Since cocktails are among the essential drinks at home parties, we'll introduce you to the most popular ones and those most underrated. Like the Old Fashioned, some of them appeared in the movie "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," and it's also Don Draper's cocktail of choice in the television series "Mad Man." There is a wide variety of mixed drinks, so we had a hard time creating our top 10 cocktails list. Prepare your shakers, and pick your best cocktail recipe from our top ten list. There are no weird ones like The Sourtoe Cocktail; that's a promise!
10. Aperol Spritz
Aperol, as well as Campari, have an equal content of sugar, and yet Aperol is less bitter(ish)
The famous Italian cocktail, Aperol Spritz, is also known as Spritz Veneziano. Brothers Silvio and Luigi Barbieri created it back in 1919 after refining it for seven years! Still, it was worth it because it gained a worldwide reputation.
This light cocktail possesses a bittersweet taste. Smooth Prosecco neutralizes sharp and bitter(ish) Aperol, further balanced by soda. To make this cocktail look more attractive, you can garnish the glass with green olives or orange wedges. It's up to you. Cheers.
9. Whiskey Sour
The first mentioning ever of Whiskey Sour was in one Wisconsin newspaper
Fans of good old whiskey, brace yourself because you're about to dive into a harmony of heavenly flavor by tasting this fabulous cocktail. It's like whiskey, only better, as there are more than a couple different aromas. This drink is best prepared with a type of whiskey we all know as bourbon.
You need to combine sugar, breezy lemon juice as a refreshing factor, and a dash of egg white to make the magic happen. Then again, you can add aquafaba instead of egg white and make a vegan version of it. Impressive, right? Whiskey Sour is not so hard to prepare, yet it tastes delicious.
8. Mojito
There are many versions of Mojito around the world
This popular summer drink created somewhere in the 1500s will get you straight to its birthplace, Cuba. Among the many theories about the cocktail's name, the most likely is that Mojito's came from the Spanish word "mojadito," which means "wet."
Mojito is widely known as a favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway, who was its most prominent sympathizer. There are many versions of Mojito, as you can customize the best cocktail taste by changing the fruits included. However, the original recipe consists of only five ingredients. The mix includes white rum, lime juice, sugar, soda, and the most recognizable Mojito ingredient - mint.
7. Espresso Martini
The perfect garnish for this cocktail are coffee beans
There's an intriguing story behind creating this classy drink. The Espresso Martini invention happened when a London bartender, Dick Bradsell, answered one unusual order. The young lady requested a drink that could "wake her up and f*ck her up."
Since coffee can always boost our energy, Bradsell chose it as a base for his cocktail. Besides espresso, he also includes a coffee liqueur to enhance the flavor, as well as vodka and sugar syrup. Though the drink's name is Espresso Martini, this is not really Martini, as there is no gin nor vermouth.
6. Manhattan
Maraschino liqueur is a great choice for cocktail's additional sweetness and color
Moving through this list, we came to an oldie drink called Manhattan. Its first appearance was somewhere back in the 1870s. According to one of the few stories about its creation, Dr. Lane Marshall made it at the banquet in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden.
The original recipe for the Manhattan consists of whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. If you are preparing to make a traditional recipe, you must use American rye whiskey. Anyhow, many bartenders prepare it with bourbon or Canadian whiskey. To make the experience richer, garnish your glass with a maraschino cherry.
5. Daiquiri
The Daiquiri is mentioned in David A. Embury's classic "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks"
If you love rum, then this could be your best cocktail. Rum-based drinks are very fashionable and have worldwide popularity. There is a belief that the origin of Daiquiri comes from the same-named beach in Cuba. This drink arrived in New York in 1902 and was served in countless clubs.
The recipe is divine and straightforward, as it includes a sensitive blend of rum's sweetness mixed with the natural freshness of sugar and citrus, commonly lime juice. Pay attention not to choose a rum that's too sweet, as it can ruin the drink's taste.
4. Dry Martini
Dry Martini is one of the most fabulous cocktails in the World
This cocktail is popularly known as the most elegant one. The less known fact is that the Spanish-Mexican filmmaker, Luis Buñuel, used Dry Martini as a component in his creative process to preserve "a reverie in a bar." The regular Martini is a cocktail made of gin and vermouth, decorated with a lemon twist or olive.
Anyhow, the original recipe for Dry Martini includes only white, dry vermouth. You can pour it into an old-fashioned glass, add some ice cubes, and splash the ingredients over to serve it properly. When served this way, it's called Straight or "on the rocks."
3. Negroni
The glass looks more creative if you garnish it with the orange peel instead of an orange slice
Created in Florence back in 1919, the Negroni cocktail remains one of the world's most popular aperitif drinks. The main ingredients of Negroni are semi-sweet red vermouth, gin, and bitter Italian Campari. This is an absolute explosion of taste!
The cocktail lovers recommend adding a little extra gin, stirred with the ice, which will calm the sweetness of vermouth. Real Negroni is always stirred and never shaken before being poured over the rocks in an old-fashioned glass. You can use an orange peel for the creative decoration, as it looks so chic.
2. Margarita
This cocktail has its glass named Margarita glass
Finally, we came to her majesty, Margarita. As with many other classic cocktails, there are multiple stories about its origin. According to one tale, Margarita's creation happened at the fabulous Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas, back in 1948. Allegedly, Santos Cruz, the main bartender, mixed the drink for the famous singer Peggy (Margaret) Lee. Then he named it after the Spanish word for Daisy - which is also her middle name.
The standard recipe mix consists of tequila, orange liqueur, and refreshing lime juice. Of course, the serving has to be with the salt on the edge of a glass. Let your imagination run wild and include some other fruit, like pineapple, peaches, or mangos. We can't decide which version we prefer more! Margarita is perfect for any occasion; just don't let the monkeys steal it!
1. Old Fashioned
This cocktail is best served in old fashioned glass, known as a rock glass
The mighty Old Fashioned is one of the oldest and most popular classic cocktails. Its first appearance was in the 19th century, as it quickly became a very sophisticated drink. This refined cocktail represents pure art, and by ordering it, you're about to experience a wide range of great tastes. If you decide to make the Old Fashioned, you need to do it in proper order.
Firstly, prepare your old-fashioned glass; secondly, put the muddling sugar and add a mix of bitters and water. After that, wait a few seconds for the ingredients to dive into sugar. In the end, pour some whiskey and garnish it with an orange slice. Take a sip and feel the miracle of liquid rhapsody!
Don't forget that you need to avoid combining cocktails with other drinks. You shouldn't be tempted to do that anyway, as they are too good on their own! Instead, try some safe mixes.
Do you have any cocktail recommendations for us? What are your top ten favorite cocktails? Are they on our list? Tell us in the comment section.
Cover photo: TopTens.fun/Midjourney