10 Classic Cocktail Drinks With A Twist

by Loren Quimbo September 16, 2021

Aren’t you bored of the same old alcoholic drinks? It is time to shake things up with cocktail drinks with a twist!

Adding a dash of new flavors and new twists on classic drinks that you know and love will help keep your bar fresh and exciting. There's no way to go wrong with any of these beverages, so give them a try!

1. Brown Sugar Grapefruit Whiskey Smash

A smash is a classic mixed drink that has been around for ages. A classic whiskey smash uses whiskey, lemon, sugar, mint, and ice. The twist here is the grapefruit, which lends this cocktail a sour-sweet flavor that makes it more delectable.

Ingredients

Steps to Make

  1. In a cocktail shaker , muddle some mint leaves with simple syrup and grapefruit.
  2. Pour in the brown sugar bourbon and ice cubes. Shake well.
  3. Pour the crushed ice into a julep cup or pint glass.
  4. Strain it into the ice-filled glass.
  5. Serve the glass with a sprig of mint as a garnish if desired.

2. Spicy Paloma

Paloma is a sweet-tart Mexican cocktail made with grapefruit juice, lime juice, and tequila . The spicy Paloma accomplishes what a little heat does for the spicy margarita - it takes it to the next level!

Ingredients

Steps to Make

  1. Mix the sea salt and ¼ teaspoon of chili powder and pour it on a plate.
  2. Use the grapefruit juice to wet the rim of a lowball glass and line it with the salt and chili powder mixture.
  3. Pour the grapefruit juice, lime juice, tequila, simple syrup, and chipotle chili powder in a cocktail shaker.
  4. Add ice and shake well.
  5. Fill the lowball glass with ice. Strain the drink into the glass.
  6. Top the drink with the club soda.

3. Rosemary Black Pepper Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan, made famous by Sex in the City, is unquestionably a modern American classic cocktail.

While you can prepare it exactly like the standard way, you can add rosemary and black pepper flavors, complementing the original’s sweet-tart lime and cranberry tones.

Ingredients

Steps to Make

  1. Chill a cocktail glass or martini glass .
  2. Pour the lime juice, cranberry juice, vodka, orange liqueur, rosemary cocktail spice, and black pepper cocktail spice in a cocktail shaker.
  3. Pour the ice, then shake well.
  4. Strain the liquid into the chilled glass. Garnish it with a rosemary sprig or lime twist if desired.

4. Orange Maple Penicillin

The traditional penicillin cocktail is a delectable blend of scotch whisky , ginger , and honey that is sweet, smoky, and spicy.

This version takes a different approach to the classic flavorings, utilizing pure maple syrup and maple bourbon to offer sweetness that complements the original's spicy and smoky notes.

Ingredients

  • 1 Orange slice
  • 3 slices Fresh ginger
  • ¾ oz Pure maple syrup
  • 1 oz Blended Scotch whisky
  • ¼ oz Smoky Islay single-malt Scotch whisky
  • 1-oz Maple bourbon
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • Ice
  • Orange peel for garnish

Steps to Make

  1. Muddle the orange slice, ginger, and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
  2. Pour the blended Scotch, single malt Scotch, maple bourbon, and lemon juice.
  3. Add the ice, then shake well.
  4. Strain the mixture into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.
  5. Garnish with orange peel if desired.

5. Hazelnut Espresso Martini

This espresso martini recipe is a trendy favorite among enthusiasts who appreciate relaxing with a cocktail that keeps them active. It's made with coffee liqueur , vodka, and brewed espresso. This concoction is a straightforward take on the traditional, with the addition of delightfully nutty tastes.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Vodka
  • 1 oz Frangelico (herb-flavored liqueur)
  • ½ oz Coffee-flavored liqueur
  • 1 oz Freshly brewed espresso
  • Espresso beans for garnish (optional)
  • Ice

Steps to Make

  1. Chill a cocktail glass or martini glass.
  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the vodka, Frangelico, coffee liqueur, and espresso.
  3. Add the ice, then shake well.
  4. Strain the mixture into the chilled cocktail or martini glass and garnish it with espresso beans.

6. Moscato Aperol Spritz

The Aperol spritz is made with Prosecco and Aperol, a vibrant orange bitter liqueur. It's frequently served as an aperitif . A Moscato Aperol spritz, made with Moscato d'Asti sparkling wine , is a delightful and somewhat sweeter variant of the original.

Ingredients

Steps to Make

  1. In a wine glass , pour the Aperol, Moscato d'Asti, and sparkling water.
  2. Add the ice, then stir well.

7. Amaretto Cherry Sour

The bittersweet taste of almonds and the sweet-tart flavor of sweet and sour mix complements the modern classic amaretto sour . But this combination gets kicked up a notch with the addition of cherry liqueur.

Ingredients

Steps to Make

  1. In a cocktail shaker, pour the lemon juice, lime juice, cherry liqueur, and amaretto.
  2. Add the ice, then shake well.
  3. Strain the liquid into an ice-filled lowball glass.
  4. Pour the lemon-lime soda and garnish it with the cherry and orange slice flag.

8. Anise White Negroni

The White Negroni is a new take on the famous cocktail that has become a modern classic drink. Suze French bitters and dry vermouth make up this concoction, resulting in a fragrant bittersweet beverage.

This variation uses the basic technique of rinsing your glass with white absinthe before mixing the cocktail to provide an anise flavor. Standard green absinthe can be used, but the finished cocktail may have a slight green tint.

Ingredients

  • 1½ oz London dry gin
  • ½ oz Suze
  • 1-oz Dry vermouth
  • ½ oz White absinthe
  • Ice
  • Orange peel and rosemary sprig for garnish

Steps to Make

  1. In an old-fashioned glass, pour the absinthe and swirl it around to coat the inside of the glass. Remove the excess.
  2. Pour the gin, Suze, vermouth, and ice. Stir well.
  3. Garnish it with the orange peel and rosemary sprig if desired.

9. Orange Gin Gin Mule

The Gin Gin Mule is comparable to a Moscow mule , but it's made with gin and a dash of mint and syrup. The classic is given a citrus twist in this variation by substituting the simple syrup with orange liqueur.

Ingredients

Steps to Make

  1. Muddle the mint leaves with the orange liqueur in a cocktail shaker.
  2. Pour the lime juice, London dry gin, and ice.
  3. Shake well.
  4. Strain the mixture into an ice-filled mule cup . Top it with ginger beer.
  5. Garnish it with a slice of lime and mint sprig if desired.

10. Ginger Bramble Fizz

A classic bramble combines gin and Crème de Mure (blackberry liqueur) with lemon juice and sugar. For a lighter version of the cocktail, this new technique transforms it into a fizz.

If you want to make a traditional bramble, skip the club soda and use standard simple syrup instead of the ginger-infused in this recipe.

Ingredients

Steps to Make

  1. Pour the gin, lemon juice, ginger-infused simple syrup, and Crème de Mûre into a cocktail shaker.
  2. Add ice, then shake well.
  3. Strain the liquid into an ice-filled Collins glass.
  4. Pour the club soda.
  5. Garnish it with fresh blackberries and a mint sprig.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this list of classic cocktails drinks with a twist! These beverages are perfect for the drinker looking to shake up their routine and enjoy new flavors without any risk of going wrong.

Did you fancy any recipes? Let us know in the comments!

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