Classic cocktails
These are the drinks that have lasted: most are over fifty years old, and some go back well over a century. Learn a handful and you can make almost anything on a cocktail menu.
They are simple on paper, so the details matter: fresh citrus, cold glasses and proper dilution.
38 recipes · page 1 of 3
What counts as a classic cocktail
A classic is a drink with a settled recipe that bartenders everywhere recognise. Most are built on one of a few patterns: spirit, citrus and sugar (a sour), spirit and vermouth (a stirred drink), or spirit with something sparkling.
The Old Fashioned is the oldest pattern of all: spirit, sugar, bitters and water. The Daiquiri and Sidecar are sours, and the Manhattan and Negroni are stirred.
Many classics also have disputed origins, so treat bar stories with some caution. What matters is that the recipes have stayed close to the same ratios for generations.
Which classic cocktails to learn first
Start with the Daiquiri, Old Fashioned and Negroni. Together they teach shaking, stirring and balance. A Daiquiri is 50 ml white rum, 25 ml lime juice and 15 ml sugar syrup. A Negroni is 25 ml each of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth.
Then add the Dry Martini and the Margarita. Once you can make those five, most other classics are small changes to the same ideas.
Make each one a few times before you change anything. The classics are well balanced, so a small tweak, such as a little more syrup or a different garnish, goes a long way.
Shaken or stirred
Shake drinks that contain citrus juice, egg white or cream. Shaking chills them quickly and mixes in the juice. Stir drinks made only from spirits, vermouth, liqueurs and bitters, such as the Manhattan and Dry Martini, so they stay clear and silky.
Use plenty of ice and a cold glass either way. Too little ice melts fast and leaves a watery drink.
Stirring should take about 20 to 30 seconds, until the glass feels very cold. Shake hard for about 10 to 12 seconds, until the shaker is frosted.
Bottles to stock for classic cocktails
You can make a wide range of classics with a London dry gin, bourbon or rye, white rum, tequila blanco, Cognac, sweet and dry vermouth, Campari, Cointreau and Angostura bitters. Add limes and lemons, and fresh juice makes up the rest.
Keep opened vermouth in the fridge, because it is wine and goes dull within a few weeks at room temperature. For sparkling classics like the French 75, see the Prosecco cocktails page.
Questions people ask
What are the most famous classic cocktails?
The best known are the Old Fashioned, Martini, Manhattan, Negroni, Daiquiri, Margarita and Mojito. Between them they cover the main styles: stirred, shaken, sour and long. Each has a recipe on this page with UK measures, so you can make any of them with a few bottles.
What is the easiest classic cocktail to make?
The Negroni is the easiest: stir 25 ml each of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth over ice and add an orange twist. It uses equal measures, so there is little to get wrong. The Old Fashioned is a close second.
What is the difference between an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan?
An Old Fashioned is whiskey, sugar and bitters served over ice. A Manhattan is whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, stirred and served up in a coupe. The vermouth gives the Manhattan a rounder, more herbal flavour, while the Old Fashioned tastes more of the whiskey itself.
Should a classic cocktail be shaken or stirred?
Shake it if it contains citrus, egg or cream, and stir it if it contains only spirits, vermouth and bitters. A Daiquiri or Margarita is shaken. A Manhattan, Negroni or Dry Martini is stirred. The rule is about texture and clarity, not tradition.
What is a Daiquiri made from?
A classic Daiquiri is white rum, fresh lime juice and sugar syrup, shaken with ice. The recipe here uses 50 ml rum, 25 ml lime juice and 15 ml syrup, served in a chilled coupe. Taste before you pour and adjust, as limes vary in sourness.
Which spirit should I buy first for classic cocktails?
Gin is the most useful first bottle, because it is the base of the Negroni, Tom Collins, Gimlet and Dry Martini. A London dry style suits most recipes. Bourbon or rye is a good second, for the Old Fashioned, Manhattan and whisky sour.