Classic cocktails are classics for a reason — they've survived decades of trends because they're perfectly balanced. Each one teaches you something: the ratio of spirit to sweet to sour in a sour, the role of dilution in a stirred drink, the power of a single dash of bitters.
Here are the ten you should know first, with recipes and the most important tip for each one.
1. Old Fashioned
Stirred · Spirit-forward · Rocks glass
Ingredients
- 60ml bourbon or rye whiskey
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 sugar cube (or 5ml simple syrup)
- Orange twist to garnish
Method
- Place sugar and bitters in a rocks glass
- Add a splash of water and muddle to dissolve
- Add whiskey and a large ice cube
- Stir for 20 seconds. Express orange peel over glass, then drop in
Key tip: Use a single large ice cube — it chills without over-diluting. Stir, don't shake. This is a spirit-forward drink; bruising it with ice chips is sacrilege.
2. Negroni
Stirred · Bitter · Rocks or coupe
Ingredients
- 30ml London Dry gin
- 30ml Campari
- 30ml sweet vermouth
- Orange twist to garnish
Method
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice
- Stir for 25–30 seconds until well chilled
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube
- Express orange peel, drop in
Key tip: Equal parts is the classic ratio, but you can nudge up the gin to 40ml if you prefer less bitter. Never shake a Negroni — it should be crystal clear, not cloudy.
3. Daiquiri
Shaken · Sour · Coupe
Ingredients
- 60ml white rum
- 30ml fresh lime juice
- 20ml simple syrup
Method
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice
- Shake hard for 12–15 seconds
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe
- No garnish needed — it's perfect as is
Key tip: Always use fresh lime juice — never bottled. The balance of the Daiquiri is so precise that pre-squeezed juice throws the whole thing off. Taste and adjust the syrup to your preference.
4. Martini
Stirred · Dry · Coupe or Martini glass
Ingredients
- 60ml London Dry gin (or vodka)
- 10–20ml dry vermouth
- Lemon twist or olive to garnish
Method
- Chill your glass with ice water
- Add gin and vermouth to mixing glass with ice
- Stir for 30 seconds — longer than you think
- Strain into the chilled glass, garnish
Key tip: A dry Martini doesn't mean "no vermouth" — it means a small amount. Vermouth adds complexity; skip it entirely and you're just drinking cold gin. Keep your vermouth refrigerated once opened.
5. Mojito
Built · Refreshing · Highball
Ingredients
- 60ml white rum
- 30ml fresh lime juice
- 20ml simple syrup
- 8–10 fresh mint leaves
- Soda water to top
Method
- Gently clap mint and add to glass
- Add lime juice, syrup, and rum
- Fill with crushed ice and churn
- Top with soda, garnish with mint sprig
Key tip: Clap the mint between your palms rather than muddling it hard — you want to bruise it gently to release the oils, not shred it and turn it bitter.
6. Margarita
Shaken · Sour · Rocks or coupe
Ingredients
- 50ml silver tequila
- 25ml Cointreau or triple sec
- 25ml fresh lime juice
- Salt rim (optional)
Method
- Salt rim: rub lime on half the rim, dip in salt
- Shake all ingredients hard with ice
- Strain over ice in a rocks glass, or up in a coupe
- Garnish with a lime wheel
Key tip: Use a 100% agave tequila. The flavour difference between a good silver tequila and a cheap mixto is dramatic. Cointreau is worth the upgrade over basic triple sec.
7. Manhattan
Stirred · Spirit-forward · Coupe or rocks
Ingredients
- 50ml rye whiskey or bourbon
- 25ml sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Brandied cherry or lemon twist
Method
- Add all ingredients to mixing glass with ice
- Stir for 25 seconds
- Strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass
- Garnish with cherry or expressed peel
Key tip: Rye whiskey gives a spicier, drier Manhattan; bourbon gives a sweeter, rounder one. Carpano Antica Formula vermouth is worth seeking out — it transforms the drink.
8. Whisky Sour
Shaken · Sour · Rocks or coupe
Ingredients
- 50ml bourbon
- 25ml fresh lemon juice
- 20ml simple syrup
- 1 egg white (optional)
Method
- If using egg white: dry shake all ingredients first (no ice), 10 seconds
- Add ice and shake hard for 12 seconds
- Strain into rocks glass over ice (or coupe)
- Garnish with orange slice and cherry
Key tip: The egg white dry shake creates a beautiful foam and silky texture. It doesn't make the drink taste eggy — it makes it luxurious. Don't skip it if you can help it.
9. Aperol Spritz
Built · Light · Wine glass
Ingredients
- 90ml Prosecco
- 60ml Aperol
- Splash of soda water
- Orange slice to garnish
Method
- Fill a large wine glass with ice
- Add Prosecco first, then Aperol
- Top with a splash of soda
- Stir gently and garnish with orange
Key tip: Always add Prosecco before Aperol — it prevents the Aperol from settling at the bottom and ensures a better mix without over-stirring and losing the bubbles.
10. Paloma
Built · Refreshing · Highball
Ingredients
- 50ml silver tequila
- 20ml fresh grapefruit juice
- 15ml fresh lime juice
- 10ml agave syrup
- Grapefruit soda or tonic to top
Method
- Salt rim: run grapefruit around rim, dip in salt
- Add tequila, juices, and syrup to an ice-filled highball
- Top with grapefruit soda
- Garnish with a grapefruit wedge
Key tip: Mexico's most popular cocktail is widely underrated outside its home country. Fever-Tree Grapefruit Tonic makes an excellent, higher-end Paloma. Fresh grapefruit juice makes it exceptional.
Where to Go Next
These ten cocktails share a handful of underlying principles: the balance of spirit, sweet, and sour; the difference between stirring and shaking; the role of dilution and temperature. Once you understand those principles, adapting recipes and improvising becomes natural.
If you want to know which of these you can make right now with your current bottles, Mix at Home will tell you instantly — and show you exactly what to make.
Find what you can make right now
Mix at Home scans your home bar and surfaces every cocktail you can make with your current bottles — including all ten of these classics.
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