To be fair, all cocktails are made up. But behind every margarita, old-fashioned, martini, and other popular drink lies a hidden world of delicious and adventurous cocktail recipes that are yet to be discovered or brought back. Here are some of them.
1. English Garden - Light and Refreshing
Combining the rejuvenating flavors of elderflower with gin and apple juice, this cocktail recipe makes a great afternoon or pre-dinner drink while hanging out in your actual garden.
Ingredients:
● 100 ml Gin
● 150 ml Apple juice
● 50 ml Elderflower cordial
● Juice of half a lime
● Ice cubes
● 2 thin cucumber slices (garnish)
Procedure:
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker glass filled with ice.
- Cover and shake.
- Lay the cucumber slices in a chilled coupe glass.
- Strain the drink into the glass.
2. Irish Trash Can - Party in a Glass
Based on the look alone, one can tell that this is a flavor bomb. With over 6 ingredients, this cocktail recipe became popular for college kids as it started at a party when students mixed every alcohol they had for fun.
Ingredients:
● ½ oz. Vodka
● ½ o. Light rum
● ½ oz. Gin
● ½ oz. Peach Schnapps
● ½ oz. Blue Curacao
● ½ oz. Triple Sec
● 1 can of Red Bull
● Ice cubes
Procedure:
- Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
- Combine all the alcohols.
- Tip-over the opened can of Red Bull.
- Serve with a straw.
3. Red Velvet - Hassle-Free and Drinkable Dessert
Why bake when you can drink? This cocktail version of the red velvet is easy to make and is great to serve on Valentine’s Day with your significant other.
Ingredients:
● 40 ml Brandy
● 40 ml Strawberry puree
● 15 ml Sugar syrup
● 20 ml Lemon juice
● Ice cubes
Procedure:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Combine the ingredients, cover, and then shake.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
4. Income Tax - The Only Tax You’ll Enjoy
Dating back to the 1920s, this drink features bitters that can be associated with the stress we undergo when we do our taxes. Don’t worry; you don’t need to brush up on your tax-filing skills to indulge in this cocktail recipe.
Ingredients:
● 1 ½ oz. Gin
● ¾ oz. Dry vermouth
● ¾ oz. Sweet vermouth
● ½ oz. Orange juice
● 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
● 1 orange peel
Procedure:
- Place the orange peel and juice in a shaker glass and muddle.
- Combine the other liquors and add ice.
- Cover and shake
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Add the bitters.
5. Spring Fling - A Patio-Perfect Cocktail
There are many things associated with the phrase Spring Fling, but this cocktail recipe is all about the beauty of spring. It has a subtle sweetness that goes well with the flowery vibe. Not to mention the stunning color that definitely suits its name.
Ingredients:
● 1 ½ oz. Pink Gin
● 6 oz. Pink Grapefruit tea
● 1 tbsp. Wildflower Honey
● Ice cubes
● Strawberry slices and mint leaves (garnish)
Procedure:
- Brew the tea in a pot. Let this chill in the fridge.
- Measure the ingredients and combine them in an ice-filled rocks glass.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish.
6. Jungle Bird - A Taste of Malaysia
Like most Tiki cocktails, this cocktail recipe does not fall short when it comes to distinctive tropical look and taste. It was created in the 1970s at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton as a greeting cocktail to guests. It features Campari alongside the usual tropical ingredients.
Ingredients:
● 45 ml Dark rum
● 45 ml Pineapple juice
● 15 ml Campari
● 15 ml of Lime juice
● 10 ml of Cane sugar syrup
● Ice cubes
Garnish:
● Pineapple wedge
● Pineapple fronds
● Cherry
Procedure:
- Prepare the garnish by skewering the cherry, pineapple fronds, and pineapple wedge, respectively.
- Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Cover, and then shake.
- Pour the contents into a tiki glass and place the garnish.
7. Poison Apple - Thank Goodness, You’re Not Snow White
A fun Halloween treat, this cocktail recipe not only has the rich apple flavor but the theatrics as well. It is sweet and fruity with the inclusion of dry ice to make it look like a brewed pot of poison. Fret not, you can drink this to the last drop without falling into an eternal slumber.
Ingredients:
● 6 oz. Hpnotiq
● 2 oz. Hennessy
● 2 oz. Sour Apple Schnapps
● 4 oz. Apple Juice
● ½ oz. Grenadine syrup
● Ice
● 1 Apple slice (garnish)
● Dry Ice, crushed
Procedure:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Combine all the ingredients except the grenadine and dry ice. Cover, and then shake.
- Pour the grenadine into a martini glass.
- Pour the drink over the back of a spoon and into the glass.
- Place a few pieces of dry ice, then garnish.
8. Fluffy Duck - Tall Glass of Creamy Goodness
Despite having alcohol, this drink makes a good hangover remedy. This cocktail recipe features Advocaat which is a liqueur made from brandy, eggs, and sugar with a consistency like custard. The outcome is a luscious drink that is very creamy and packed with flavor.
Ingredients:
● 1 oz. Advocaat
● 1 oz. White rum
● 1 oz. Cream
● Lemonade (to top)
● Ice cubes
Procedure:
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Combine the ingredients and stir.
9. The Forager - For the Avid Hunter
This cocktail recipe is worth a try as it combines the tartness and sweetness of berries and lemons with the calming effect of basil.
Ingredients:
● 50 ml Gin
● 25 ml Sugar syrup
● 25 ml Lemon juice
● 12.5 ml Raspberry puree
● 12.5 ml Blackberry puree
● 6 drops Basil Tincture
● Ice cubes
● Dried lemon and dehydrated raspberry (garnish)
Procedure:
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker glass with ice.
- Cover, and then shake.
- Strain into a glass filled with ice.
- Garnish.
10. Old Pal - Long Time No See
If you like the Negroni, then give this one a try. This drink was invented by a famous bartender and proprietor of Harry’s New York bar in Paris, Harry MacElhone, who also created the Bloody Mary, Sidecar, Boulevardier, and other adventurous cocktail recipes.
Ingredients:
● 1 oz. Rye whiskey
● ¾ oz. Campari
● ¾ oz. Dry vermouth
● Ice cubes
● Lemon twist (garnish)
Procedure:
- Pour the liquors into a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until the desired dilution.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish.
11. Horse feather - A Delicacy from the South
Reminiscent of the Moscow mule, this cocktail recipe uses whiskey instead of vodka. It was created in Lawrence, Kansas, during the 1990s. It’s best made with blended whiskey or rye whiskey.
Ingredients:
● 2 oz. Whiskey
● 4 oz. Ginger beer
● 4 dashes of Angostura bitters
● Juice of 1 lemon wedge
● Ice cubes
● Lemon wedge (garnish)
Procedure:
- Fill a whiskey glass with ice cubes.
- Combine all the ingredients and stir.
- Garnish.
12. Blue Monday - The Blue that Cures the Blues
Ironically, this blue cocktail can make you feel alive and pumped up to whatever is set for your day. It gives a burst of citrus flavors that is perfect if you’re feeling exhausted.
Ingredients:
● 45 ml Lemon vodka
● 25 ml Blue Curacao
● 15 ml Triple sec
● 2 dashes of orange bitters
● Ice cubes
● Mango slice and orange twist (garnish)
Procedure:
- Combine everything in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Cover and shake.
- Strain into a rocks glass with ice.
- Garnish.
13. Snowball - A Fantastic Holiday Cocktail
What better way to celebrate the Christmas season than to serve this bright and delicious drink to your friends and families. Think of this cocktail recipe as the cold and citrusy version of eggnog.
Ingredients:
● 2 oz. Advocaat
● 1 oz. Brandy
● 1 tsp. Lime juice
● Sparkling lemonade (to top)
● Lime wedge and maraschino cherry (garnish)
● Ice cubes
Procedure:
- Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Cover, and then shake.
- Strain into an ice-filled highball glass.
- Top it off with sparkling lemonade.
- Garnish.
14. Port of Call - A Drink to be Thankful for
We’ve already got Halloween and Christmas cocktail recipes on the list, so this one is dedicated to Thanksgiving. It combines flavors usually prominent during the holidays that overall result in an interestingly delicious taste.
Ingredients:
● 1 oz. Gin
● 1 oz. Ruby port
● ¾ oz. Lemon juice
● ½ oz. Cinnabark syrup
● 1 bar spoon of cranberry preserves
● Ice cubes
● Raspberry and mint sprig (garnish)
Procedure:
- Combine the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
- Cover, and then shake.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Garnish.
15. Absinthe Frappe - Herbaceous and Cool
This is probably the easiest absinthe cocktail recipe to pull off. It was created in 1874 by bartender Cayetano Ferrer. Usually consumed in the morning, this drink has a predominant flavor of absinthe that tastes like licorice.
Ingredients:
● 1 ½ oz. Absinthe
● ¾ oz. Simple syrup
● 2 oz. soda water
● Ice cubes
● Star anise (garnish)
Procedure:
- Combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a lowball glass.
- Garnish.
16. Hanky Panky - Bittersweet Treat for Dinner
This cocktail recipe is identical to a gin martini but features the bitterness of Fernet-Branca, an Italian digestivo. It was created by the legendary bartender Ada Coleman at the Savoy Hotel in London during the 1900s.
Ingredients:
● 1 ½ oz. Dry gin
● 1 ½ oz. Sweet Vermouth
● 1 bar spoon of Fernet-Branca
● Ice cubes
● Orange twist (garnish)
Procedure:
- Combine everything in a shaker glass with ice.
- Mix, then shake.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish
17. Death in the Afternoon - The Hemingway Champagne
This similar and easier version of a mimosa incorporates the rich and complex taste of absinthe. Said to be created by author Ernest Hemingway, this cocktail recipe has the same name as the book he wrote about bullfighting.
Ingredients:
● 1 oz. Absinthe
● 4-5 oz. Champagne
Procedure:
- Pour the absinthe in a chilled coupe glass.
- Top it off with champagne.
18. Remember the Maine - A Tribute to the Fallen
Spirits writer Charles H. Baker featured this Manhattan-like drink in his book about the Cuban Revolution. The Maine was a U.S. Naval ship that mysteriously exploded and sank which led the press to create the rallying cry, “Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain”, and ultimately sparked the Spanish-American war.
Ingredients:
● 60 ml Rye whiskey
● 20 ml Sweet vermouth
● 15 ml Cherry Heering
● 2.5 ml Absinthe
● Ice cubes
● Cherry and lemon peel (garnish)
Procedure:
- Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until the desired dilution.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish.
19. Death in the Gulf Stream - Here’s for the Dark Times
Hemingway was a great writer and he was also a fan of creating drinks. He was often associated with Charles H. Baker who included this cocktail recipe in his book. Hemingway made this drink during the tough times in the 1930s where economic recessions and wars were prevalent.
Ingredients:
● 2 oz. Genever
● 1 Lime (peel and juice)
● 5 dashes Angostura bitters
● Ice cubes
Procedure:
- Peel the lime and muddle it together with the juice.
- Transfer the contents in a Collins glass and add the Genever.
- Stir to combine.
Conclusion
This list is only a tiny portion of all the lesser-known cocktails that deserve recognition. Times have changed and people certainly have new preferences when it comes to their drink. If you are an avid drinker, it’s time to try these adventurous cocktail recipes and discover the other hidden jewels in the cocktail world.