If you’re a fan of mixed drinks, you’ve probably heard references to the “cocktail renaissance.” From around 2003 through 2019, we were in the midst of a mixology movement. This is when bartending changed from simply a job to an exciting career.
It’s also a period when cocktailing became more of an art form and brought us countless pioneering, creative bartenders from Tacoma to Tampa. It also brought with it a return to historical, classic drinks that might have otherwise fallen out of favor or have been forgotten in time.
When we talk about historic, classic cocktails, we’re talking about cocktails from Prohibition, pre-Prohibition, and all the way to the 1950s. Drinks like the Old Fashioned, Negroni, daiquiri, French 75, and more.
The best classic cocktails
Now that you’ve learned a little bit about the cocktail renaissance and how it’s impacted the contemporary bartender world, it’s time to take a deep dive into some of the best drinks ever conceived. Not only are we going to give you the background and history of some of these timeless boozy gems, but we’re also going to give you recipes and step-by-step directions on how to mix up each one. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Margarita
The classic margarita isn’t frozen. It’s a simple combination of tequila, fresh lime juice, and triple sec. Like many historic drinks, the margarita has many stories about its possible genesis. One popular story takes us to 1942. This is when a bartender named Francisco “Pancho” Morales is purported to create the drink at a bar called Tomy’s Place in Juarez, Mexico. It’s believed that someone ordered a magnolia cocktail, but he couldn’t remember how to make it, so he made the drink with tequila, lime, and Cointreau. Thus creating what we now know as a margarita.
What you need to make the margarita
- 1 1/2 ounces of blanco tequila
- 1 ounce of triple sec
- 3/4 ounce of fresh lime juice
The margarita recipe steps
1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker.
2. Pour in the blanco tequila, triple sec, and fresh lime juice.
3. Shake vigorously to combine.
4. Strain into a salt-rimmed margarita glass or a rocks glass.
5. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Manhattan
While the Old Fashioned gets all the acclaim, if you want a flavorful, complex, boozy whiskey-based drink, opt for the Manhattan. It’s believed by many that the drink was created by a man named Dr. Iain Marshall at the Manhattan Club in the 1870s for a banquet hosted by Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston Churchill’s mother). Simple, elegant, and timeless, the Manhattan is made with rye whiskey (or bourbon if you prefer it to be sweeter), Angostura bitters, and sweet red vermouth.
What you need to make the Manhattan
- 2 ounces of rye whiskey
- 3/4 ounce of sweet red vermouth
- 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters
The Manhattan recipe steps
1. Add ice to a mixing glass.
2. Pour in the rye whiskey, sweet red vermouth, and Angostura bitters.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
5. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
French 75
It’s believed that the French 75 was first created by English soldiers fighting in France during World War I. This combination of London dry gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and Champagne is named for the 75 mm Howitzer field gun used by the French soldiers during the war. While there’s little information about the soldiers who created the drink, we do know that iconic bartender and writer Harry MacElhone brought the drink to Paris’ New York Bar in 1915.
What you need to make the French 75
- 1 ounce of London dry gin
- 1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 dashes of simple syrup
- Champagne topper
The French 75 recipe steps
1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker.
2. Pour in the London dry gin, simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice.
3. Shake vigorously to combine.
4. Strain into a chilled Champagne flute.
5. Top with Champagne.
6. Stir gently to combine.
Side Car
This one is named for the motorcycle sidecar, which was very popular when the drink was created during World War I. Some say the drink was created by a bartender named Pat MacGarry at the Buck’s Club in London. But it might have been invented by an American army captain who spent time in Paris during the war. While its creation might be mysterious, there’s no mystery about the complex flavor of this cognac, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice-based cocktail.
What you need to make the Side Car
- 1 1/2 ounces of cognac
- 3/4 ounce of triple sec
- 3/4 ounce of fresh lemon juice
The Side Car recipe steps
1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker.
2. Pour in the cognac, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice.
3. Shake vigorously to combine.
4. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
5. Garnish with a lemon peel.
