Popular Cocktail Recipes: Ingredients, Instructions & Guide by Spirit and Event

Espresso Martini

Cold, boozy, and caffeinated — the modern classic.

• 2 oz vodka
• 1 oz fresh espresso, cooled
• 0.5 oz coffee liqueur
• 0.25 oz simple syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice
2. Shake hard for 15 seconds to build the foam
3. Double strain into a chilled coupe

Garnish: 3 coffee beans

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Moscow Mule

Sharp ginger and lime in the signature copper mug.

• 2 oz vodka
• 4–6 oz ginger beer
• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice

1. Fill a copper mug with ice
2. Add vodka and lime juice
3. Top with ginger beer and stir gently

Garnish: lime wheel, mint sprig

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Cosmopolitan

Pink, tart, and the definitive coupe-glass classic.

• 1.5 oz vodka
• 1 oz triple sec
• 0.5 oz lime juice
• 1 oz cranberry juice

1. Shake all ingredients hard with ice
2. Strain into a chilled coupe

Garnish: lime wheel or twist

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Vodka Soda

The lowest-effort pour on this list — and the most-ordered.

• 2 oz vodka
• 4 oz soda water
• 1 lime wedge

1. Fill a highball glass with ice
2. Add vodka and top with soda water
3. Squeeze in the lime wedge and drop it in

Screwdriver

Two ingredients, zero excuses — a brunch staple.

• 2 oz vodka
• 4-5 oz orange juice

1. Fill a highball glass with ice
2. Add vodka
3. Top with orange juice and stir gently

Garnish: orange slice

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Old Fashioned

The benchmark — spirit-forward and unhurried.

• 2 oz bourbon or rye
• 1 sugar cube (or 0.25 oz simple syrup)
• 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange peel

1. Muddle sugar and bitters with a splash of water
2. Add bourbon and a large ice cube
3. Stir 30 seconds; express orange peel over the top

Garnish: orange peel

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Whiskey Sour

Bright citrus balanced against bourbon's backbone.

• 2 oz bourbon
• 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.75 oz simple syrup
• 1 egg white (optional)

1. Dry-shake all ingredients (no ice) for 15 seconds
2. Add ice and shake again
3. Strain into a rocks glass over ice

Garnish: brandied cherry, lemon twist

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Mint Julep

Kentucky Derby in a glass — needs crushed ice to work.

• 2.5 oz bourbon
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• mint sprigs
• crushed ice

1. Muddle mint with simple syrup in the glass
2. Pack tightly with crushed ice
3. Add bourbon and stir until the glass frosts

Garnish: mint bouquet

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Manhattan

The Old Fashioned's stirred, boozier cousin.

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

1. Stir all ingredients with ice
2. Strain into a chilled coupe

Garnish: brandied cherry

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Negroni

Equal parts gin, Campari, and vermouth — bitter and bold.

• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz sweet vermouth

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well-chilled
2. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube

Garnish: orange peel

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Tom Collins

Gin, lemon, and soda — the original tall refresher.

• 2 oz gin
• 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• Soda water to top

1. Shake gin, lemon juice, and syrup with ice
2. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass
3. Top with soda water

Garnish: lemon wheel, cherry

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Gin & Tonic

The easiest crowd-pleaser in the gin family.

• 2 oz gin
• 4 oz tonic water
• 1 lime wedge

1. Fill a highball glass with ice
2. Add gin and top with tonic
3. Garnish with a lime wedge

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Gimlet

Sharp, citrusy, and criminally easy to batch.

• 2 oz gin
• 0.75 oz lime juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup

1. Shake all ingredients with ice
2. Strain into a chilled coupe

Garnish: lime wheel

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Margarita

Tequila, lime, and orange liqueur — still unbeaten.

• 2 oz blanco tequila
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.75 oz orange liqueur

1. Salt the rim of a rocks glass (optional)
2. Shake all ingredients hard with ice
3. Strain over fresh ice

Garnish: lime wheel

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Paloma

Tequila and grapefruit soda — Mexico's true favorite.

• 2 oz blanco tequila
• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
• Grapefruit soda to top
• Pinch of salt

1. Fill a highball glass with ice
2. Add tequila and lime juice
3. Top with grapefruit soda and stir gently

Garnish: grapefruit wedge, salt rim

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Frescarita (sugar-free)

A margarita's sugar-free cousin, topped with Fresca.

• 2 oz tequila
• 2 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 oz triple sec
• 4-5 oz Fresca
• salt for the rim (optional)

1. Rim a tall glass with lime and salt
2. Fill with ice
3. Add tequila, lime juice, and triple sec
4. Top with Fresca and stir gently

Garnish: lime slice

Tequila Sunrise

Built for the layered sunrise effect, not the shake.

• 2 oz tequila
• 4 oz orange juice
• 0.5 oz grenadine

1. Fill a highball glass with ice
2. Add tequila and orange juice, stir
3. Slowly pour grenadine down the side so it settles at the bottom — do not stir

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Mojito

Muddled mint, lime, and soda over crushed ice.

• 2 oz white rum
• 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• 8–10 mint leaves
• Soda water to top

1. Gently muddle mint with sugar and lime juice
2. Add rum and crushed ice
3. Top with soda water and stir

Garnish: mint sprig

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Daiquiri

Rum, lime, and sugar, shaken until silky.

• 2 oz white rum
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.75 oz simple syrup

1. Shake all ingredients hard with ice
2. Double strain into a chilled coupe

Garnish: lime wheel

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Dark & Stormy

Ginger beer with a dark rum float — sharper than a Mule.

• 2 oz dark rum
• 4 oz ginger beer
• 1 lime wedge

1. Fill a highball glass with ice
2. Add ginger beer
3. Float the dark rum on top

Garnish: lime wedge

Photo by Ralf Roletschek (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons

Piña Colada

Beach-vacation-in-a-glass, built for a blender.

• 2 oz rum
• 3 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz cream of coconut

1. Combine all ingredients with ice in a blender or shaker
2. Blend until smooth, or shake hard
3. Pour into a glass

Garnish: pineapple wedge

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Penicillin

Scotch, honey-ginger, and lemon, with a smoky float.

• 2 oz blended Scotch
• 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.75 oz honey-ginger syrup
• 0.25 oz smoky single malt, floated

1. Shake blended Scotch, lemon juice, and syrup with ice
2. Strain over fresh ice
3. Float the smoky single malt on top

Garnish: candied ginger

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Rob Roy

A Manhattan's Scotch-forward cousin, stirred and stately.

• 2 oz blended Scotch
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

1. Stir all ingredients with ice until well-chilled
2. Strain into a chilled coupe

Garnish: brandied cherry or lemon twist

Photo by Ralf Roletschek (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons

Scotch & Soda

The simplest way to stretch a good blend.

• 2 oz blended Scotch
• 4 oz soda water

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice
2. Add Scotch
3. Top with soda water and stir once

Photo by DoubleGrazing (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons

Blood and Sand

The rare Scotch cocktail that welcomes fresh juice.

• 0.75 oz Scotch
• 0.75 oz cherry liqueur
• 0.75 oz sweet vermouth
• 0.75 oz orange juice

1. Shake all ingredients with ice
2. Strain into a chilled coupe

Photo by Ralf Roletschek (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons

Godfather

Two ingredients, no shake, mob-movie classic.

• 1.5 oz Scotch
• 1.5 oz amaretto

1. Build over ice in a rocks glass
2. Stir

Photo via TheCocktailDB

French 75

Gin and lemon lifted by a top of bubbly.

• 1 oz gin
• 0.5 oz lemon juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• Champagne to top

1. Shake gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice
2. Strain into a chilled flute
3. Top with champagne

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Mimosa

The brunch standby: equal parts juice and champagne.

• 3 oz champagne
• 3 oz orange juice

1. Pour orange juice into a chilled flute
2. Top with champagne

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Bellini

Sparkling wine and peach purée, poured gently.

• 2 oz champagne (or prosecco)
• 1 oz peach purée

1. Pour peach purée into a chilled flute
2. Top with champagne
3. Stir gently to combine

Photo via TheCocktailDB

Kir Royale

Champagne stained with a splash of cassis.

• 4.5 oz champagne
• 0.5 oz crème de cassis

1. Pour crème de cassis into a chilled flute
2. Top with champagne

Photo via TheCocktailDB