The world is full of thousands of cocktails, likely even into the tens of thousands. I’m not talking about the nuances, such as vodka martinis with olives versus a lemon twist, I’m talking about basic solid standalone drinks with their own personalities and flavors. From Long Island Iced Teas to Screwdrivers, Black Russians, Daiquiris and more.
Some are as individual as the bartender who created them, or as common as margaritas in Mexican restaurants. But as much as there are as many cocktails as there are bar menus, there are a few which are universal and classic.
These are the drinks which, even if they’re not on a menu the bartender can make them. They’re the first things we learn and likely the most popular we serve. For purposes of sticking to cocktails, straight spirits sippers, neat or on the rocks, are omitted from consideration. These are all mixed drinks.
Here are the top, imperial classic cocktails which stand atop mixology. In their own way they define their categories. Each can be done a variety of ways, but these six are what I consider to be the Royal Titans of cocktail culture:
This classic is often the formative drink for bourbon and rye lovers. A delicious mixture of fruit and sugar provide the backdrop stage for the star spirit. My own preference is for bourbon (Clyde May’s, 1792) or a very young rye (Riverboat), and a brown sugar cube in place of white sugar for a nice maple subtone. Forgo the temptation to use simple syrup. Instead favor the granularity of real sugar muddled with the fruit and bitters before adding ice and spirit - the texture of the sugar adds to the drink.
The Margarita
As with most of the other drinks on this list, the Margarita is almost deceptively simply, involving only three ingredients, plus ice with a lime garnish. My favorite way to serve a Margarita is on the rocks with a salted rim, adding tequila, triple sec and sweet and sour for a smooth and delicious tequila and lime refresher. You get more of the purity of the flavors. A blended drink - beaten up in a blender - not only becomes diluted very quickly, but changes the flavors of the tequila and triple sec in the process. Drink it straight and you'll love the difference.
Visually the most iconic drink on this list, the martini has evolved over the years to a multitude of basic cocktails (gin/vodka, lemon/olive/onion*) as well as inspiration a virtual army of “-tini” drinks that for a while defined the western world’s cocktail menus. The origins are a little cloudy, but consensus is it originated in Northern California’s gold country, as a 50/50 combination of gin and vermouth, with bitters and a garnish. Like Mr. Bond, the martini has changed over the years to become the iconic drink we all love.
When I prepare my martinis - my own personal favorite - I use a spritzer for the vermouth, thereby getting the exact right amount each time. I put the ice and gin (or vodka) into the shaker but simply set it aside for two minutes rather than agitate the spirits with shaking. (This is called the Two Minute Martini, in a flash of reductionist imagination.) Spritz your chilled glass and chosen garnish with the vermouth, then pour the ice cold gin (or vodka) gently into the glass and serve up simple perfection!
I’m going with the Tom for the win here, but the truth is the Tom Collins begat an entire category of “Collins” drinks, and - like the Martini, the Old Fashioned and the Margarita - it even has its own glass. There are Vodka Collins, John Collins, Juan Collins, and others to make a very large family of Collins'.
The Tom Collins is a gin-based drink, with the sweetness of a sugar cube (some people use simple syrup), lemon juice and soda water. I add two cherries to my Collins’ recipe. The first is muddled with a sugar cube and lemon juice before adding ice, gin and filled with soda water. (The soda can be real soda water, sparkling water or seltzer as the occasion permits.) The second cherry is added as a garnish and incidental snack for the person doing the actual imbibing.
Not quite as well known as the other drinks on this list, the Sazerac Cocktail defines New Orleans and is, in fact, when made with rye whiskey the Sazerac is that city’s official cocktail. I say “when made with” because the Sazerac originally began as a cognac-based drink some time in the Late 1800s, making it perhaps the oldest drink on the list - the other being the Martini.
One of the highlights of the Sazerac is the judicious use of absinthe, a potent and delicious spirit from Europe, as an accenting wash. It adds the flavors of black licorice, which nicely highlights the other flavors in the drink. Wash the glass with the absinthe (meaning pour in a little and swirl the glass to coat the edges), then add your ice, cognac (or rye), a sugar cube, a few drops of Peychaud’s aromatic bitters and a lemon peel garnish. I usually add a cherry to mine, and some showier bartenders will toast the lemon before adding. Under any circumstances it’s a delicious and iconic sipper.
“Wait, what?!? The Mai Tai?” I can hear the reader now. “But there are so many other iconic drinks! What about...?” fill-in-your-favorite-cocktail recipe.
But I include the Mai Tai specifically and deliberately. When you consider cocktail culture as a whole, the impact of tiki drinks cannot be underestimated. A whole subculture of drinks and kitsch have evolved from the Mai Tai, a drink which was (arguably) created at the famous Trader Vic’s in 1944. (I say arguably because people have angrily argued about it.)
It’s a bright and cheery blend of two kinds of rum, Orange curaçao or triple sec, a little orgeat syrup (almond flavored), lime juice and simple syrup. The best bartenders can carefully pour a Mai Tai that separates by layers to evoke the colors of a a South Seas sunset. Perfect for an evening’s getaway from the world outside your doors.
So there you have it, the six Royal Titans of cocktail culture, each defining their category or serving as an historic foundation for what would come along later.
So what’d I miss? What drink do you feel I’ve given the short-shift and deserves to be included? What did you agree with me on, or disagree with? Leave a note below and let’s have at it.
This is my list, what’s yours?
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