Beyond the Staples: 7 Essential (and Underrated) Cocktails
Photos by Jim Sabataso
Make someone a cocktail they drink for a day; teach someone how to make a cocktail, and they drink for a lifetime. As a bartender, I’m accustomed to being pressed into service when I show up to a house party. And while I never mind mixing up drinks for my friends, it’s always nice when people confidently take matters (and shakers) into their own hands. Anyone can make a gin and tonic, sure, but building more involved cocktails can be intimidating. Mastering staples like Manhattans and margaritas is a must, but why stop there? There’s a slew of other classics that every home bartender should bone up on. Here are seven essential cocktails you need to be able to make on your own.
Whiskey Sour
When made from scratch (read: without sour mix) and with good but not too pricy whiskey, the sour is a great cocktail that makes for a handsome presentation. While it’s perfectly acceptable to omit the egg white, you should give it a try. Eggs work great in cocktails, and the sour is a perfect point of entry.
Ingredients
2 oz. whiskey
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
1 egg white
Directions: Combine ingredients and dry shake (if using egg) for 10-15 seconds. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled coupe, or over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Variations: Once you’ve figured out the sour formula, your imagination is the limit — swap in other sprits, syrups and juices for a near endless combination of flavors: float 1/2 oz. dry red wine on top for a New York Sour; swap in pisco and finish with a few dashes of Angostura bitters for a Peruvian classic; and for a smoky substitute try mezcal.
Tom Collins
Your grandparents loved this one, and with good reason. The Tom Collins is a perfect warm weather sipper — tart and a little sweet with enough booze to make you forget the heat.
Ingredients
2 oz. gin (regular gin or old tom)
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
Directions: Combine ingredients with ice, and shake. Strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass. Top off with club soda. Garnish with a lemon wedge. (If gin’s not your thing, swap it out for vodka.)
Singapore Sling
Tropical, fruity, and spicy, the Singapore Sling is a classic cocktail that’s greater than the sum of its many parts.
Ingredients
1.5 oz. gin
1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
1/4 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. Bénédictine
2 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. grenadine
1/4 oz. lime juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
Directions: Combine ingredients with ice, and shake. Strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
