8 Classic Cocktails Every Man Should Know How to Make at Home
The pandemic did something unexpected to a generation of men who had previously outsourced their drinking entirely to bartenders it turned them into decent ones. Stuck at home with time and a modest spirits collection, a lot of people discovered that making a great cocktail is less complicated than it looks. A few solid tools, the right bottles on the shelf, and some basic technique will take you further than you think. These eight classics are where you start.
The Cosmopolitan
The Cosmo arrived in 1988, created by bartender Toby Cecchini at The Odeon in New York, and later became synonymous with a certain era of Manhattan glamour thanks to Sex and the City. It is sharper and more balanced than its reputation sometimes suggests worth revisiting if you wrote it off as a relic.
Fill a shaker with ice, then add 2 parts vodka, 2 parts cranberry juice, 1 part orange liqueur, and 1 part fresh lime juice. Shake hard until the shaker is properly cold, then strain into a chilled coupe. That is it.
The Manhattan
The Manhattan’s origin story traces back to The Manhattan Club in New York, where it was allegedly created for Lady Randolph Churchill in 1874. Whether or not that is entirely accurate, the first printed recipe appeared in 1884 and the drink has barely needed updating since.
Combine whiskey, vermouth, and a dash of bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir steadily for about a minute — this is a stirred drink, not a shaken one then strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Finish with a twist of lemon zest. If you prefer something slightly sweeter, use red vermouth and a small dash of cherry syrup.
The Margarita
The margarita likely evolved from the Daisy family of cocktails popular in the 1930s, though several competing origin stories place it in the 1940s with women named Margarita as the inspiration. The details remain contested. The drink itself does not.
Fill a shaker with ice and add 2 parts tequila, 1 part fresh lime juice, and 1 part triple sec. Shake well, then strain into a salt-rimmed coupe run a lime wedge around the rim before dipping it in salt. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge. For a rocks version, pour directly into a tumbler over ice.
The Martini
Few drinks carry as much weight as the martini. The first known recipe appeared in 1888, though that version was considerably sweeter than what we drink today. The modern dry martini took shape in the early twentieth century, and James Bond did the rest.
Pour 5 parts vodka or gin and 1 part white vermouth over ice in a shaker. Shake for around 15 seconds, then strain into a chilled martini glass and finish with a twist of lemon peel. For a dirty martini, add a splash of olive brine and swap the lemon for a green olive.
The Negroni
The story goes that in 1919, Count Camillo Negroni walked into Caffè Casoni in Florence and asked the bartender to strengthen his Americano by replacing the soda with gin. Whether or not it happened exactly that way, the result is one of the most satisfying cocktails ever created and one of the easiest to make at home.
Pour equal parts gin, red vermouth, and Campari into a mixing jug filled with ice. Stir until properly chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Finish with a fresh orange slice. The large ice cube is not optional — it matters more than you think.
The Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned dates to 1806, making it one of the earliest cocktails on record, and the recipe has barely moved since. That kind of staying power is its own argument. Traditionally made with rye, bourbon is now the more common choice and works just as well.
Place a sugar cube in a tumbler and soak it in bitters, then crush it gently. Add your whiskey and a few large ice cubes and stir slowly, properly, the way a bartender would. Finish with a twist of orange zest. This is a drink that rewards patience.
The Sazerac
New Orleans in 1873. The Sazerac Coffee House. Originally made with Cognac until phylloxera devastated French vineyards and forced the switch to local rye whiskey. The result, as it turned out, was arguably better.
Stir a double measure of rye with a couple of dashes of bitters and a small amount of sugar syrup over ice in a mixing jug. Once well chilled, strain into a rocks glass that has been rinsed with absinthe this step is non-negotiable. Finish with a twist of lemon zest.
The Whiskey Sour
The whiskey sour traces its lineage back to the punch drinks consumed by sailors in the mid-nineteenth century, with the first recorded recipe appearing in 1862. The egg white is the detail most people skip, and it is also the detail that makes the most difference.
Shake bourbon, fresh lemon juice, egg white, and sugar together with ice until the mixture is smooth and properly frothy. Strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a lemon twist and a cherry. For a vegan version, aquafaba works as a direct substitute for the egg white.
