Classic cocktail recipes are classics for a reason, but they’re also the best building blocks for scrumptious new recipes with creative flavor combinations.
In the spirit of the new year and new beginnings, we’ve come up with a round-up of cocktail recipes that put a delicious twist on crowd-pleasing, time-tested drinks. Whatever your go-to bar order is, we’ve got something new for you to try. Read on for new spins on classic cocktail recipes!
An old fashioned is, at its core, the cocktail for folks who don’t like fussy drinks. It allows the bourbon to shine by only adding minimal ingredients to accentuate the spirit’s flavor. Now that luxury tequila is taking off with distillation and aging methods to rival the world’s most respected bourbons, it makes perfect sense to swap the bourbon for a rich, complex reposado tequila. Try this tequila old fashioned when you’re ready for a Jalisco-style version of the most beloved cocktail.
1 ½ ounces Don Julio Añejo Tequila
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 dashes orange bitters
In a mixing glass with ice, add tequila, agave nectar and bitters. Stir until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange peel.
Watch a how-to on how to make this cocktail, check out the video below:
Our next recipe is another tequila-twisted take on a simple cocktail: the French 75. This refreshing drink is bursting with bubbles and vibrant citrus flavor with a hint of floral softness from the gin. You might not think to pour tequila in this delicate drink, but a smooth cristalino tequila is a perfect match. This varietal of tequila has a vegetal herbaceousness that plays nicely with acidic fruit flavors. Try it out at your next garden party or ladies brunch!
1 ½ ounces 1800 Cristalino Anejo Tequila
¼ ounce lime juice
¼ ounce lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
In a shaker with ice, add tequila, lime juice, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously and strain into a flute glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon twist.
If you expected the twist on the negroni to be a negroni sbagliato (with prosecco in it), THINK AGAIN. Yup, we’ve got one more tequila recipe to share, and this one’s a stunner. The negroni is another one of those pared down drinks where sugary chasers aren’t needed in order to let the core spirit shine. Usually it’s gin, but the swap for a quality extra añejo tequila is a mint choice. The blend of caramelized agave notes from the tequila and the bright citrusy notes from the aperitivo and sweet vermouth make for one dang good cocktail.
1 ounce Campari Aperitivo
1 ounce Martini Sweet Vermouth
Grapefruit wedge
In a mixing glass with ice, add tequila, aperitivo and red vermouth. Stir and strain into a chilled rocks glass with one big ice cube. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit wedge.
While we’re on the topic of simple yet elegant cocktails, the Manhattan is another drink that doesn’t take much to impress. The simple addition of flavored bitters instead of the normal aromatic bitters is enough to elevate this cocktail to a whole other level. Try using chocolate bitters next time you mix up your Manhattan night cap; thank us later!
1 ½ ounces Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon
¾ ounce Martini Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes chocolate bitters
In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine bourbon, sweet vermouth and chocolate bitters. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with 3 Amarena cherries.
Just when we didn’t think piña coladas could get better, they added bubbles. Try this piña colada recipe with prosecco to elevate everyone’s favorite beachside staple from a syrupy sweet sipper to a classy concoction.
1 ½ ounces Malibu Original Rum
½ ounce pineapple juice
½ ounce coconut cream
3 ounces Bella Notte Prosecco
Pineapple slice
In a shaker with ice, add rum, pineapple juice and coconut cream. Shake until cold, pour sparkling wine into shaker and stir. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a slice of pineapple.
Listen, you don’t have those gorgeous copper mugs sitting in your cupboard to only make one drink in them. Drop the vodka in a classic mule in favor of a crisp, acidic riesling and get ready to fall in love.
1 ounce Grand Marnier Liqueur
2 ounces ginger beer
This sparkling cosmo recipe seems like such a no-brainer that we’re a little embarrassed that we haven’t tried it yet. Simply top your classic cosmopolitan with your favorite Champagne or sparkling wine and enjoy the bubbly, fruity deliciousness.
¾ ounce Cointreau Liqueur
1 ½ ounces 1941 Vodka
½ ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce cranberry juice
2 ounces Haton Brut Reserve Champagne to finish (approximately)
Frozen cranberries
Add Cointreau, vodka, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice to shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Fine strain into Champagne flute. Top with Champagne, pouring slowly to prevent overflow. Garnish with frozen cranberries.
In our opinion, the best recipes (cocktails OR food) are those where you throw a bunch of yummy stuff together and it comes out amazing every time. Sangria definitely falls into that category, but have you ever tried a sparkling sangria? Give this recipe a go; it features a gorgeous blend of sparkling lambrusco and French brandy.
½ ounce Cointreau Liqueur
½ ounce fresh orange juice
¼ ounce fresh lemon juice
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Lemon wheel
Orange wedge
In a shaker with ice, add brandy, liqueur, sparkling lambrusco, orange juice, lemon juice and bitters. Strain into a glass with fresh ice. Garnish with lemon wheel and orange wedge.
The Bloody Mary is a tried-and-true brunch hero, so you might be hesitant to mess with perfection, but we can assure you that this updated recipe is well worth it. Vodka is typically distilled to be as smooth and unassuming as possible, but if you want to try a spirit that brings a little more flavor profile to the table, opt for your favorite blanco tequila and make a Bloody Maria. You might just proclaim yourself a Bloody Maria convert.
2 ounces Teremana Blanco Tequila
4 ounces tomato juice
½ ounce lemon juice
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 to 4 dashes hot sauce
Ground pepper
Celery or olives (both optional)
In a glass with ice, add tequila, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Garnish with a lemon wedge and optional celery or olives.
One of the most rewarding ways to put your own spin on a classic cocktail is to make your own ingredients, whether that be bitters, shrubs or, in the case of this recipe, spiced syrups. Swap the simple syrup in a traditional gin fizz for this homemade winter spice syrup to create a cocktail you’ll be sipping by the fireplace all winter long.
2 ounces 135 East Hyogo Japanese Dry Gin
2 ounces grapefruit juice
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce winter spice syrup*
Winter Spice Syrup*
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 star anise
3 allspice berries
For the winter spice syrup: Combine sugar, water, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and allspice berries in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Pull off heat and let cool, strain out spices.
For the cocktail: In a shaker with ice, add gin, grapefruit juice, lime juice and winter spice syrup. Shake and strain into a glass with fresh ice. Top with tonic water.
Sometimes the most bare-bones cocktail recipes only need a little something extra to give it the je ne sais quoi it needs. In this recipe, fresh orange juice and orange bitters are just the ticket to give this Bond-ideated drink a citrusy punch. Notice it is, indeed, shaken, not stirred.
4 ounces Blue Ice Potato Vodka
1 ½ ounces Lillet Blanc
1 ½ ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
In a shaker with ice, add vodka, Lillet Blanc and orange juice to the shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into two glasses. Garnish with an orange wheel.
Espresso martinis are such a hit, we couldn’t choose just one alternative recipe for you to try. So, we made a whole list of them! Find our favorite fresh takes on the classic espresso martini here and learn its hilarious origin story along the way.
