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20 Best Cocktails in the World: Drinks to Order at a Bar This Year



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Every cocktail enthusiast has their own cocktail(s) of choice that they look for first the moment they walk into a bar or take a look at the shelves in their home bar. Of course, each bar have their own specials and recommendations too, and this year, Drinks International, the internet’s leading news and analysis source on global drinks, has come up with this year’s list of the best-selling cocktails in the world as chosen by the bars around the world!, We have also curated a list of the best cocktail blogs and websites that you must bookmark. 

Check our review of best cocktail glasses

Specifically, 106 bars were asked to rank their top 20 best-selling cocktail classics. Some of the cocktails are original recipes, others have been updated. Here are the top 20 best cocktails on the list. And if you are someone who loves jazz, do check out our 10 Jazz cocktails to celebrate on any occasion. 


20 Best Cocktails Drinks in the World To Try This Year

1. Dark ’n’ Stormy: Best Cocktail Drink of 2019

This drink tastes just as wild as it sounds. An eclectic combination of ginger beer and rum topped with lime, it’s the ultimate drink for a rocking night out at the bar or a quiet night at home - whatever suits your fancy.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Get a highball glass and fill it with ice cubes.
  2. Add the right amount of rum and top it with ginger beer.
  3. Use a lime wedge to garnish and serve. 

2. Pisco Sour

This concoction is now making a comeback in many bars across the country. Remember the good ole’ days of the Swinging ’60s with a refreshing mix of lime juice, Simple syrup, Pisco, egg whites, and Angostura bitters.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Place the papaya cubes and lime juice in a glass and muddle.
  2. Add the egg white, simple syrup, pisco, and ice. Dry shake.
  3. Add ice cubes and shake vigorously.
  4. Strain the mix into a coupe glass and garnish with lime peel and angostura bitters.


Try our Papaya Pisco Sour recipe, as shown below. 

3. Mai Tai

Sure, this tiki cocktail may have ranked down but this timeless recipe are far from being put off the charts. The summer beverage Mai Tai recipe uses lime juice, Orgeat orange syrup, orange curacao, and premium aged rum.

Ingredients:

Preparation: 

  1. Fill a shaker tin with ice and pour the first four ingredients. Shake vigorously. 
  2. Strain into a highball glass and add the dark rum. 
  3. Garnish with a lime wedge or mint sprigs. 

4. Vieux Carre

Ignite your taste buds with the Vieux Carre, a potent combination of brandy, whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, Peychauds, Angostura, and Benedictine liqueur. We recommend not taking this sweet, strong yet one of the best cocktails too lightly as it can knock you out real quick. 

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Add the constituents in a glass and stir. 
  2. Grab an old-fashioned glass, fill it with ice, and strain the mixture into it. 
  3. Use a cherry as a garnish and serve. 

5. Gin Fizz

Gin Fizz is one of the best lemony cocktails in the world that has just the right amount of kick you need. The Gin Fizz recipe makes use of gin, lime, gum syrup, soda water, and egg (optional). 

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Fill your shaker with ice cubes. 
  2. Add all the constituents-except for soda water- and shake vigorously. 
  3. Pour into old fashioned glass.
  4. Top with soda water and serve. 


6. Penicillin

No, not prescription drugs. Penicillin is one of the best Scotch cocktail recipes in the world made by bartender Sam Ross who's based in NY. This delicious recipe is an interesting mix of blended scotch, Islay scotch, lemon juice, and honey-ginger syrup topped with candied ginger.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Muddle the ginger slices and honey syrup together. 
  2. Add fresh lemon juice, blended scotch, and ice cubes and shake. 
  3. Strain into an old fashioned glass. 
  4. Add islay scotch and top with candied ginger. 

You can make our version of Penicillin by following this video:

7. Bloody Mary

This classic cocktail recipe never goes out of style. Bloody Mary has been several bartenders' best choice year after year. Enjoy your cocktails without the usual hangover with this vodka-based drink infused with tomato juice, lemon juice, and various spices.  Our Bloody Mary article can help you re-create this drink at home.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Put red bell pepper into a glass then, add lemon juice. Muddle.
  2. Add a pinch of celery salt and cumin. Add ground pepper to taste
  3. Throw in 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce and one dash of hot sauce.
  4. Then, mix tomato juice and vodka 
  5. Add ice. Then, shake.  
  6. Wet glass rim with a lemon wedge - salt rim with sea salt and celery salt mix.
  7. Add ice and pour.
  8. Garnish and serve.

8. Sazerac

A mainstay from on the list is this classic American booze made of rye whiskey, and Peychauds and Angostura bitters. To make the Sazerac, rinse your glass with Absinthe and garnish with a lemon peel for a remarkable drinking experience.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Mix the sugar cube, water, and Peychaud's bitters in a glass until dissolved. 
  2. Add rye, Angostura, and ice then stir. 
  3. Rinse and coat an old fashioned glass with absinthe. Pour it out of the glass. 
  4. Pour the mixture into the glass and garnish with a lemon twist. 

9. Boulevardier

It seems like our resident bartenders just couldn’t get enough of cocktails with whiskey. Another intriguing drink, Boulevardier is basically like Negroni but with whiskey instead of gin. Remember to add your bitters Campari and Cocchi (sweet vermouth) as well.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 oz. -1.5 oz. bourbon
  • 1 oz. Sweet vermouth
  • 1 oz. Campari
Preparation:
  1. Add the constituents in a glass along with ice cubes.
  2. Strain into an old fashioned glass.
  3. Garnish then serve.

10. Aperol Spritz

Summertime will never be complete without a sip of this classic yet one of the best Italian cocktails. Not only does it taste amazing, but it's so easy to prepare too! All you need are prosecco, Aperol, soda water. Then, add a slice of orange for garnish.

Ingredients:

  • 4.5 oz. Brut Prosecco
  • 2.5 oz. Aperol
  • .75 oz. club soda
  • Orange slice for garnish

Preparation

  1. Fill a collins glass with ice
  2. Pour in club soda, Aperol and prosecco
  3. Garnish with an orange slice

11. Mojito

Another summer favorite among the best bars in the world. Having a combination of rum and lime juice, sprigs of mint, and topped with soda water, you just can’t define refreshing without the thought of mojitos. Check out our Classic Mojito recipe below and find out more here. 

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Muddle the mint leaves, sugar, and a splash of soda in a collins glass. 
  2. Add lime juice, rum, and crushed ice. 
  3. Top it off with soda water. 
  4. Garnish with mint sprigs or lime wedge and serve. 

12. Espresso Martini

Even after three years, the Espresso Martini still remains as one of the best cocktails among the polled bars. Dick Bradsell, the Espresso Martini's late creator, would be proud to see this magical combination of espresso coffee, vodka, and coffee liquor loved by cocktail and coffee enthusiasts alike.

Ingredients:

  • 1 shot Espresso 
  • 1 oz Kahlua 
  • 0.75 oz Butterscotch liqueur 
  • 1 oz Vanilla infused vodka 
  • 2 dashes Homemade Chinese five-spice bitters
  • 1 dash Aztec chocolate bitters
  • Ice cubes 

Preparation:

  1. Put ice cubes in a tall glass. 
  2. Add all the constituents in the order in which they are listed above.
  3. Cover the glass with a shaker tin and shake vigorously.
  4. Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass.
  5. Garnish with drops of Aztec chocolate bitters and serve.

13. Moscow Mule

A good ice-cold cup of Moscow Mule is not something one can easily resist. Delicious and refreshing yet quick and easy to prepare, you’ll never go wrong with this classic cocktail. You can make one in a jiffy, with vodka, lime, ginger, and soda as the main constituents. Create your own with this Moscow Mule recipe, or spice it up with these Moscow Mule variations!

Ingredients:  Preparation: 
  1. Squeeze lime into a copper mug.
  2. Add vodka and ice.
  3. Top with ginger beer.
  4. Garnish with a lime wheel.

14. Manhattan

If you're a fan of whiskey, then surely you've had a glass-or two-of Manhattan. This mix of rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters remains a drink of choice for many bartenders. There are many versions of Manhattan everywhere, but like they always say––once a classic, always a classic.

Ingredients:

Preparation: 

  1. Pour the constituents into a glass and add ice.
  2. Stir and strain into a coupe glass.
  3. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. 


15. Margarita

You don’t need to venture far and wide to score a glass of Margarita. It is, after all, a bar staple. As long as you have tequila, lime, and Cointreau, you can make one yourself in your own home! Here are our 3 Margarita Recipes You Can Make At Home.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Blanco tequila
  • 1 oz. fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz. Cointreau
  • Salt for rim
  • Lime wheel garnish

Preparation:

  1. Add lime juice, Cointreau & tequila to shaker tin
  2. Add ice
  3. Shake well
  4. Dip rim of the glass in water
  5. Dip rim of the glass into salt
  6. Pour shaker tin contents into a glass
  7. Garnish w/ a lime wedge 

16. Daiquiri

Daiquiri is a cocktail you'd easily fall in love with. A combination of lime juice, white rum, and sugar syrup, this cocktail will surely have your taste buds aching for more! No wonder, it’s one of the best and most ordered bar cocktails in the world. We have the perfect Daiquiri recipe for you to try-which you can serve frozen too!

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Pour the rum, lime juice, and simple syrup into a shaker respectively. 
  2. Add ice and shake vigorously.
  3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. 
  4. Garnish with a lime wheel and serve. 

17. Dry Martini

After a long day at work, you'd want a drink that’s smooth and dry, and a beautiful glass of dry martini is just what you need. Give yourself a treat with just a gin, French vermouth, orange bitters. Garnish with a green olive and you’re all set.

Ingredients:

Preparation: 

  1. Pour the ingredients into a glass and stir. 
  2. Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass.
  3. Garnish with a green olive.

18. Whiskey Sour

On no. 18th of best cocktails list, we have Whiskey Sour, another bourbon classic. Sour but faintly sweet, this go-to drink boasts its not-so-complicated mix of simple ingredients of bourbon, lemon juice, and a dash of sugar. Check out our Whiskey Sour recipe here.

Ingredients: 

Preparation:

  1. Start off with a cooled glass to contain the classic drink.
  2. With the help of your shaker, put all constituents in, add ice, and dry shake.
  3. Pour the mixture in your chosen cooled glass and add angostura for a little punch.
  4. Top with cherry for garnish and enjoy!


19. Negroni

On the top 2 of the list, this year is Negroni. Coincidentally, this drink that you can easily and quickly prepare at home is also a top choice for the polled bars. Sour and subtly sweet, whip yourself up a glass in a jiffy by using these three simple ingredients: Gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. Prepare a glass of Negroni yourself with this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 oz gin 
  • 3/4 oz Campari 
  • 3/4 oz Sweet vermouth
  • Orange peel
  • Large ice cube 

Preparation:

  1. Build over ice in a large mixing glass. 
  2. Stir with mixing spoon
  3. Strain over a large ice cube 
  4. Garnish with orange peel 

20. Old Fashioned

For the past five years, this bourbon classic has topped the poll as the world’s best selling cocktail. It's not difficult to see why. This drink is the perfect mix of the citrusy sweet goodness of oranges, lemons, and cherries and the sour smoothness of whiskey. Such an unbeatable cocktail tastes incredible with Angostura bitters and club soda, too. Want one? Here’s how you can make the best-selling cocktail.

Ingredients: 

Preparation: 

  1. Put one sugar cube in a glass.
  2. Add 7 dashes of Angostura. Then, a splash of club soda.
  3. Crush the sugar using a muddler.
  4. Coat the glass by rotating it.
  5. Pour in the bourbon.
  6. Add a large ice cube. To make a round ice cube, you can use our ice ball maker mold. You can make four round ice-ball spheres using this silicone ice tray.
  7. Garnish the drink with orange and lemon peels and cherries.

21. Caipirinha

Caipirinha is often considered the national drink of Brazil. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lime, quartered
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 2 1/2 fluid ounces cachaca
  • 1 cup ice cubes

Preparation

  1. In a large rocks glass squeeze and drop in 2 eighths of lime.
  2. Add sugar, crush and mix with a spoon.
  3. Pour in the cachaca and plenty of ice. Stir well.

22. Tom Collins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups ice
  • 2 fluid ounces gin
  • 3/4 fluid ounce lemon juice
  • 1/2 fluid ounce simple syrup
  • 1 cup ice
  • 2 fluid ounces club soda
  • 1 lemon wedge

Preparation

  1. Fill a Collins glass with 1 1/2 cups ice, set aside in the freezer.
  2. Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
  3. Add 1 cup ice, cover and shake until chilled. Strain into the chilled Collins glass.
  4. Top with club soda and garnish with a lemon wedge.


23. Pina Colada

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup ice
  • 1/2 cup diced pineapple, frozen
  • 2 ounces pineapple juice
  • 2 ounces coconut cream
  • 1 1/2 ounces white rum
  • 1 ounce dark rum
  • Pineapple slices

Preparation

  1. Put the ice, frozen pineapple, juice, coconut cream, and the white and dark rums into a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth and frosty.
  3. Pour the drink into 2 glasses and garnish the rim with pineapple slices.

24. Irish Coffee

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 fluid ounces whiskey
  • 6 fluid ounces hot coffee
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar, or more to taste (optional)
  • 1/4 cup whipped cream

Preparation

  1. Place sugar on a plate or shallow bowl.
  2. Lightly wet the rim of an Irish coffee glass with a moistened paper towel.
  3. Dip the rim in sugar to coat.
  4. Pour Irish whiskey into the prepared glass.
  5. Fill with coffee to within 1/2 inch of top.
  6. Add sugar and stir. Top with whipped cream.

25. Long Island Iced Tea

Ingredients

  • 1/2 fluid ounce vodka
  • 1/2 fluid ounce rum
  • 1/2 fluid ounce gin
  • 1/2 fluid ounce tequila
  • 1/2 fluid ounce triple sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
  • 1 fluid ounce sweet and sour mix
  • 1 fluid ounce cola, or to taste
  • 1 lemon slice

Preparation

  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
  • Pour vodka, rum, gin, tequila, triple sec, and sour mix over ice; cover and shake.
  • Pour cocktail into a Collins glass; top with a splash of cola for color.
  • Garnish with a lemon slice.


Classic Cocktails

Each cocktail above has its own unique story. Some of these stories are dated for more than a century ago-yet the cocktails remain popular and in-demand ‘til this day. Such cocktails are referred to as the classics, which are listed below:

Cocktails for Men

Everyone (of legal age, of course!) can enjoy cocktails. And for most men, the strongest tasting cocktails are the best choices. Among the world’s top cocktails, here are some of the cocktails most ordered by men: 

  • Negroni
  • Old Fashioned
  • Dry Martini
  • Whiskey Sour
  • Manhattan
  • Sazerac

Cocktails for Women

Girls’ Night Outs are always fun. And what makes them a lot more enjoyable? Cocktails, of course! Check out the most preferred cocktails that women order at the bar this year. 

Easy Cocktails: Best to Make at Home

We brought you the Best Cocktails to Order at a Bar. Now, get ready for cocktails you can make at your own home! These cocktails are composed of three to four ingredients that you can whip up in a jiffy anytime you like. 

Final Words

Now that you know the best cocktails in the world to try. You should know that we have created this list based on many different recommendations from bars and other liquor connoisseurs. Now the only thing remaining is for you to look out for some copper mugs where you can enjoy these cocktails. At Advanced Mixology, we have an array of copper mugs that are sure to enhance the elegance of your mood and cocktails. 


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  • Steve on

    That’s not an Old Fashioned. Oranges? Lemons? Cherries? Club Soda? No.

    The Old Fashioned is one of the most venerable of cocktails, predating not only the motor car but the presidency of Abe Lincoln. In 1806 the “cock-tail” was defined in print as “spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.” Those four ingredients made a cocktail. Over the next 75 years, people kept tweaking the cocktail, hanging ornaments on it. The “old-fashioned cocktail” appeared in print in The Chicago Tribune in 1880, and it was a reference to the original, the “Old Fashioned” cocktail. A cocktail made in the original, old fashioned way. The true roots.

    Properly made, it’s strong, but not too much, and sweet, but not too much; most important, it’s dead simple to make, and absolutely delicious.

    So “spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.” There is a TON of room to play here.
    Aged Rum, Añejo Tequila, Gin, Cognac, Bourbon, Rye…
    Simple syrup, Maraschino liqueur, Triple Sec, Curaçao, Maple syrup…
    Angostura, Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6, Campari, Peychaud’s
    But fruit salad and bubbles are not part of it. Might be a fine drink, but it’s something else.

  • Rob Works on

    Sweet! Very nice.

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