Friday is back, and that means it’s time to shake, stir, and sip our way through the best of the bar world. In this top 10 classic cocktail roundup I’m sharing the most reliable versions of each timeless drink, all drawn from my own bar‑hopping adventures and the legendary tome by David A. Embury, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. If you love cocktails, you’ll want a copy of Embury’s book – it’s a collector’s item that usually sells for $200+ but you can snag a used copy for $120‑$161 on Amazon. You can buy them here. Below you’ll find the recipes, the glassware, and the quirks that make each of these ten classics a must‑try.

Top 10 Classic Cocktail Overview

1. Martini

1 part Lillet Vermouth (French)
7 parts premium gin – Tanqueray No. 10 is my go‑to.

This cocktail sparks the most debate in any bar. First, a true martini is gin‑based, never vodka; calling a vodka‑based drink a “martini” is a misnomer. Second, the garnish matters: a single olive on a toothpick is classic, while two or three olives dilute the flavor. A lemon twist, not the peel itself, should be expressed over the drink to release aromatics without dropping it in.

Stir the ingredients gently in a mixing glass with ice – never shake, contrary to James Bond’s famous line. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with the olive, and enjoy. Swap the olive for a cocktail onion and you’ve got a Gibson, a subtle cousin of the martini.

2. Manhattan

1 part Italian vermouth
5 parts rye whiskey (or bourbon if you prefer)
1 dash Angostura bitters

Combine the vermouth, whiskey, and bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir gently – never shake – until well‑chilled, then strain into a cocktail glass. Finish with a single maraschino cherry, either perched on a toothpick or dropped in.

While rye is traditional, bourbon offers a sweeter profile. The Manhattan’s elegance lies in its balance of spirit, sweet, and bitter, making it a perennial favorite.

3. Sidecar

1 part Cointreau
2 parts fresh lemon juice
8 parts brandy

Shake the Cointreau, lemon juice, and brandy over ice until frothy. Strain into a sour or Delmonico glass – a standard cocktail glass works fine too.

This sharp, citrus‑forward drink is a personal favorite of mine, offering a perfect harmony of sweet orange liqueur, tart lemon, and rich brandy.

4. Margarita

1 part tequila
1 part Cointreau (or any orange liqueur)
1 part fresh lime juice

Combine tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a small old‑fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Stir briefly to meld flavors, then serve immediately.

The origins of the Margarita are shrouded in mystery, but one thing’s clear: it’s never meant to be blended into a slushy. Keep it crisp, tart, and refreshing.

5. Sazerac

1 teaspoon sugar syrup
3 dashes aromatic bitters
2–2.5 ounces rye whiskey (or bourbon)

Fill two small old‑fashioned glasses with ice to chill. In a mixing glass, stir the sugar syrup, bitters, and whiskey with large ice cubes until cold.

Discard the ice from the chilled glasses, then swirl a few drops of absinthe around the interior, discarding any excess. Strain the stirred whiskey mixture into the prepared glasses, garnish with a lemon peel, and serve with a small glass of ice water on the side.

The Sazerac is one of the earliest recorded cocktails, dating back to the 19th century. Its bold combination of whiskey and absinthe makes it an acquired taste, but a true classic for history buffs.

6. Daiquiri

1 part sugar syrup
2 parts fresh lime juice
8 parts white rum (Bacardi is a solid choice)

Vigorously shake the sugar syrup, lime juice, and rum with ice, then strain into a chilled old‑fashioned or cocktail glass.

Originally known as the “Bacardi” after the brand that popularized it, the drink earned the name “Daiquiri” after a legal battle. Its simple balance of sweet, sour, and spirit makes it timeless.

7. El Presidente

1 part French vermouth
3 parts aged rum
1 dash grenadine (pomegranate‑based, not raspberry)

Combine the vermouth, rum, and grenadine in an old‑fashioned glass filled with large ice cubes. Add an orange twist (and optionally a cherry) as garnish.

Note: many mistake grenadine for a raspberry liqueur, but authentic grenadine is made from pomegranates. This recipe describes the Cuban style; an American version includes lemon juice and curaçao.

8. Gin Sling

1 teaspoon sugar syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 ounces gin

Mix the sugar syrup, lemon juice, and gin in a goblet or highball glass, then top with chilled soda water. The lemon juice adds a bright edge, but you can omit it if you prefer a sweeter profile.

The term “sling” simply denotes a sweetened spirit diluted with water. Swap gin for whiskey, rum, or brandy to create endless variations.

9. Mint Julep

In a tall mixing glass, combine 1 tablespoon sugar syrup, a dozen fresh mint leaves, and 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters. Gently muddle the mint (don’t crush) and stir lightly.

Pour 2 oz bourbon over the mixture, then chill a julep glass in the freezer. Fill the glass with crushed ice, add the mint‑bourbon blend, and stir for a few minutes. Top with more ice, garnish with sugared mint leaves, and serve with two long straws.

The mint julep is notoriously divisive, but once you taste this balanced version you’ll understand why it remains a Southern staple.

10. Tom Collins

1 tablespoon sugar syrup
Juice of one medium lemon
3–4 oz gin (about two measures)

Stir the sugar syrup, lemon juice, and gin together in a tall Tom Collins glass, then add four ice cubes. Top off with soda water, give it a gentle stir, and serve immediately.

Historically, the Tom Collins was made with Old Tom gin, a slightly sweetened gin. Since Old Tom is scarce today, regular gin plus a splash of sugar syrup does the trick. The drink is served in the tallest cocktail glass, typically holding 12–16 oz.

As soon as humans discovered leisure time, they discovered something else—boredom. To combat that, booze arrived, lowering inhibitions and sparking chatter, which gave rise to countless tall tales about the cocktails we adore. These are the 10 strange legends that swirl around our favorite drinks.

10 Strange Legends of Classic Cocktails

10 Harvey Wallbanger

The Harvey Wallbanger boasts a hilariously quirky moniker, a feat in itself given how outlandish some drink names can get. In reality, the cocktail is essentially a screwdriver—vodka mixed with orange juice—enhanced by a splash of golden Galliano liqueur. Supposedly concocted in the 1950s by champion mixologist Donato “Don” Antone, the legend paints a very different picture. Tales tell of a surfer‑type fellow named Harvey who would swing by his local bar after a day riding waves, ordering a screwdriver and habitually drizzling Galliano into it. As the story goes, his tipsy swagger led him to repeatedly bump into the bar’s wooden wall, prompting onlookers to dub his signature drink the “Harvey Wallbanger.” The name stuck, and the cocktail became synonymous with sunny, beach‑side summers.

9 Bloody Mary

The Bloody Mary stands as an iconic libation that needs little introduction, often hailed as the ultimate hangover remedy enjoyed at sunrise. Its core formula blends vodka with tomato juice and a curated array of spices, creating a savory, restorative sip. While many credit a early‑20th‑century restaurateur with its invention, a more fanciful tale links the drink’s name to Queen Mary, notorious for her ruthless campaign to reinstate Catholicism in England. Some storytellers claim the crimson hue of the tomato base symbolizes blood, tying the monarch’s bloody reputation to the cocktail’s appearance. Yet, historical documentation offers no solid proof for this royal connection, leaving the legend in the realm of myth.

8 Gin and Tonic

Among the oddball legends, this one happens to be true. British troops stationed in the Indian subcontinent faced a relentless foe: malaria. Their supply of tonic water contained quinine, a potent anti‑malaria compound, but the bitter tonic was hardly palatable. To make the medicine drinkable, soldiers mixed it with gin, birthing the refreshing gin‑and‑tonic we know today. After the campaigns, returning servicemen continued ordering the blend, cementing its status as a classic cocktail. Modern tonic still glows blue under sunlight thanks to residual quinine, though its concentration is now too low to act as a genuine malaria cure.

7 The Manhattan

The Manhattan, for those unfamiliar, is essentially a whiskey‑centric cousin of the Martini, swapping gin or vodka for bourbon or rye, adding sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters, and typically garnished with a maraschino cherry. A popular yarn claims the drink emerged in pre‑World War II New York when Winston Churchill’s mother, allegedly celebrating stateside, craved something sweet, prompting a bartender to craft the Manhattan in her honor. Though the tale meshes nicely with Churchill’s legendary flamboyance, records show his mother was actually in England, pregnant with the future prime minister at the time, debunking the story.

6 Irish Coffee

While many cocktail myths are shrouded in mystery, the Irish Coffee legend leans toward truth. Contrary to the assumption that the Irish are famed for heavy drinking, they traditionally favor tea. The story goes that a delayed flight landed in Ireland, and a resourceful bartender spiked the weary American travelers’ coffee with a generous pour of Irish whiskey to warm them. The passengers, delighted, inquired whether the brew was Brazilian, to which the bartender quipped it was Irish. The concoction impressed them so much that word spread back to the United States, popularizing the drink. Early versions omitted whipped cream and sugar, which were later additions; today many opt for pre‑whipped cream for convenience.

5 Mojito

The Mojito, a rum‑based refresher, has long enchanted sailors. Its preparation begins by muddling fresh mint leaves to release their aroma, then combining lime juice, sugar, and soda water with white rum. Though its precise origins are debated, Cuba is universally acknowledged as its birthplace. A recurring theme in the legends is the drink’s role in staving off scurvy, thanks to the abundant citrus content—a vital nutrient for sailors before modern nutrition science. By supplying vitamin C, the Mojito helped crews combat the dreaded disease, cementing its popularity on the high seas.

4 Screwdriver

The Screwdriver, a straightforward mix of vodka and orange juice, hardly warrants introduction. Yet its backstory is anything but simple. The most widespread anecdote suggests that laborers—miners or other blue‑collar workers—used actual screwdrivers to stir vodka with OJ while on the job. Another version credits John Martin, an early promoter of Smirnoff Vodka in the United States, who allegedly poured endless barrels of the cocktail onto Hollywood Boulevard to boost brand awareness. Both tales illustrate the drink’s humble roots and its role in marketing vodka to a broader audience.

3 Cosmopolitan

The Cosmo, a vodka‑based cocktail, achieved fame as the go‑to drink of the stylish characters on the TV hit Sex and the City, cementing its reputation as a ‘girly’ libation. In essence, it blends vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, and lime for a tart, slightly sweet profile. Legends claim the cocktail originated within the 1970s gay community in Massachusetts, yet earlier recipes featuring similar ingredients—sometimes with gin instead of vodka—have been uncovered. While the true birthplace remains elusive, the undeniable truth is that the show propelled the Cosmopolitan into iconic status, making it synonymous with urban chic.

2 Zombie

The Zombie, a potent concoction lacking a single definitive recipe, typically features rum blended with various fruit juices. Its creator, Don the Beachcomber, guarded the formula jealously, revealing only fragments to select bartenders, which spawned countless variations and heated debates among mixologists. Recent research claims to have uncovered Don’s original manuscript, detailing a combination of three distinct rums and enough alcohol to leave drinkers feeling truly undead. Should this authentic recipe resurface, it may revive the Zombie’s legendary reputation for turning patrons into cocktail‑driven zombies.

1 Pina Colada

The Piña Colada, one of the world’s most recognizable cocktails, even inspired a catchy song that most readers can hum a few bars of. Its classic blend of pineapple juice, rum, and coconut cream owes much to the commercial success of a single entrepreneur: Don Ramon Lopez, whose company marketed the ready‑made coconut cream product Coco Lopez. By distributing this creamy ingredient to bartenders and encouraging experimentation, Lopez set the stage for a bartender to combine it with rum and pineapple, birthing the beloved Piña Colada. The drink’s rise illustrates how corporate savvy and a dash of creativity can create a timeless tropical classic.

We love to imbibe! The clink of ice against glass, the hiss of a shaker, the glint of a perfectly chilled Old Fashioned—these moments make cocktail culture irresistible. Yet many of us sip without a clue about the drink’s lineage or why it bears its particular moniker. If you’ve ever wanted to wow friends with the juicy back‑stories of your favorite libations, you’ve landed in the right spot. Below is the top 10 classic lineup, each paired with the real history (and a few myths) that swirl around these iconic concoctions.

Why These Top 10 Classic Cocktails Matter

Every cocktail on this list has survived wars, Prohibition, and countless copy‑cats to become a staple of bars worldwide. Their stories reveal how culture, geography, and sheer serendipity shaped the drinks we still love today.

10 Manhattan

Popular legend claims that Winston Churchill’s mother ordered a “whiskey martini” at New York’s Manhattan Club, cheering the crowd as she sipped. That tale is pure fiction—Lady Randolph Churchill was actually pregnant on another continent when the supposed gathering took place. The truth is far more grounded: the Manhattan was birthed in the 1860s by a bartender named Black, who ran a cellar ten doors below Houston Street on Broadway. This account comes from William F. Mulhall, a long‑time steward of the famed Hoffman House, where the drink truly took shape. Despite the myth, the Manhattan Club still clings to the Churchill story, but the real origin remains anchored in Mulhall’s New York bar chronicles.

9 Margarita

The Margarita boasts at least half a dozen origin stories spanning 1936‑1961. One tale tells of a Dallas socialite who mixed it at a party attended by Tommy Hilton, later serving it in his hotels. Another claims a bartender improvised the drink for a Ziegfeld dancer allergic to all spirits except tequila. Both are apocryphal. The genuine lineage traces back to the Spanish word “daisy” (margarita), which described a family of cocktails originally made with brandy. During Prohibition, American tourists crossed the border, swapping brandy for tequila, and the modern Margarita emerged from this practical substitution.

8 Pina Colada

This tropical favorite is sometimes linked to the notorious Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresi, who allegedly handed his crew a blend of coconut, pineapple, and rum for morale. While colorful, many establishments now lay claim to its invention. The most credible account credits Ramon “Monchito” Marrero, who painstakingly perfected the recipe while tending bar at the Caribbean Hilton Hotel. His creation coincided with the introduction of Coco Lopez, the key coconut cream, and the Puerto Rican government even celebrates Marrero and his bar as national treasures.

7 Aviation

Dubbed the “Bartender’s Handshake,” the Aviation first appeared in 1916, crafted by Hugo Ensslin at New York’s Hotel Warwick. A later controversy erupted when Harry Craddock, the “dean of cocktail shakers,” omitted the ethereal crème de violette from his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, sparking debate among purists. Today, the original recipe—featuring gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, and a dash of violet liqueur—has enjoyed a renaissance, prized for its crisp, floral character.

6 Mint Julep

Hold your horses! In the 18th and 19th centuries, most cocktails were marketed as medicinal tonics, and the Mint Julep was no exception. Southern farmers drank it in the mornings, believing it would give them a “pep‑in‑their‑step.” Its earliest literary mentions date back to the 1780s. The drink vaulted to fame as the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby in 1938, and today you’ll even find gilded cups priced at $1,000. Historically, the beverage was served in pewter or silver cups, held only by the rim to prevent the hand’s warmth from melting the icy crust. The term “julep” derives from the ancient Persian “galub,” meaning “flavored rosewater.”

5 Sidecar

This essential cocktail, listed among the six fundamentals every bartender should master (as per David Embury’s 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks), has a tangled backstory. Both London and Paris claim its invention, but the true home is New Orleans, the historic “cocktail capital of the past.” Legend says London’s Pat MacGarry brought the drink from Paris, where the Ritz and Harry’s New York Bar both assert ownership. Supposedly, a World War I army captain arrived at Harry’s riding a motorcycle sidecar and ordered the concoction. Some speculate the captain was actually from Louisiana and was requesting a “Brandy Crusta,” a drink dating to 1862.

4 Vieux Carre

Pronounced “voo‑ca‑ray,” the Vieux Carré fell out of favor during the 1970s‑80s as mixers dominated the scene. This potent blend of rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, and bitters epitomizes New Orleans’ spirit. Its name literally translates to “French Quarter.” Though it involves six meticulous steps, the cocktail has surged back into vogue, now serving as a badge of honor for bartenders who can craft it from memory. Walter Bergeron invented it in 1938 while behind the bar at the historic Hotel Monteleone, whose rotating carousel bar adds an extra dash of drama to each pour.

3 Gin & Tonic

This seemingly simple mix played a pivotal role in the expansion of the British Empire. Gin originated as a medicinal elixir crafted by Dr. Sylvius de Bouve in 16th‑century Holland. In 1640, quinine bark from South America was processed into a syrup that prevented and cured malaria. When combined with carbonated water, the result was tonic water. British soldiers and East India Company personnel mixed their daily gin ration with quinine tonic to stave off malaria, giving birth to the classic Gin & Tonic that still refreshes palates worldwide.

2 Sazerac

Another New Orleans legend, the Sazerac, takes its name from the French cognac originally used in the recipe. Aaron Bird is credited with concocting the drink at the Sazerac Coffee House in the 1850s, aided by Antoine Amedie Peychaud, the creator of Peychaud’s bitters. Initially a cognac‑based cocktail, it underwent two major revisions in the 1870s: absinthe was added for aromatic depth, and rye whiskey replaced cognac after a phylloxera‑induced vineyard disaster in France halted cognac production. Peychaud also is said to have coined the word “cocktail,” measuring ingredients with a double‑sided egg cup—then called a “coquetier”—the ancestor of today’s jigger.

1 Old Fashioned

During Prohibition, many classic drinks were adulterated with excessive sweeteners and fruit. The Old Fashioned, however, remains a paragon of simplicity: a large ice cube, a sugar cube, a dash of bitters, a splash of water, a pour of bourbon or rye, and a single cherry garnish. Its first printed recipe appeared in 1862, and James E. Pepper is credited with introducing it from Louisville to New York’s Waldorf‑Astoria. This cocktail epitomizes the “old‑fashioned” philosophy—pure, unembellished, and timeless. While the Sazerac was still evolving with absinthe and rye, the Old Fashioned has stayed true to its roots.

Top 10 Drinking Games

About The Author: Former chef and bartender with 10 years of New York City restaurant experience.