With over a decade of data on the world’s bestselling classic cocktails, the long-term trends from the Drinks International Cocktail Report are clear.

Over a decade of data from the Drinks International Cocktail Report shows that, while trends come and go, the world’s bestselling cocktails are stable. Since we began asking the World’s Best Bars about their bestselling classics in 2015, the same names have dominated with slow-moving – even glacial – evolution over time.

The Old Fashioned reigned from 2015-2021 before the Negroni took over and, for the first time, it slipped to third in 2026. Whiskey remains essential to the bestselling classics, but it no longer dominates the rankings like it did a decade ago. Likewise the Manhattan has slowly drifted from third in 2016 to 10th in 2026, while the Whiskey Sour remains relatively stable but hasn’t broken into the top tier. Instead, gin and agave cocktails have gained ground.

Nathan Last, channel director of on-trade at Pernod Ricard, says: “While some whiskey cocktails have slipped slightly in the rankings, the category itself remains incredibly resilient. Whiskey continues to perform strongly across bestselling spirit lists, which suggests consumer appetite for the category remains healthy. 

“Serves like the Jameson Ginger & Lime, and formats like the Whiskey Highball, present a significant opportunity to reposition whiskey in more refreshing, daytime-friendly occasions and introduce the category to new consumers.”

Nathan Shearer, head of education at UK distributor Speciality Brands, adds: “Whiskey cocktails aren’t really being left behind, they just sit outside the more social media-driven space that spirits like tequila and mezcal currently occupy. Whiskey has a more traditional, established identity, and its core classics like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Whiskey Sour are already so well known that they don’t need constant reinvention. As a result, the category relies more on timeless appeal than viral moments. I would say it reflects maturity and stability rather than decline.”

In the Cocktail Report, gin is by far the most consistently represented base spirit across the 12 years. The Negroni has occupied the top two spots every year since polling began and the Dry Martini has never left the top seven.

Shearer adds: “Gin is so common in classic cocktails because it’s incredibly versatile. Its botanical base already carries layers of citrus, herbs and spice, which means it can work across a wide range of  flavour profiles, from fresh and citrussy to bitter or more spirit-forward drinks. It’s also a practical choice: consistent, relatively easy to work with, and often cost-effective, while still offering plenty of character. Gin has such a long-established role in the classic canon that it’s deeply embedded in drinks like the Martini and Negroni, which aren’t easily replaced.” 

STEADY CLIMB

Gin remains dominant, but agave is slowly shaking things up in the form of a Margarita. The tequila classic has seen a steady climb since 2021 to reach second place this year while its agave cousin the Paloma has rocketed from outside the top 30 in 2019 to eighth in 2026. Mezcal drinks are also beginning to appear only in the latter half of the survey, reflecting the category’s growing international appeal.

Pernod’s Last continues: “For UK consumers, while tequila and mezcal may not yet have the same depth of classic cocktail heritage as gin, serves like the Paloma are becoming increasingly mainstream. What’s particularly exciting is how bartenders are leveraging the distinctive flavour profiles of quality tequila and mezcal to reinterpret established classics. The popularity of drinks such as the Mezcal Negroni suggests agave’s influence extends well beyond its traditional repertoire.”

But for Shearer, the Negroni has plenty of life in it yet. “I don’t see it (Margarita) overtaking the Negroni just yet. The Negroni has a strong, established identity as a refined modern classic, often associated with premium cocktail culture and a ritualised drinking experience. The Margarita, while hugely popular and increasingly respected, still carries mixed perceptions, from high-quality bar serves to more casual frozen versions, which prevents it from having the same universally elevated status. So rather than replacing the Negroni, the Margarita is more likely to continue growing alongside it.”

Last adds: “The Margarita faces a tougher challenge because sour serves tend to be more occasion specific. However, if any cocktail is capable of challenging the Negroni’s dominance, it’s probably the Margarita. Its broad consumer appeal, flavour-forward profile and natural affinity with food make it a very strong contender.

“This is reflected in tequila’s performance as a category. Tequila and mezcal were in volume growth last festive season and we expect this trend to continue next year. Tequila is also premiumising and we expect brands like Altos to play key roles in consumers trading up.” 

Outside of the top three spirits (gin, agave and whisky), the trend within rum has changed. The Daiquiri has become the category’s flagship, climbing into the top five and staying there until this year, when it slipped to sixth place. By contrast, the Mojito slipped from eighth in 2015 to twelfth in 2026. 

Last says: “For many years the Mojito dominated the refreshing, long-drink occasion. Today that space is far more competitive, with spritzes, highballs and a wide range of lighter serves competing for consumer attention. At the same time, the Daiquiri remains a benchmark cocktail because of its simplicity and its ability to showcase both spirit quality and bartender skill.”

The Mai Tai has also had a rocky path, and the Piña Colada and Zombie have become more occasional appearances in the top 50, suggesting consumers increasingly favour simple, rum-led classics

Shearer notes: “This doesn’t indicate a decline in rum. In fact, interest in the category is strong and growing, with consumers increasingly engaged by its styles and provenance. Instead, it reflects a shift in drink preference. The Mojito has become less popular due to perceptions of inconsistency, sweetness and complexity in preparation, while the Daiquiri succeeds by showcasing rum in a simple, balanced and spirit-forward way.”

Much like rum, vodka is also becoming less favoured at the top end of the bestselling list. In 2026, only three vodka cocktails remain comfortably inside the top 20 while the Vodka Martini has fallen seven places to 28th, the Moscow Mule two places to 16th and the Cosmopolitan has disappeared altogether. The exception is the Espresso Martini, although its popularity is driven as much by co ee and viral trends as the base spirit itself. 

“Vodka is often perceived as neutral and lacking character, despite quality examples having subtle nuance. It also entered the western cocktail repertoire later than spirits like gin, whisky and brandy, so it doesn’t have the same depth of classic recipes behind it,” says Shearer.

“Modern cocktail culture also tends to favour spirits with more distinctive flavour profiles, where the base spirit plays a more expressive role. Vodka’s strength is its neutrality, which can be a disadvantage in this context, though it works perfectly in drinks like the Espresso Martini, where it supports rather than competes with bold flavours.”

One thing that remains difficult to define is whether spirits trends make their representative cocktails popular, or popular cocktails push category growth – the chicken and egg debate of the drinks industry. Nevertheless the full picture shows that cocktails rise and fall alongside spirits trends like a slow-moving oil tanker. In 2015 the list was dominated by whiskey and gin drinks, with vodka still playing a significant supporting role. Compare this to 2026 which is led by gin and agave, whiskey remains strong but no longer unrivalled. Vodka has largely retreated outside the upper echelons while rum’s success rests primarily on the enduring appeal of the Daiquiri. 

ANOMALIES 

Consistency is the strength of the data in the Cocktail Report, yet there have still been some anomalies over the years. Over the 12 editions of our poll just 23 cocktails were one-year wonders, while the vast majority have become long-term fixtures in the ranking. This reinforces one of the broader trends in the data: once a cocktail breaks into the world’s bestselling list, it tends to stick around.

For the cocktail nerds out there, here are the one-hit-wonders. In 2015 the Blinker, Bloodhound, Fog Cutter, Hurricane and Planter’s Punch; in 2016 the Blue Blazer, Pimm’s Cup and Papa Doble; in 2017 the Black Russian and Godfather; in 2018 Sangria; in 2020 Brandy Alexander; 2022 the Bobby Burns and Pisco Punch; in 2023 the Air Mail and Army & Navy; in 2025 the Oaxaca Old Fashioned and Fitzgerald; and in 2026 the East 8 Hold Up, Negroni Sbagliato, Scotch Sour, Milano Torino and Garibaldi.

But there are drinks that disappear and find their way back. The Cuba Libre, for example, first appeared in 2017 and 2018 before returning in 2026. However, this year saw five new entries to the ranking and, as the data suggests, a few are likely to stick around – and given their low-abv nature, my money would be on the Garibaldi and Milano Torino.