and lime juice – shares some DNA with the Last Word, as well as contemporary classic Paper Plane (see position 40 on this list), its inventor would agree. Joaquín Simó, working at New York’s Death & Co in 2011 when this cocktail was conceived, describes it as “the bastard love child born out of an illicit Oaxacan love affair” between the two drinks.
For another riff on the Last Word that leans in a similar direction, look no further than Phil Ward’s Division Bell, with mezcal, Aperol, maraschino and lime.
33. Corpse Reviver 2
Whether this venerable classic has life-giving properties is yet to be proven, but experiments continue – in earnest, given the Corpse Reviver #2’s spot on this list in recent years. Bartender Harry Craddock, possibly the drink’s creator, added a warning in his 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book, that “four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”
Among many variations, the Corpse Reviver No. Blue, from Jacob Briars, is the most visually arresting, with blue curaçao replacing the triple sec of the original. For more Corpse Reviver action, there’s #1, with calvados, cognac and vermouth, and plenty more besides.
32. Bee’s Knees
It’s possible that American socialite Margaret Brown, also known as Molly Brown, not only survived the Titanic, but also invented the Bee’s Knees. Some, meanwhile, attribute the creation of this gin, honey and lemon cocktail to Frank Meier, head bartender at the Ritz in Paris in the 1920s, while still others will tell you that it was nothing more than a convenient way to cover up bad Prohibition-era gin.
This one’s particularly receptive to being twisted, with tequila showing up quite frequently in place of the gin, as well as any number of other spirits and liqueurs.
31. Porn Star Martini
The late, great Douglas Ankrah, inventor of the now-ubiquitous Pornstar Martini, recounted that the first time he made these, in 2002 at his London venue Townhouse in London’s Knightsbridge, the entire bar was ordering them by the end of the night. A prefiguring of the popularity that this fruity, approachable drink would soon acquire more broadly.
You needn’t go further than your local supermarket for a canned version of the Pornstar nowadays, invariably bearing a less risqué name, but there are plenty of venues, not least in its home town of London, that will make you a far better one.
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30. Gin Basil Smash
The Smash wasn’t exactly a thriving style of drink in 2008 when the creation of this modern take gave it a new lease of life. It has Germany’s Joerg Meyer to thank, and we do too. Inspired by the Whiskey Smash, and by another drink he’d encountered with basil as a garnish, Meyer did some muddling and created this brightly-coloured contemporary classic, originally naming it the Gin Pesto.
Since that day others have taken a leaf – invariably of basil – out of Meyer’s book, creating various riffs that substitute the spirit once again, or experimenting with different citrus juices.
29. Piña Colada
At least we know where the Piña Colada was born, even if we don’t quite know who was responsible. The place, almost definitely, was Puerto Rico, but it could have been Ramón Mingot in 1963 at Barrachina in Old San Juan, or either Ramón Pérez or Ricardo Garcia at San Juan’s Caribe Hilton Hotel’s Beachcomber Bar. Whoever it was, their cocktail has made a serious comeback in recent years.
There are seemingly infinite variations, although many don’t exactly elevate the original. One that definitely does is the Champagne Piña Colada from London’s Coupette, which combines rum and champagne with coconut sorbet and pineapple cordial.
28. Mezcal Margarita
A testament to the current popularity of agave spirits, and to the broad and enduring appeal of the Margarita, the Tommy’s is followed on this list by yet another riff, this time bringing mezcal into play, with all of its punchy, smoky flavours.
Considering the reception that spicy Margaritas have received in recent times, it makes sense that there are plenty of takes on the mezcal version that follow a similar path. Of course, the Mezcal Margarita works beautifully as a Tommy’s too, with the simple combination of mezcal, lime juice and agave syrup allowing the base spirit to shine through.
27. Tommy’s Margarita
This tequila-forward Margarita variation is back in a big way, this year’s highest re-entry. Julio Bermejo, tequila ambassador for North America, created it as a way of highlighting the base spirit, by omitting the triple sec and adding agave nectar. And while the classic tends to be made with unaged tequila, he recommends experimenting with reposados and añejos too.
Seeing a Tommy’s on a cocktail list is often, if not always, a sign of a quality Margarita, although there’s no substitute for visiting its place of birth, the wonderful Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco – particularly if Bermejo is in residence.
26. Sidecar
When it comes to base spirits among classic cocktails, cognac isn’t exactly free-flowing, with the Sidecar its foremost, somewhat lonely champion – at least among those classics that have remained popular today. Likely an evolution of the Brandy Crusta, it’s not certain whether we have Pat McGarry at London’s Buck’s Club or Harry MacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris to thank.
It seems mean to take cognac out of its most prominent classic, but there are those that substitute spirits such as bourbon or rum. The 1920s classic Between the Sheets keeps the cognac, while adding some light rum to the mix.
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25. French 75
You wouldn’t know, looking at this elegant, champagne-based cocktail, that it’s named in honour of a World War I field gun, the Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897. You might also not know, given how harmoniously gin contributes towards the flavour profile of this celebratory beverage, that it was once made with applejack, or calvados, and included anything from grenadine to absinthe.
London’s Three Sheets makes one of the finest contemporary takes on this classic, which includes gin, dry Moscato wine, lemon juice, verjus, orange flower water and sugar syrup. This is clarified, carbonated and bottled, ready to serve.
24. Gin Fizz
Proving its classic status by sheer longevity alone, the Gin Fizz dates back to the mid-1800s. But this is a classic by nature too – a timeless cocktail and originator of other classics in turn. Jerry Thomas, author of likely the first ever cocktail recipe book, called for Holland gin, lemon juice, sugar and soda water, although today many include egg white too.
One version, the Ramos, deserves particular mention, with additional cream and orange flower water, and history dating back to around 1888. Despite a reputation for being notoriously labour-intensive to make, it continues to appear on modern cocktail lists in various forms.
23. Zombie
Notorious for its booziness, this tiki classic continues to walk the earth, with little regard for contemporary mindful drinking trends. Its legendary potency is such that at Don the Beachcomber, where the Zombie was invented, customers were limited to a maximum of two. It was here, in the 1930s, that Don Beach came up with this enduring mix of falernum, various fruit juices and a vast amount of rum.
The Zombie is open to interpretation, and comes in many forms – a feature of most tiki staples, but also a consequence of the original Don Beach recipe being a well-kept secret.
22. Boulevardier
It might look like a twist on the Negroni, but the Boulevardier emerged independently, in 1920s Paris. It’s thought to be the invention of socialite Erskine Gwynne, editor at the time of Paris magazine The Boulevardier. Gwynne gets credit in bartender Harry McElhone’s 1927 book Barflies and Cocktails, which calls for equal parts of whiskey, Campari and sweet vermouth.
That same book includes a similar drink, the Old Pal, with rye, Campari and dry vermouth. Nowadays, the Boulevardier is either served up or on the rocks, often with a larger proportion of whiskey, and with rye sometimes replacing bourbon.
21. Last Word
The timeless, transcendent Last Word, combining gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice, is well over 100 years old, but has languished in obscurity for much of that time. Likely created at the Detroit Athletic Club, it was championed by vaudeville actor Frank Fogarty after he visited the club in 1916, but we have bartender Murray Stenson to thank for its modern-day revival in the early 2000s.
The Last Word has spawned many accomplished variations, among them the Paper Plane, from prolific modern-classic creator Sam Ross. His twist replaces all four of the original’s ingredients, combining bourbon, amaro, Aperol and lemon juice.
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20. Pisco Sour
The most common origin story for the Pisco Sour attributes it to American bartender Victor Vaughen Morris, sometime between his arrival in Peru in 1903 and 1916, when he opened Morris’ Bar in Lima. A recently-unearthed Peruvian cookbook from 1903 raises some questions though, containing a recipe simply titled Cocktail, calling for pisco, egg white, lime juice and sugar.
Regardless of its origins, the Pisco Sour lends itself well to variations, often created by adding different fruit, but if you’re looking beyond the classic, the Pisco Punch, with pineapple syrup and lime juice, is well worth exploring too.
19. Mai Tai
When it comes to the creation of this venerable tiki classic, there have been competing claims over the years. Among them was Victor Jules Bergeron, or Trader Vic, who said he came up with this mix of J Wray Nephew rum, lime juice, curaçao, orgeat and rock candy syrup in 1944, at his bar in Oakland. It’s here, the story goes, that it elicited a cry of “mai tai-roa aé”, meaning, in Tahitian, “out of this world – the best”.
Among the best contemporary takes is Jeremy Oertel’s Bitter Mai Tai, bringing the classic closer to the aperitivo moment with the addition of Campari.
18. Clover Club
The Clover Club is a staple of classic cocktail lists nowadays, but it wasn’t always so. Named for the group of businessmen that used to meet at Philadelphia’s Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in the early 1900s, this combination of gin, vermouth, lemon juice, raspberry syrup and egg white enjoyed little more than a brief moment of popularity, only making a comeback recently.
A noteworthy reimagining comes from Jake Burger at The Distillery in
London. His Clover Club Fizz keeps all the main elements, although opting for fresh raspberries rather than syrup, and presents it as a long drink lengthened with soda.
17. Amaretto Sour
With a somewhat ignoble past, the crowd-pleasing Amaretto Sour, around since the mid-’70s, has reformed in recent years. Gone, mostly, are the days of sour mix, and before that little more than a combination of Amaretto and lemon juice. Taking inspiration from the Whiskey Sour, the drink is much improved, deserving of its spot on this list, up six places from last year.
A revamped version from 2012, by Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, is largely responsible for the Amaretto Sour’s resurgence. Morgenthaler’s grown-up take on the classic combines Amaretto with cask-strength bourbon, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white.
16. Americano
The proud parent to the number one cocktail on this list for three years running, the Americano is certainly deserving of its place among the classics, and on modern cocktail lists too. Likely named after Americans visiting Italy during Prohibition, the drink itself was around for much longer, probably invented in the 1860s at Gaspare Campari’s bar.
As the Negroni proves, this is a great starting point for creating other excellent drinks. Michael McIlroy’s Rome With a View is one such cocktail, created in 2008 at, you guessed it, Milk & Honey. It shares the original’s Campari and soda, adding dry vermouth, lime juice and sugar.
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15. Gimlet
Originally a scurvy preventative, the Gimlet has stood the test of time, and made something of a resurgence recently. It takes its name either from the tool used to tap barrels on ships, or from the Royal Navy’s Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette, and was famously made with Rose’s Lime Cordial, the first fruit concentrate, patented in 1867.
Nowadays Rose’s is often replaced with other cordials, or even fresh juice. London’s Tayēr + Elementary makes a fine modern take, the Palo Santo Gimlet, with gin, fino sherry, Lillet Blanc and palo santo cordial, available as a ready-to-drink bottled cocktail too.
14. Bloody Mary
Savoury cocktail stalwart the Bloody Mary has undergone many changes over the years, with its base spirit varying between vodka and gin, and a rebrand as the Red Snapper for a time. Its most likely inventor is bartender Fernand ‘Pete’ Petiot, in the 1920s at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, who further popularised it by taking the recipe with him to The Savoy in London and the St Regis Hotel in New York.
Canada’s national drink, the Bloody Caesar, employs clam-and-tomato juice Clamato to great effect, while other variations switch out the spirit – such as tequila for a Bloody Maria – when recreating this versatile classic.
13. Mojito
Like so many classic cocktails of old, there’s no definitive answer as to who invented the Mojito, although at the peak of its popularity a few years ago, more than a few muddle-weary bartenders might have wanted to have a word with them. Some credit Sir Francis Drake, while others place its origins at Ernest Hemingway haunt Bodeguita del Medio in Havana.
During peak Mojito, there were seemingly endless variations, with some bars dedicating entire menus to these. Among the more notable is Audrey Saunders’ Gin Gin Mule, in 50th place on this year’s list – a Mule twist, but with Mojito DNA too.
12. Manhattan
The Manhattan’s origins are more than a little hazy, with a number of competing stories. One says it 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 credits a man who ran a bar on Broadway named Black, in the 1860s. We may never know for certain.
US bartender Todd Smith is responsible for one of the most widespread modern takes. Created at San Francisco’s Bourbon & Branch, the Black Manhattan is a simple, effective riff that replaces the sweet vermouth with an amaro – Averna in this case.
11. Penicillin
Milk & Honey is responsible for more than its fair share of modern-day classics, with the Penicillin, created by bartender Sam Ross, arguably the most prominent. You’d be forgiven for thinking that its origins went further back than the mid-2000s though, with its classic, 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 result is deserving of its medicinal name, and of its place among the classics too.
There’s no mistaking the Penicillin’s Whiskey Sour roots, but it gets these via another Milk & Honey classic, the Gold Rush, made with bourbon, lemon and honey. That legendary bar has since closed its doors, but for a definitive Penicillin, you could do worse than the bar that’s located in the same spot, Attaboy in New York – Ross is co-owner, after all.
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10. Moscow Mule
The Moscow Mule, in its distinctive vessel, has arguably one of the best cocktail origin stories, although whether it’s entirely true is another matter. The tale is set in 1941, in Hollywood’s Cock ’n’ Bull pub, where proprietor Jack Morgan and entrepreneur John Martin were lamenting their ailing businesses. Morgan was trying to launch a ginger beer, and Martin had recently acquired the rights to Smirnoff vodka. Enter Sophie Berezinski, struggling to shift a number of copper mugs from her father’s factory in Russia…
Today the Moscow Mule is recognised the world over, and has been subjected to its fair share of twists and modifications. Some merely replace the base spirit, while others have used it as a springboard for more elaborate creations. The Gin Gin Mule, in 50th place on this year’s list, switches out the vodka for gin, and borrows a little mint from the Mojito too.
9. Paloma
Considering the Paloma’s rise in the ranks this year, up four places, it seems a growing number are discovering what much of Mexico, Jalisco in particular, has known for some time. At its core this is a deceptively simple mixed drink of tequila and grapefruit soda, Squirt if you’re in Mexico, with contemporary versions tending to include lime juice too, and sometimes salt. Its rise in popularity has also led to more premium grapefruit sodas on the market.
Starting from such a modest, and very effective, premise, there’s room for improvisation. Parallel to the recent evolution of the Margarita, there are plenty of mezcal versions out there, and spicy ones, while some opt to deconstruct the grapefruit soda, using fresh juice instead. For a particularly fine example, stop by Nomad London’s Side Hustle, where they not only use both tequila and mezcal, but a combination of grapefruit juice and grapefruit soda too.
8. Aperol Spritz
Light and bright, low-abv and very recognisable, not to mention highly Instagrammable, the Aperol Spritz took the world by storm about a decade ago. It neatly dovetailed with a number of drinking trends – such as moderation and a desire for lighter flavours – that are just as prevalent today.
The drink’s headline ingredient was created by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri and presented to the Padua International Fair in 1919. Its signature serve – three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda – came later, in the ’50s, according to the brand.
But the Spritz was around before that, and in the same way it provided the perfect template for this iconic Aperol drink, it does the same for various other ingredients, such as Campari and Limoncello. The Hugo, a mid-2000s creation by bartender Roland Gruber, takes things a little further, originally combining prosecco, soda and mint with lemon balm syrup, although nowadays elderflower tends to replace the latter.
7. Dry Martini
While some classics, like the Whiskey Sour, seem to have appeared fully-formed, stubbornly unchanged over the years, others have taken their time to reach the incarnation we know today.
The Dry Martini is certainly in the latter camp. Those first drinkers of a Martini or Martinez would’ve had sweet vermouth in their glasses rather than dry, and the spirit was likely Old Tom gin, not London Dry. A delightful drink, certainly, but a far cry from the masterclass in elegance and simplicity that is the Dry Martini we know and love.
Skipping the so-called Martinis of the ’80s, there are countless drinks that subtly adapt the fundamentals of the Dry Martini to great effect, both new and old. A recent case in point is the Glacier Martini from London bar Viajante87, with measured touches of grape and plum, served exceptionally cold, with a smoked olive – an inventive yet considered take on the classic.
6. Whiskey Sour
There were once many Sours, and indeed there still are, but none are so widely adored and enduring as the Whiskey Sour. What’s particularly remarkable is how little this classic – essentially a combination of whiskey, sugar and lemon juice – has changed over its long history. Egg white might have become a commonplace addition over the years, and the whiskey might taste a little different, but today’s versions are mostly faithful to the drink that was being made in the mid-1800s.
That’s not to say that the Whiskey Sour is without its share of riffs. For renowned contemporary takes, we need look no further than this list, with the Penicillin in 11th place this year, followed by the Amaretto Sour in 17th.
There are other noteworthy variations too, such as the New York Sour with its red wine float, and the Gold Rush, a contemporary of the Penicillin made with bourbon, lemon juice and honey.
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5. Daiquiri
A venerable classic such as the Daiquiri can’t be expected to have made it to the 21st century with the precise story of its origins intact – or without some questionable, brightly-coloured incarnations along the way, for that matter. While theories abound, dating the Daiquiri at least as far back as the late 1800s, the details are likely lost to the mists of time. What we do know is, done right, there’s nothing quite like this seemingly-simple combination of rum, lime and sugar.
It’s no wonder that the best variations, like the Hemingway Daiquiri, have become classics themselves. Audrey Saunders’ Old Cuban is a recent example, from the mid-2000s, which introduces mint and champagne, while Kevin Armstrong’s Dry Daiquiri, from a similar time period, adds Campari and passion fruit syrup. Both are a testament to the legacy of the cocktail that inspired them, and are marvellous drinks in their own right too.
4. Espresso Martini
Just one of many enduring gifts to the world of cocktails by the late, great Dick Bradsell, the Espresso Martini is certainly the most prevalent of his creations at the moment. Famously, Bradsell created the earliest version in the ’80s, at the Soho Brasserie on Old Compton Street in London, in response to a request from a young lady for “something that’s gonna wake me up, then fuck me up”.
The Espresso Martini certainly does all that, and more, as a deceptively simple classic that’s also become an excellent template for countless variations. The recent increase in its popularity is also responsible, at least in part, for today’s vibrant coffee liqueur category, which has arguably led to better modern-day versions of the classic. Meanwhile, there’s another coffee cocktail in town, or rather on this list. Increasingly found on cocktail menus recently is the Carajillo, a new entry this year at 38.
3. Margarita
If there’s a drink whose various incarnations span everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, it’s the Margarita – perhaps unsurprising given the ubiquitousness of this tequila-based classic. At its heart, however, this is a beautifully simple classic, much like the pre-Prohibition drink that likely inspired it, the Daisy, a combination of spirit, lime juice and orange liqueur or grenadine. The tequila version became known by the Spanish word for daisy, margarita, which in turn became a byword for sunshine and good times the world over.
Nowadays it’s the more refined takes on the Margarita that are on the rise, with the Tommy’s re-entering the top 50 this year, and the Mezcal Margarita returning last year. Soho House, meanwhile, has added a trendy version of its own in recent times, the spicy Picante de la Casa, or Picante to its friends – now the most-ordered cocktail at the group’s bars.
2. Old Fashioned
There was a time, back in the mid-to-late 1800s, when the art of the cocktail was becoming altogether too fancy for some people’s tastes. The uncomplicated beverages made to that earliest cocktail specification of spirit, sugar, water and bitters were starting to include such garish ingredients as maraschino liqueur or, heaven forbid, absinthe. As if in protest, these cocktail conservatives demanded their drinks be made the old-fashioned way, and the practice has continued.
This is, by definition, an unfussy drink, so it’s only fitting that one of the best modern takes is similarly unpretentious. The Oaxacan Old Fashioned, attributed to New York bartender Phil Ward, circa 2007, revisits each ingredient in turn, giving each a Mexican twist. Whiskey becomes tequila and mezcal, while sugar is replaced with agave, leaving room for interpretation when it comes to bitters – Ward kept it simple with classic Angostura. The result is faithful to the ethos of the original, while creating something entirely different.
1. Negroni
We continue to live in the age of the aperitivo, with Italy’s contributions to our collective cocktail canon holding on to two brightly-coloured spots in the top 10 this year – the Aperol Spritz in eighth position, and this first-place winner for the third year running. There are plenty of easier-drinking cocktails on this list, yet the punchy Negroni, with its divisive bitterness, prevails. Unapologetically bold, but with depth and complexity, it’s an undisputed classic, and easy to reproduce too, with its equal-parts combination of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari.
While its exact history is contested, the Negroni isn’t without pedigree. It’s a descendent of the Americano – sweet vermouth and Campari lengthened with soda water – and the Milano Torino before it, which omits the soda water. The most common Negroni origin story tells of an eponymous Italian count walking into a bar and ordering an Americano, but boozier. The obliging bartender drops the soda, adds some gin, and the rest is history, or at least one version of it. The bartender, the story goes, was Fosco Scarselli at Caffè Casoni in Florence, sometime around 1919.
Itself a twist on a classic, the Negroni has proven particularly adaptable over the years, with bartenders swapping out any and all of its trio of ingredients to create new drinks. Among the most revolutionary is the White Negroni in all its forms, but you’ll find a near-endless array of Tequila Negronis, Mezcal Negronis, Rum Negronis, and so on. One noteworthy variant, created in the 1970s and further popularised via TikTok in recent times, is attributed to Milan bartender Mirko Stocchetto. It’s said that while reaching for the gin for a Negroni, he accidentally grabbed a bottle of prosecco instead, creating a Spritz-like variant that has become known as the Negroni Sbagliato.
