With so many trends in the food and beverage spaces seemingly materializing and disappearing at the speed of a sped up TikTok tune, there's something incredibly comforting about walking into your neighborhood watering hole and ordering a Negroni or an Old Fashioned. Even if the bartender wants to get a bit creative with garnishes or glassware, you'll generally know what to expect — stability, perfectly harmonious flavors that have stood the test of time, and, well, booze. Once you've stocked up a basic home bar with some of your favorite spirits, a good vermouth or two, and a bottle of bitters, you've got everything you need to nail the classic co*cktail at home — read on for 27 iconic recipes that every bartender wants you to add to your repertoire.
01of 27
Gin & Tonic
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Gin-and-Tonic-FT-RECIPE1022-2000-90396dddf5354e488a50c8e0a5218485.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (1)")
The herbaceous, juniper-forward flavor of botanical London Dry Gin is perfectly carried by tonic water's sweetness.
Get the Recipe
02of 27
White Russian
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/White-Russian-FT-BLOG1122-ea344feb22e34f6a8074e7e0b13a0de9.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (2)")
While a White Russian can be made with milk or half and half, heavy cream adds unmatched flavor and texture in this simple co*cktail.
Get the Recipe
03of 27
Paper Plane
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Paper-Plane-FT-RECIPE1022-2000-b140c68dbfc448948ce09e00db46de98.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (3)")
The Paper Plane has just enough sweetness to counteract its bitter and sour notes, and its signature orange hue comes from Aperol.
Get the Recipe
04of 27
Aviation
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Aviation-co*cktail-FT-BLOG1122-14f8dd8b8ce24c22b7ded61d5ba69a5b.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (4)")
This gorgeous, light-purple-hued gin co*cktail actually tastes as good as it looks. Served in an elegant coupe glass, this co*cktail dates all the way back to the early 20th century, where it was first mentioned inRecipes for Mixed Drinks, a bookwritten by Hugo Ensslin, the head bartender of the Hotel Wallick in New York City.
Get the Recipe
05of 27
Vieux Carré
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Vieux-Carre-FT-BLOG1122-5ee791a28b7e4073999a1e0362bf5dfe.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (5)")
Channel the decadence and debauchery of Prohibition-era New Orleans with a classic Vieux Carré recipe from Neal Bodenheimer.
Get the Recipe
06of 27
Negroni
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Negroni-FT-RECIPE0922-2000-397d29e18c9045738aff8575c5e30a10.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (6)")
Despite the Negroni's endless capacity for shape-shifting, this recipe is for the most classic version of the co*cktail — think of it an ode to its comforting simplicity. Made with vibrant red Campari, sweetvermouth, and gin, the drink is balanced with a combination earthy, bitter, and botanical flavors.
Get the Recipe
07of 27
Aperol Spritz
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Aperol-Spritz-FT-BLOG1122-aec6c9d26aab4c75a25a6c9ca6c1d578.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (7)")
Typically served in a stemmed wine glass filled with ice along with an orange wedge garnish, it's best to use brut (or dry) prosecco for this drink, which already has plenty of sweetness from its eponymous ingredient.
Get the Recipe
08of 27
Moscow Mule
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Moscow-Mule-FT-RECIPE1022-2000-c87fd6e76181473291ef1a40b8661ea0.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (8)")
Since a Moscow Mule contains just a few ingredients, it's important to reach for the highest quality when you can. Use sharp, spicy ginger beer for a full-flavored experience. And, as with nearly all co*cktails, use lime juice from fresh, whole limes in lieu of the bottled stuff.
Get the Recipe
09of 27
Espresso Martini
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Espresso-Martini-FT-BLOG1122-db7c33cb78534f97bf638ad25d11971c.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (9)")
This recipe from Simon Sebbah, beverage director at NYC's American Bar, gets you a perfectly frothy, caffeinated co*cktail every time.
Get the recipe
10of 27
Mai Tai
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Mai-Tai-co*cktail-FT-BLOG1122-43e6748207e04826b57b8654cedb6bd8.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (10)")
If the only Mai Tai you've ever had was pink, then you've never had a Mai Tai.
Get the recipe
11of 27
Pimm's Cup
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Pimms-Cup-FT-BLOG1122-3696006daacc47abbd88de53a2550a34.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (11)")
This low-alcohol co*cktail with show-stopping garnishes is a delicious summer staple for a reason.
Get the recipe
12of 27
Last Word
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Last-Word-FT-BLOG1122-5cee8b030abc4875a8dc15b7fe6d06e4.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (12)")
This Prohibition-era co*cktail comes together with just a few ingredients and manages to pack a seriously boozy punch while maintaining balance.
Get the recipe
13of 27
Spicy Margarita
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Spicy-Margarita-FT-BLOG1122-5b3a85abfd524f5e9cd885ae81b3f128.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (13)")
How do you make a great classic co*cktail even better? Add a jalapeño pepper.
Get the recipe
14of 27
Milk Punch
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Milk-Punch-FT-BLOG1222-25045c34039841cbba0c9885b54b30eb.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (14)")
Grab your spirit of choice and make this classic, creamy milk punch.
Get the recipe
15of 27
Grasshopper
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Grasshopper-co*cktail-FT-BLOG1222-0cbf570bc00e490e985ae71fd376af19.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (15)")
Bright green, boozy, and creamy, it's impossible to miss a bright green Grasshopper co*cktail.
Get the recipe
16of 27
Manhattan
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Manhattan-co*cktail-FT-BLOG0522-dee9bf6e992f425eb496657aa2f14d47.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (16)")
The Manhattan is one of the most popular whiskey co*cktails, and has been enjoyed for over a century. The drink is traditionally made with rye whiskey, but some bartenders prefer to use bourbon. You can add a splash of juice from the jar of maraschino cherries if you'd like to add fruity sweetness to the drink, or alternatively, garnish with a lemon peel.
Get the recipe
17of 27
Penicillin
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Penicillin-co*cktail-FT-BLOG1222-399fdc77f5704bdb95dd4cdbd9a4bf72.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (17)")
Smoky Scotch meets bracing ginger and sweet honey in a classic Penicillin co*cktail.
Get the recipe
18of 27
Tom Collins
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Tom-Collins-FT-RECIPE0922-2000-c9c8b25aba1d4bf89fd8030ee114b67b.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (18)")
Served in a vessel aptly named after the inventor of the co*cktail, the Tom Collins is a towering, icy drink served in a thin-walled Collins glass. With likeness to a Gin Sling or Gin Fizz, the Tom Collins is a refreshing co*cktail made with gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, a bit of sugar, and carbonated water. It's thirst-quenching and refreshing, with balanced sweet and sour flavors along with an enticing, fizzy finish.
Get the Recipe
19of 27
Bee's Knees
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/HD-hp-2012-co*cktails-c-bees-knees-2980115f99b34b60971f2834eea5d363.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (19)")
This honey-sweetened Prohibition-era co*cktail makes Lynnette Marrero think of spring: “It’s simple, clean and refreshing — like a winter toddy that’s gotten a spring makeover,” she says.
Get the recipe
20of 27
Old Fashioned
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/The-Best-Bourbon-Ive-Had-Was-a-Gin-FT-BLOG1022-7a86b98aecaa401382db3af129c4098b.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (20)")
Don't be fooled by the inherent simplicity of the drink — there is room for creativity and personalization when it comes to making an Old Fashioned.
Get the recipe
21of 27
Long Island Iced Tea
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Long-Island-Iced-Tea-co*cktail-FT-RECIPE1222-6454b2a875f7461190cbae8d93f9dca1.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (21)")
With four spirits and one liqeuer, the Long Island Iced Tea is not a co*cktail for the faint of heart.
Get the recipe
22of 27
Mint Julep
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Mint-Julep-FT-BLOG0622-febf54aa777442d7bb9bf74c379d4a80.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (22)")
The Mint Julep has been the iconic drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1939, but references to the co*cktailgo as far back as the year 900, when it was sipped for medicinal purposes. When New Orleans bartender Chris McMillian was atBar UnCommon, he recited an ode while mixing Mint Juleps, written in the 1890s by a Kentucky newspaperman, that calls the bourbon and mint co*cktail "the very dream of drinks."
Get the recipe
23of 27
French 75
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/French-75-FT-RECIPE1022-2000-23905aac95d04ed283e11b333a99bbcf.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (23)")
This luxurious, delicious combination of gin and Champagne can be easily scaled up for a crowd.
Get the Recipe
24of 27
Irish Coffee
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Why-Irish-Coffee-Should-Replace-The-Espresso-Martini-FT-BLOG0922-2000-0c1acd57e2f54aaeb41aecd1e0885dd3.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (24)")
Irish Coffee, like so many St. Patrick's Day culinary standbys, is more Irish-American than Irish. The original co*cktail features aged, frothed cream, two sugar cubes, hot coffee, and Irish whiskey, but as the drink spread, different formulations took hold. Our recipe calls for strong, freshly brewed coffee, Irish whiskey, a little sweetener, and whipped cream.
Get the recipe
25of 27
Corpse Reviver
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Corpse-Reviver-FT-RECIPE1222-350f226d7b7b44f79c33defb1cf9303f.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (25)")
Like many Prohibition and pre-Prohibition co*cktails, the Corpse Reviver is composed of mostly spirits that are artfully paired together in harmony. While just a dash is used, absinthe gives this co*cktail an extra hit of herbaceous aroma.
Get the recipe
26of 27
Daiquiri
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Daiquiri-FT-RECIPE1022-2000-a062a7a337a0428cb8618fb3e93f5838.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (26)")
What makes the three-ingredient classic Daiquiri so delicious and enduring is ultimately its simplicity.
Get the Recipe
27of 27
Mojito
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Mojito-FT-RECIPE1022-2000-85cdb1eb59454847b713713e32e365c0.jpg "How to Make the 27 Most Iconic co*cktails (27)")
The simplicity of the Mojito allows high-quality ingredients to shine. Choose a high quality rum and pair it with freshly squeezed lime juice, and all-natural simple syrup to elevate this drink. Plus, a splash of bubbly water to top off the drink helps keep this highball a bit less boozy, making it a great contender for an afternoon sipping.
Get the recipe
