25 Classic Cocktails You Need to Know How to Make

Because when you want a margarita, you should know how to make a good one.

February 15, 2020

Old fashioned cocktail in a rocks glass garnished with an orange wedge and two cocktail cherries.

Knowing how to make classic cocktails is important. There's only one problem: There are a lot of them. Unless you're a bartender, there's no way you'll remember what goes into a Sazerac or the proportions of a Moscow mule. Lucky for you, we've rounded up the 25 most important stalwart drinks to know how to make, from a Manhattan to a daiquiri to a simple whiskey on the rocks. Check them out and get shaking (and stirring).

Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Martha Bernabe
1/26
Extra-Dry Martini
Gin or vodka? Stanley Tucci’s martini recipe allows for either, depending on your mood. Just make sure it’s stirred, never shaken.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
2/26
Negroni
Adjust the classic proportions of the gin, vermouth, and Campari in a negroni cocktail recipe for this updated version from London’s Chiltern Firehouse.
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Heidi's Bridge
3/26
BA's Best Old-Fashioned
The original whiskey cocktail, a great old-fashioned recipe is all about simplicity, ingredients, and technique.
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Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Kat Boystova, prop styling by Allie Wist
4/26
Mai Tai
This quintessential tiki drink combines rum, almond syrup, and orange liqueur into a cup of pure tropical paradise.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman
5/26
Moscow Mule
With spicy ginger beer, vodka, and lime juice, a Moscow Mule is a cocktail for all seasons—and one that’s remarkably easy to prepare at home.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Judy Mancini
6/26
Margarita, No Triple Sec
This version of everyone's favorite tequila cocktail loses the orange liqueur for a drier, more spirit-forward take on the drink.
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Ted Cavanaugh
7/26
Sidecar
There’s a simple structure behind all sours, a family of citrus-based cocktails.
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8/26
Classic Whiskey Smash
This drink is just as refreshing when made with gin, vodka, or rum. To watch a video of Andrew Knowlton making this classic cocktail, click here.
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9/26
Sloe Gin
Sloe gin, used in this drink from Josephine House, Austin, is a liqueur made by steeping sloe berries (sour wild plums) in gin with some sugar.
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Alex Lau
10/26
New-New Bloody Mary
Our favorite Bloody Mary is an instant classic. Great-quality tomato juice, bright lemon juice, savory Worcestershire, and a tangy hot sauce deliver on all fronts.
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11/26
Boulevardier
Named for The Boulevardier magazine, this Prohibition-era cocktail was a favorite among American expatriates living in Paris.
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12/26
Gin and Tonic
The Gin and Tonic is swinging again, thanks to new distillers who have made gin cool. And it doesn't get more classic than this recipe.
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13/26
Spiced Dark and Stormy
The longer the spices infuse in the rum, the more flavorful this dark and stormy will be.
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14/26
Sazerac
Mix this New Orleans classic hours ahead of time, says Andrew Volk, of Maine's Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, and serving it is as simple as pouring a pitcher of lemonade.
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