There are so many classic party cocktails for you to impress your guests. You can also go for some of the modern cocktails. The thing with classic cocktails is that they have been improved severally over the years, and they give you the exact flavor and effect you need. Here are five cocktails to try at home.
Negroni
To make this cocktail, you need 1 oz gin, 1 oz Campari, and 1 oz sweet vermouth. It is one of the classics, so it is tried and tested. The story behind this cocktail is that Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender to use gin instead of soda water when making his Americano. Back in the day, this was one of the most requested cocktails, and it remains popular even today. You can make some creative variants of this drink by adding your favorite ingredients or varying the amount of the ingredients.
It provides equal parts of sweetness, boozy, and bitterness. The low ABV Americano has not been the same since the Negroni story. Once you mix the ingredients, stir them with ice for about 30 seconds, and then garnish your cocktail with an orange peel.
Gin and Tonic
You only need London Dry gin, tonic water, a lime wedge to garnish, and some to squeeze. There is nothing that seems special with this combination as it is perfect for warm weather. The cocktail was first made by the British East India Company army. The army needed an easy way to get a tasty drink, but there was more. Malaria was prevalent in 1800s India and the soldiers wanted an easier way to take the bitter quinine. They would mix the medicine with lime, sugar, water, and sometimes gin.
To make the cocktail, you can use the amount of gin that you prefer and the amount of tonic water you prefer. You can balance them or you can increase the quantity of one of them, depending on the effect you need. Pour the two ingredients over ice cubes, squeeze a lime over them, and garnish with a lime wedge.
Martini
This is one of the simplest cocktails to make. You need dry vermouth, orange bitters, and the gin or vodka of your choice. If you are using gin, you can opt not to have the orange bitters. Add your content to your ice-filled Flighty Premium Mixers or any other mixing glass or shaker. Allow it to settle for about 10 seconds without shaking it and then strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with lemon peel.
This cocktail was made popular by Mr. Bond, but it may have started more than a century before Bond. The vermouth brand Martin started in 1863, and it may have been the inspiration for the Martini cocktail name. The Martinez used to mix gin with vermouth and then add Maraschino and bitters. When you strip that cocktail of Moschino and bitters, you remain with the classic Martini. You can make your Martini super-dry or way-dirty just the way you want it.
Manhattan
You need Bourbon, bitters, and sweet vermouth to make this cocktail. You can substitute Bourbon with rye whisky if you want. The cocktail was first poured in Manhattan, either in the Manhattan club, or in other places on the isle sometimes in the 1870s. The cocktail has always had sweet vermouth, bitters, and whiskey, but over the years, whiskey was replaced with Bourbon and rye. There are several variants of this cocktail for you to try.
It brings the spicy nature of rye whiskey and balances it with the sweetness of vermouth. Stir the ingredients in cracked ice and then strain and garnish with an orange peel or a brandied cherry.
Margarita
To make a margarita, you need freshly squeezed lime juice, Blanco tequila, and orange liqueur or triple sec. The drink may have originated in Tijuana and its name is that of a woman of a certain man’s unrequited love. There is also a story that a nightclub owner in Tijuana crafted the cocktail to impress one of the women performers in the club. The name of the woman was Margarita. When you make this drink at home for parties, it gives you the balance you need.
You need about 2 oz tequila, 1 oz freshly-squeezed lime juice, and 1 oz Cointreau. Shake the ingredients with cracked ice and rub a wedge of lime on the rim of Margarita glass.
There are many more cocktails that you can try once you learn these common recipes. Further, you can be creative and try adaptations of these common recipes.
