The Kitchn
thekitchn.com › types-of-cocktails-23634750
10 Types of Classic Cocktails You Should Definitely Know How to Make
March 23, 2024 - This cocktail is rumored to be a riff on another classic, the Americano, which is made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and seltzer. The story goes that sometime in the early 1900s in Florence, Italy, Count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano with gin instead of seltzer, and the Negroni was born.
A Bar Above
abarabove.com › home › business of the bar › cocktail families: the top 6 types of cocktails and techniques you need to know to make hundreds of drinks
Cocktail Families: The Top 6 Types of Cocktails And Techniques You Need To Know To Make Hundreds Of Drinks - A Bar Above
A rocks glass is common for two-part cocktails as well. ... Not for vegans! Flips (and the subcategory of nogs, which add milk or cream) use a whole egg, including the yolk. If you’re just using egg white in a sour, you can easily substitute it with aquafaba (chickpea juice), but we’ve yet to find a truly solid substitute for the whole egg. With the use of egg, this type of drink can be a bit polarizing, although we at A Bar Above do find them delicious.
Published September 21, 2022
Videos
17:24
42 Cocktail Types Explained 🍸 The Ultimate Guide to Cocktail ...
10:35
The 10 Most Popular Cocktails On The Planet! - YouTube
10:23
10 Easy Cocktails To Make At Home - YouTube
28:24
50 Cocktails you NEED to know or How to be a better Bartender - ...
26:13
7 Cocktails from Sydney's Best Bars - YouTube
7 Classic Cocktails Every Bartender Should Know | The ...
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_cocktails
List of cocktails - Wikipedia
November 25, 2025 - Others have included Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer (4.8 percent) and Spiced Orange Alcoholic Ginger Beer (4.8 percent), Fentimen's Alcoholic Ginger Beer (4 percent), and New City Ginger Beer (8 percent). Cider and stormy (apple cider, dark rum, ginger beer) ... Some cola cocktails are made by the brewer; for example, McAles sells a "hard cola" that is a malt beverage with kola and other natural flavors and caramel color added.
Liber & Co.
liberandcompany.com › home › liber archive › liber archive
Bar Basics: Core Cocktail Categories – Liber & Co.
July 19, 2017 - Highballs are served in a tall glass over ice. Iconic highballs include the Gin & Tonic, the Moscow Mule, and the Mojito. ... These are less common drinks but are becoming more and more popular with the craft cocktail resurgence.
Pinterest
pinterest.com › elaniji › types-of-cocktails
7 Best Types of cocktails ideas
Cocktail Recipe Chart · Retro Cocktail Guide · Classic Cocktails List Pdf · Coconut Rum Drinks · Cosmopolitan Drink · Martini Recipes Vodka · Guide To Cocktails · Basic Cocktail Cheat Sheet · Colorful Cocktail Recipes Chart · Basic Cocktails To Know ·
WebstaurantStore
webstaurantstore.com › food service resources › consumables › types of cocktail mixes
Types of Cocktail Drink Mixers - WebstaurantStore
Whether you're a seasoned bartender ... a list of the 10 best cocktail mixers you should always have on hand to take your drinks from ordinary to extraordinary. Shop All Bar Drink Mixes Check out the best cocktail mixers: 1. Sweet and Sour Mix 2. Margarita Mix 3. Bloody Mary Mix 4...
Theinternationalkitchen
theinternationalkitchen.com › the international kitchen › blog › types of cocktails & mixed drinks
Types of Cocktails & Mixed Drinks | The International Kitchen Blog
April 22, 2025 - The six classic distilled spirts are rum, tequila, gin, vodka, brandy, and whiskey. “Mixers” are most commonly sodas, fruit juices, liqueurs, milk or cream, or some type of syrup.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/cocktails › types of cocktails?
r/cocktails on Reddit: Types of cocktails?
December 28, 2018 -
I'm sorry if this question is too basic, but I'm not seeing any results in this sub's wiki or sidebar. I also did some googling to little avail.
I've recetnly been getting into cocktails and noticed that many of them are similar.
like how a martini is gin + vermouth(dry) (+ bitters) and a manhattan is Whisky + Vermouth(sweet) (+ bitters). Also like how an "old fashioned:mahattan::daiquiri:daisy" insofar as sweetening with liqueurs vs sugars and citrus vs no citrus generate categories.
Also how there seems to be tons of drinks based on the negroni. Also arguably highballs are a type of cocktail. Also fizz, fix, etc etc
anyway, I find categorization based on concept/construction to be an easier way to organize my head. Like "A scotch sidecar sweetened with benedictine" feels like a reasonable explaination to me. I can mix that drink, and I can roughly imagine how it will taste(trial and error will be required to get the exact ratios correct.)...
So here is the TLDR. Are there common categories based on construction/concept to help orient me in learning about cocktails? Any books, websites or videos that would help with this? or is this not something people do? Also are there any good lists of the "need to know" cocktails for those starting out? I've learned/know a bunch, but would like to make sure my bases are covered. I'm a nerd, so maybe I'm overthinking this.
Top answer 1 of 5
12
Elemental Mixology, by Andrew Willett is the book you're looking for. He breaks down the drink genres and the elements that make each one up, better than any book I've ever read. His technique and methodology are spot on, and his historical references are second to none. To briefly summarize, there are seven elements that go into mixed drinks: AROMATIC—bitters, spices, herbs, zests (the outer part of citrus peel), edible flowers, culinary perfumes (such as orange blossom water) SOUR—lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, most shrubs, acid phosphate, pure cranberry juice SWEET—sugar, simple syrup, gum syrup, rock candy syrup, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, grenadine (pomegranate) syrup, raspberry syrup, other flavored syrups STRONG—all alcoholic beverage products except petite bitters [strong products that are sweet, such as liqueurs, can also act as the sweet element] WEAK—ice, flat water, sparkling mineral water, seltzer water, soda water, fancy ‘pop’, brewed coffee, brewed tea THICK—milk, cream, eggs (including whole eggs, egg whites, egg yolks), condensed milk, butter, coconut milk, gelatin SUCCULENT—fruit and vegetables considered fit for consumption in their unsweetened state, such as orange, grapefruit, pineapple, etc. And here are the drink genres, note that there are sub-types that fall under each of the main drink genres, for example Cocktail would fall under the Sling genre, Daisy and Sour would fall under the Punch genre, etc. THOROUGHBREDS—Thoroughbreds are single strong element ingredients, generally unmixed (except perhaps with a little water or ice). EXAMPLES: Whiskey Neat, Gin "straight-up", Vodka "straight-up" ENSEMBLES—Ensembles are multiple strong element ingredients, generally unmixed (except perhaps with a little water or ice). EXAMPLES: Rusty Nail, B&B GROGS—Grogs are mixed drinks led by the weak element, in which the strong element is used as a fortifier. EXAMPLES: Irish Coffee, "Highballs"--Rum & Coke, Gin & Tonic, Vodka & Soda SLINGS—Slings are mixed drinks led by the strong element – being moderately sweetened, diluted, and usually aromatized. EXAMPLES: Manhattan Cocktail, Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail, Negroni Cocktail, Mint Julep, Martini Cocktail, Vesper Toddy POSSETS—Possets are mixed drinks in which the sweet, strong and thick elements are balanced. EXAMPLES: Brandy Alexander, White Russian PUNCHES—Punches are mixed drinks in which the sour, sweet, strong and weak elements are balanced. EXAMPLES: Margarita Daisy, Mojito Collins, Cosmopolitan Daisy, Long Island Iced Tea Collins, Lemon-drop Daisy, Side-car Daisy, Mai-Tai Fix, Whiskey Sour BLOSSOMS—Blossoms are mixed drinks in which the strong and succulent elements are balanced. EXAMPLES: Blinker, Blood & Sand, Brown Derby JUICE-HIGHBALLS—Juice-highballs are mixed drinks led by the succulent element, in which the strong element is used as a fortifier. EXAMPLES: Screwdriver, Salty Dog, Cape Cod So between these 7 elements and 8 drink genres, you can literally make any drink out there. And any existing drink will include at least one of those elements and fall under one of those specific genres. Learning the elements and drink genres makes it much easier to create your own drinks, as well as remember recipes. I think the current PDF edition of his 400+ page book is $7.50. Definitely worth it, if you want to get into the true DNA of what makes up a particular type of mixed-drink.
2 of 5
6
Here is a summary of the Bitter Cube's Ira Koplowitz, Marco Zappia, and Nicholas Kosevich talk at Tales of the Cocktail on this. They break everything into 7 families: https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2016/08/seven-pillars-of-classic-cocktails.html
Food Drink Life
fooddrinklife.com › home › news feed › the 6 types of cocktails everyone should know
The 6 types of cocktails everyone should know
November 8, 2023 - However, most recipes can be boiled down to just six main formulas, for which you won’t even need a cocktail mixer. The six types are the old-fashioned, daiquiri, highball, martini, sidecar and flip.
Chicago Tribune
chicagotribune.com › 2017 › 09 › 28 › learn-these-4-cocktail-categories-and-you-can-mix-up-practically-anything
Learn these 4 cocktail categories, and you can mix up practically anything – Chicago Tribune
May 31, 2019 - In an attempt to demystify the always delightful but often murky path to cocktail enlightenment, we present four basic cocktail categories: sours, fizzes, Old-Fashioneds and three-parters.
Serious Eats
seriouseats.com › cocktail-101-cocktail-theory-recipes-families-and-formulas-how-to-make-cocktails
Cocktail 101: Families and Formulas
August 9, 2018 - Examples include the White Russian and the Brandy Alexander. What's interesting about this category is how the cream or cream liqueur completely changes the type of drink. An Alaska might be a perfect before-dinner cocktail, whereas a Brandy Alexander is more of a dessert beverage.
Difford's Guide
diffordsguide.com › encyclopedia › 1989 › cocktails › cocktail-categories › families
Cocktail categories/families
January 10, 2020 - Some of these cocktail families are forgotten and facing extinction while others, such as the Daiquiri, Sour and Colada dynasties, are better known now than when they were first conceived.
Polly Bar
pollybar.com.au › home › blog › types of cocktails
Types of Cocktails - Polly Bar
October 1, 2025 - These drinks are known for their balanced flavours and simplicity, often requiring just a few ingredients. Old Fashioned: A simple mix of whiskey, bitters, sugar, and a twist of citrus, served over ice. It’s a go-to for whiskey lovers. Martini: A sophisticated blend of gin (or vodka) and ...
European Bartender School
barschool.net › home › cocktails 101: history and types
Types of Cocktails | European Bartender School
October 1, 2024 - By understanding these cocktail types and what makes them perennial favourites, you can branch out on your own with new creations. The most venerable cocktails are stirred or shaken drinks served in rocks glasses, usually consisting of a liquor and a mixer with a simple garnish.
Scribd
scribd.com › presentation › 453173994 › different-kinds-of-cocktails
Different Kinds of Cocktails | PDF | Drink | Alcoholic Drinks
different kinds of cocktails - Free download as Powerpoint Presentation (.ppt), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or view presentation slides online. The document provides recipes for various cocktails and drinks. It includes ingredients and instructions for making cocktails like margaritas, daiquiris, Long Island iced teas, mudslides, Moscow mules and more.
Allrecipes
allrecipes.com › article › top-50-cocktail-list-and-recipes
The Top 50 Cocktail List and Recipes
October 24, 2023 - Sloppy Joe's was a famed bar in Havana and the Mojito only consists of ingredients native to Cuba. ... A classic brunch cocktail, the Bloody Mary is traditionally made with vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, celery salt, Tabasco, and lemon juice. There are numerous renditions that use different types of alcohol.
Serious Eats
seriouseats.com › cocktail-style-guide-categories-of-cocktails-glossary-families-of-drinks
Tippler's Taxonomy: A Guide To Cocktail Categories
May 9, 2025 - These are among the original, early 19th century-style cocktails, listed in vintage bar guides as simply "Whiskey Cocktail" or "Improved Gin Cocktail" and the like. These drinks are composed of a base spirit lightly adorned with sugar (in some cases, the sweetener appears in the form of a dash or two of liqueur such as maraschino or curacao), bitters, and water (usually in its frozen form), and served either straight up or on the rocks.
Rusty Barrel
rustybarrel.co.uk › blogs › there-are-only-six-cocktails
There Are Only Six Cocktails - Rusty Barrel
They're a rowdy bunch, the Sidecar family—sometimes sour, sometimes fruity, and often they pack a punch. Read now · Our deep dive into classic cocktails takes on a more tropical angle as we explore a whole new spirit—rum.
BLENDi
blendiblender.com › home › news › news
Complete Guide to 42 Cocktail Types and Styles
September 4, 2025 - Cocktails are more than just beverages; they’re a celebration of history, technique, and creativity. By breaking down the 42 types of cocktails into digestible categories, this guide offers not just knowledge but also inspiration for your next drink.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › The_Fine_Art_of_Mixing_Drinks
The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks - Wikipedia
July 31, 2025 - The book is noteworthy for its witty, highly opinionated and conversational tone, as well as its categorization of cocktails into two main types: aromatic and sour; its categorization of ingredients into three categories: the base, modifying ...