18 Cocktails Every Bartender Should Know

Which cocktails are the most popular in 2023? Which classic cocktails are timeless?

Some of these famous cocktails have been popular for generations and continue to be favorites around the world, gaining popularity from movies and pop culture.

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Here are 18 Cocktails Every Bartender Should Know

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Margarita

Margarita

A Margarita is a cocktail consisting of Tequila, Orange Liqueur, and Lime Juice often served with Salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice, blended with ice, or without ice.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. tequila
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• Salt for rimming
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Rocks glass

Preparation:

1. Rim a rocks glass with salt by rubbing a lime wedge around the rim and dipping it in salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. In a shaker, add tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and ice.
4. Shake the mixture well and strain it over the ice in the glass.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: Lime wedge

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Martini

Martini

The Martini is a cocktail made with Gin and Vermouth and garnished with an Olive or a Lemon Twist. Over the years, the Martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the Martini “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet”.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 oz. gin or vodka
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• Ice
• Olives or lemon twist for garnish

Drinkware: Chilled martini glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a mixing glass with ice and add the gin or vodka and dry vermouth.
2. Stir the mixture well until it’s chilled and diluted.
3. Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass.

Served: Up, without ice

Garnish: Olives or a lemon twist

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Moscow Mule

Moscow Mule

A Moscow Mule is a cocktail made with Vodka, Ginger Beer, and Lime Juice, garnished with a Lime Slice or Lime Wedge. The Moscow Mule is popularly served in a Copper Mug, which takes on the cold temperature of the liquid.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 4 oz. ginger beer
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Copper mug

Preparation:

1. Fill a copper mug with ice.
2. Add vodka and lime juice to the mug.
3. Top off the mug with ginger beer.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: Lime wedge

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Gin & Tonic

Gin & Tonic

A Gin & Tonic is a highball cocktail made with Gin and Tonic Water poured over a large amount of ice. The ratio of Gin to Tonic varies according to taste, strength of the Gin and other drink mixers being added, with most recipes calling for a ratio between 1:1 to 1:3.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. gin
• 4-6 oz. tonic water
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Highball glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Add the gin to the glass.
3. Top with tonic water.
4. Stir well.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: Lime wedge

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Manhattan

Manhattan

A Manhattan is a cocktail made with Whisky, Sweet Vermouth, and Bitters. While rye is the traditional Whisky of choice, other commonly used whiskies include Canadian Whisky, Bourbon, blended Whisky, and Tennessee Whisky.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. rye whiskey
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes of bitters
• Maraschino cherry for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Chilled cocktail glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a mixing glass with ice and add the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters.
2. Stir the mixture well until it’s chilled and diluted.
3. Strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass.

Served: Up, without ice

Garnish: Maraschino cherry

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Long Island Iced Tea

Long Island Iced Tea

A Long Island Iced Tea is a type of alcoholic mixed drink typically made with Vodka, Tequila, Light Rum, Triple Sec, Gin, and a splash of Cola, which gives the drink the same amber hue as its namesake. A popular version mixes equal parts Vodka, Gin, Rum, Triple Sec, with ​1 1/2 parts Sour Mix and a splash of Cola.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. gin
• 1/2 oz. rum
• 1/2 oz. tequila
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 1 oz. sour mix
• Cola
• Lemon wedge for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Highball glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Add all of the liquors and the sour mix to the glass.
3. Top with cola.
4. Stir well.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: Lemon wedge

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Old Fashioned

Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is a cocktail made by muddling Sugar with Angostura Bitters, adding Whisky or, less commonly, Brandy, and garnishing with a Citrus Rind Twist. It is traditionally served in an Old Fashioned Glass, which predated the cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. whiskey (bourbon or rye)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 dashes of bitters
• Orange or lemon twist
• Ice

Drinkware: Old Fashioned glass

Preparation:

1. In an Old Fashioned glass, add the sugar, bitters, and a splash of water.
2. Use a muddler or the back of a spoon to dissolve the sugar and mix everything together.
3. Add a large ice cube to the glass and pour in the whiskey.
4. Stir until the drink is chilled.

Served: Neat, without ice

Garnish: Orange or lemon twist

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Whiskey Sour

Whiskey Sour

The Whiskey Sour is a mixed drink containing Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Sugar, and optionally, a dash of Egg Whites. With the Egg Whites, it is sometimes called a Boston Sour. With a few bar spoons of full-bodied Red Wine floated on top, it is often referred to as a New York Sour.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. whiskey
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• Cherry and/or orange slice for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Rocks glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a shaker with ice and add the whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: Cherry and/or orange slice

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White Russian

White Russian

A White Russian is a cocktail made with Vodka, Coffee Liqueur and Cream served with ice in an Old Fashioned Glass. Often Milk or Half & Half will be used as an alternative to Cream.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. Kahlúa or other coffee liqueur
• 1 oz. heavy cream or half-and-half
• Ice

Drinkware: Rocks glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice.
2. Add the vodka and Kahlúa to the glass.
3. Top with heavy cream or half-and-half.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: None

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Mojito

Mojito

Mojito is a traditional Cuban Highball. Traditionally, a Mojito is a cocktail that consists of five ingredients: White Rum, Sugar, Lime Juice, Soda Water, and Mint. Its combination of sweetness, citrus, and herbaceous mint flavors is intended to complement the Rum, and has made the Mojito a popular summer drink.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. white rum
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 8-10 fresh mint leaves
• Club soda
• Lime wedge and/or mint sprig for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Highball glass

Preparation:

1. In a shaker, muddle the mint leaves with the lime juice and simple syrup.
2. Add the rum and ice to the shaker and shake well.
3. Strain the mixture into a highball glass filled with ice.
4. Top with club soda.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: Lime wedge and/or mint sprig

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Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan

A Cosmopolitan, also known as a Cosmo, is a cocktail made with Vodka, Triple Sec, Cranberry Juice, and freshly squeezed or sweetened Lime Juice.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. cranberry juice
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Chilled cocktail glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a shaker with ice and add vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, and lime juice.
2. Shake the mixture well and strain it into a chilled cocktail glass.

Served: Up, without ice

Garnish: Lime wedge

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Sidecar

Sidecar

The Sidecar is a cocktail traditionally made with Cognac, Orange Liqueur and Lemon Juice. In its ingredients, the drink is perhaps most closely related to the older Brandy Crusta, which differs both in presentation and in proportions of its components.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. cognac
• 3/4 oz. triple sec
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• Sugar for rimming
• Lemon twist for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Chilled cocktail glass

Preparation:

1. Rim a chilled cocktail glass with sugar.
2. Fill a shaker with ice and add the cognac, triple sec, and lemon juice.
3. Shake the mixture well and strain it into the glass.

Served: Up, without ice

Garnish: Lemon twist

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Gimlet

Gimlet

The Gimlet is a cocktail typically made of 2 parts Gin and 1 part Lime Juice. A 1928 description of the drink was “gin, and a spot of lime”. The description in the 1953 Raymond Chandler novel The Long Goodbye stated that “a real gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s lime juice and nothing else”.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. gin
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Chilled cocktail glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a shaker with ice and add the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup.
2. Shake the mixture well and strain it into a chilled cocktail glass.

Served: Up, without ice

Garnish: Lime wedge

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Piña Colada

Piña Colada

The Piña Colada is a sweet cocktail made with Rum, Cream of Coconut or Coconut Milk, and Pineapple Juice, usually served blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a Pineapple Wedge, Maraschino Cherry, or both.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. white rum
• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• 2 oz. coconut cream or coconut milk
• Pineapple wedge and/or cherry for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Hurricane glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a blender with ice and add the rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream or milk.
2. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a hurricane glass.

Served: Blended with ice

Garnish: Pineapple wedge and/or cherry

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Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary

A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing Vodka, Tomato Juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco Sauce, Garlic, Horseradish, Celery, Olives, Salt, Black Pepper, Lemon Juice, Lime Juice and/or celery salt.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. vodka
• 4 oz. tomato juice
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Celery stalk and/or other garnishes (olives, pickles, shrimp, etc.)
• Ice

Drinkware: Highball glass

Preparation:

1. Rim a highball glass with celery salt by rubbing a lemon wedge around the rim and dipping it in celery salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. Add vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and black pepper to a shaker with ice.
4. Shake the mixture well and strain it into the glass.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: Celery stalk and/or other garnishes

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Tom Collins

Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is a cocktail made from Gin, Lemon Juice, Sugar, and Carbonated Water. First memorialized in writing in 1876 by Jerry Thomas, “the father of American mixology”, this “Gin and Sparkling Lemonade” drink is typically served in a Collins Glass over ice.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• Club soda
• Lemon wedge and/or cherry for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Collins glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a Collins glass with ice.
2. In a shaker, add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
3. Shake the mixture well and strain it into the glass.
4. Top with club soda.

Served: On the rocks

Garnish: Lemon wedge and/or cherry

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Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee is a cocktail consisting of Hot Coffee, Irish Whisky, and Sugar, stirred and topped with Cream.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Irish whiskey
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 6 oz. hot coffee
• Heavy cream or whipped cream
• Cinnamon or nutmeg for garnish

Drinkware: Irish coffee glass

Preparation:

1. In an Irish coffee glass, add whiskey and simple syrup.
2. Fill the glass with hot coffee.
3. Top with heavy cream or whipped cream.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.

Served: Hot

Garnish: Cinnamon or nutmeg

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Appletini

Appletini

An Appletini is an Apple Martini cocktail containing Vodka and one or more of Apple Juice, Apple Cider, Apple Liqueur, or Apple Brandy. This drink, originally called an Adam’s Apple Martini because the bartender who created it was named Adam, was created in 1996 at Lola’s West Hollywood restaurant.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. sour apple schnapps
• Splash of lemon juice
• Apple slice or cherry for garnish
• Ice

Drinkware: Chilled cocktail glass

Preparation:

1. Fill a shaker with ice and add vodka, sour apple schnapps, and lemon juice.
2. Shake the mixture well and strain it into a chilled cocktail glass.

Served: Up, without ice

Garnish: Apple slice or cherry

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