If you consider yourself a traditionalist who appreciates simplicity, you know how important it is to be ahead of your game. Ordering drinks at the bar isn’t any different. While keeping things simple is the name of the game, it takes a bit of time, patience, effort, and a healthy dose of sophistication to know your bar drinks.
Fortunately, certain tried and true recipes will guarantee you get what you asked for across countless bars all over the world. Some drinks are just fancy; others are classic.
Everyone loves a good and inventive cocktail, but we’re talking about iconic and timeless flavors of cocktails that marked the movie industry like the martini, the cosmo, and the margarita, among many others.
7 Classic Drinks To Order At The Bar
Here are seven classic drinks you can’t go wrong with.
Old Fashioned
Old Fashioned is the best way to put a bartender’s mettle on the test. The recipe is quite simple but effective:
- Two oz rye whiskey or bourbon
- Two dashes of Angostura bitters
- One tsp sugar or one sugar cube
- Orange twist garnish
Take a glass, put sugar inside and cover it with dashes of Angostura bitters. Start stirring slowly while adding whiskey until sugar dissolves completely. Continue stirring and add ice to make it ready for serving. If you opened Google and searched for “liquor near me,” you will find this drink in every bar that shows up in your search.
Margarita
When we say margarita, we don’t mean those cloyingly sweet margarita mixes. We’re talking about a classic bar drink that is a well-balanced and perfectly made version of a margarita. A margarita is a fresh mix of tequila and lime juice, with a pinch of sweetener.
Here are the ingredients:
- 2 oz silver tequila
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1 oz lime juice
- Salt for the rim
Pour tequila into a glass and add Cointreau and lime juice. Since this cocktail includes fresh lime juice, it should be shaken. Fill a glass with ice and put salt on the rim. Serve over ice.
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan has got to be the most popular bar drink from the 90s, mostly thanks to a widely popular TV show, Sex, and the City. In essence, the cosmo is just another spin on the martini. However, the trick to nailing it is in adding cranberry juice at the end.
Here is the perfect recipe:
- 1.5 oz citrus vodka
- 1 oz Cointreau
- .5 oz lime juice
- .25 oz cranberry juice
Build all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake. Take a martini glass, garnish it with lime zest or wheel and strain the drink slowly into the glass.
Negroni
Sometimes, a simple drink is the best. Well, the Negroni is quite a popular bar drink, despite being very simple.
It’s a three-ingredient cocktail with ONE OUNCE OF EACH:
- gin
- Campari
- sweet vermouth
Simply stir all ingredients with ice and serve in a glass with an orange peel on top.
Moscow Mule
The Moscow Mule may not be as popular as the cosmo or margarita, but it’s a classic and adds a bit of mystery to your bar appearance. Aside from being a classic, this is quite a refreshing drink that is also a perfect choice for a hot summer day. However, it’s the copper mug that adds a bit of a special feeling to it.
It’s simple to make it:
- 2 oz vodka
- 4 to 6 oz ginger beer
- .5 oz lime juice
Take a Moscow Mule mug and squeeze lime juice into it. Then, add some ice and vodka, and fill with ice-cold ginger beer. Stir before serving.
Martini
Forget all about those James Bond movies; the secret agent with a license to kill was wrong. Whether you drink your martini with vodka or gin, you don’t shake it; you stir it.
For a perfect martini, here’s what you’ll need:
- 3 oz gin or vodka
- .5 oz dry vermouth
- Olive or lemon peel
Take a mixing glass, add the ingredients and toss some ice in too. Start stirring and put a martini glass on ice. Pour the mix into a chilled martini glass and garnish the glass with olive or lemon peel oil.
Mojito
The Mojito originates in Cuba and is considered one of the most popular bar drinks and cocktails worldwide. It’s a fantastic and incredibly delicious rum-based drink that also includes lime and mint. If you want to add a bit of a refreshing hint to your bar experience, ordering a mojito is the way to go.
Aside from being a perfect drink for sipping by the beach or pool, the mojito was a drink of choice for many popular people from the past, including Ernest Hemingway.
It’s pretty simple to make:
- Three mint leaves
- 2 oz white rum
- .75 oz lime juice
- .5 oz simple syrup
Take a shaker tin and muddle mint into it while slowly adding other ingredients and ice. Shake it with ice to chill and strain the mix into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with mint leaves and top with club soda if desired.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve armed yourself with some basic bar drinks knowledge, it’s time to feel some action. Go to a bar nearby and order some of these to get your groove on. People are always interested in something new, so don’t forget to share your newly acquired knowledge with your friends and other bar visitors.
About the Writer: Jessica has been closely studying the F&B industry trends from quite some time. Intrigued by the booming growth of this sector, she takes interest in penning down her views providing quality insight on current Trends.
