Bart
Classic Cocktails Everyone Should Know
Ten cocktails that cover every technique and template, so learning them teaches you the rest of the menu.
These ten are not a "best of" list. They are chosen because between them they cover every technique and every template — learn all ten and you can reason your way through most cocktail menus.
The ten
- Old Fashioned — spirit, sugar, bitters. The original template, and the test of your ice.
- Daiquiri — the perfect sour. Three ingredients, nowhere to hide.
- Negroni — equal parts, and your introduction to bitter.
- Manhattan — the stirred spirit-and-vermouth template.
- Martini — the same template stripped bare. Dilution is the whole drink.
- Margarita — a sour with a liqueur doing the sweetening.
- Whiskey Sour — the sour again, with egg white and texture.
- Mojito — muddling, fresh herbs and building in the glass.
- Espresso Martini — hard shake, and how foam works.
- Aperol Spritz — the low-alcohol wine-based template.
What they teach you
| Drink | Technique | Then you can also make |
|---|---|---|
| Old Fashioned | Stir, dilute, express a twist | Sazerac, Rusty Nail |
| Daiquiri | Shake and double strain | Gimlet, Sidecar, Bee's Knees |
| Negroni | Equal parts, build on ice | Boulevardier, Americano |
| Manhattan | Spirit and vermouth | Rob Roy, Martinez, Brooklyn |
| Whiskey Sour | Dry shake with egg | Clover Club, Pisco Sour |
Learn them in order
Start with the Daiquiri. It has three ingredients, needs no special equipment, and if it tastes wrong you will know immediately whether the problem is your ratio, your juice or your ice. Every other sour is a Daiquiri with something swapped.
Tick them off as you go
Bart keeps Want to Try, Tried and Favourited lists, so you can work through these and see what is left.