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The Bottle Club
thebottleclub.com › home › the drinks journal › 7 classic cocktails you need to know!
7 classic cocktails you need to know! | The Bottle Club
February 6, 2024 - Martini is the king of cocktails, whether it’s gin or vodka, shaken or stirred you can’t go wrong with this classic.
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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.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/cocktails › what are the correct fundamental cocktails?
r/cocktails on Reddit: What are the correct fundamental cocktails?
June 20, 2024 -

I have been reading the book Cocktail Codex by the creators of Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails and they claim that there are only 6 fundamental cocktails- The Old-Fashioned, The Martini, The Daiquiri, The Sidecar, The Highball, and The Flip. However, I have also read that there are actually 7 fundamental cocktails being The Old Fashioned, The Martini, The Negroni, The Sour, The Daisy, The French 75, and The Collins. Which one is correct or which one is the most universally followed. There’s a lot of overlap between the two, however, for example, in Cocktail Codex, the Negroni would be considered a martini. This is where I get confused. Any insight would be very helpful!

Top answer
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Categorizing cocktails into fundamentals or families is mostly an academic exercise. It can depend on whom you read or want to believe. Employees Only breaks it down into ten ; Simon Difford into 36 ; Paul Clarke into 13 ; Gaz Regan into 20 ; Sam Ross into 5 or 6 ; everyone's favorite - European Bartender School into 8 ; etc. There is no "authoritative voice" on the subject. Just go with whatever makes sense to you and helps you learn and understand the best.
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As folks have already commented, there is no One True Cocktail Taxonomy; these sorts of groupings are all ahistorical, and involve a good deal of subjectivity about which aspect of a cocktail most determines which grouping it belongs in. I certainly find that thinking of cocktails as families/groups is a useful way of organizing my own thoughts, as well as for teaching others about cocktails; but when people get into arguments about, say, "is a Vieux Carré an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan" (actual argument, lol), it becomes a bit pedantic. And that's coming from someone who has plenty of love for pedantry, lol. To me, the point of thinking in terms of cocktail families is to help realize the ways in which cocktails can be related, either historically, or from a ratio & recipe perspective. But ultimately, it is just one way of knowing and thinking about cocktails, and not necessarily better than knowing each drink as an individual thing, or grouping drinks together in terms of their flavor profile or build. The "Negroni as a Martini" thing, for example; I understand the point about how it is built, but what if I then tell a guest "Oh, you like a Martini? Try a Negroni, it's a related drink"?? I might be right from a very specific reading of the drink structure, but I would be completely wrong in lots of other important ways.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_cocktails
List of cocktails - Wikipedia
November 25, 2025 - A martini is a classic gin-based cocktail. ... Mr. Bali Hai ... Q.B. Cooler ... Rum and Coke (a.k.a. Cuba libre) ... This fruity, blended piña colada is typical of many rum-based cocktails.
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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.
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Pinterest
pinterest.com › elaniji › types-of-cocktails
7 Best Types of cocktails ideas
7 Pins· · 5y · By · Elaniji · Cocktail Recipe Cheat Sheet · How To Make Around The World Cocktail · Beginner Cocktail Guide · Bartender Cocktail Cheat Sheet · Basic Cocktail Recipes Pdf · Bartender Drinks Recipes · Bartender Drinks · Gin Cocktail Recipes ·
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GUAM1 Brewing Company
londondrinksguide.com › en › blog › what-to-drink-94 › cocktails-103 › 7-immortal-cocktails-mixed-with-winning-spirits-394.htm
7 Immortal Cocktails mixed with winning spirits
Fun fact, old recipes for the Manhattan also included a dash of Absinthe! ... ~ 2 ounces rye whiskey (try “The Prideful Goat Straight Rye Whiskey” by Gulf Coast Distillers: London Spirits Competition, Gold Medal with 93 points) ... ~ Add the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled. ~ Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass. ~ Garnish with a brandied cherry (or a lemon twist, if preferred). This cocktail got a lot of attention from James Bond, with instructions specific: “Shaken, not stirred.” The Martini, a quick and simple to make cocktail has loads of fun filled in a mix of vermouth and the best vodka!
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/cocktails › what are the classics?
r/cocktails on Reddit: What are the Classics?
November 12, 2022 -

What do you consider to be the classics? I am fairly new to making cocktail at home and am building up a bar based on the Modern Bar Carts 12 bottle bar episode plus some suggestions I have found on here. I am wanting to nail some classics before I start getting too wild but googling is giving me mixed answers. Recipes would be great but not necessary!

Find elsewhere
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Galaxy Training
galaxytraining.com.au › home › blog › 7 different types of liquor to make any amazing cocktail
7 Different Types of Liquor To Make Any Amazing Cocktail
March 12, 2021 - The types of spirits that include hard liquor and many other types of liquor which has their own distinct flavour and aroma are the essential ingredients for a mixologist of a bar who stands behind the bar as a professional cocktail presenter. Galaxy Training Australia comes up with the list of the 7 different types of liquors that can be used to make some of the best cocktails in the world.
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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 - Enduring examples include the Old Fashioned (without the muddled fruit and club soda found so often in today's bars) and the Sazerac. In some craft-cocktail bars and cocktail-astute households you can get a nice Improved Gin (or Whiskey, or Brandy, etc.) Cocktail, sweetened and flavored with a teaspoon or so of curaçao, maraschino and/or absinthe.
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Liber & Co.
liberandcompany.com › home › liber archive › liber archive
Bar Basics: Core Cocktail Categories – Liber & Co.
July 19, 2017 - The base may be sometimes be shaken before the addition of carbonated water or built in the glass and stirred to combine. 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.
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Scribd
scribd.com › presentation › 251457939 › Types-of-Cocktails
Types of Cocktails | PDF | Martini (Cocktail) | Drink
This document discusses different types of cocktails. It provides details on 7 common cocktails: Julep, Sours, Swizzlers, Toddies, Mimosas, Apple Martinis, and Bellinis. For each cocktail, it describes what defines the type of drink, provides ...
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VinePair
vinepair.com › articles › 6-important-cocktails-recipe-guide
The Six Cocktails You Need to Know to Understand All Cocktails Ever | VinePair
October 6, 2022 - This infographic illustrates the essential components of Cocktail Codex’s six root cocktails, plus three variations on each. Get your own copy here! The 25 Best Champagnes for 2025 · The 7 Best Tequilas to Gift This Holiday (2025) The 15 Best Allocated Bourbons (and Ryes) of 2025 ·
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WebstaurantStore
webstaurantstore.com › food service resources › consumables › types of cocktail mixes
Types of Cocktail Drink Mixers - WebstaurantStore
Typically served in a martini glass, this popular cocktail can be prepared using gin or vodka. Martini mixes come in a variety of different flavors, allowing you to get creative with your drink selection. ... Though they come in many different forms, martini mixes are typically prepared using these ingredients: ... Blended mixes do not encompass a single type of cocktail mix, but rather a collection of mixes.
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Serious Eats
seriouseats.com › cocktail-101-cocktail-theory-recipes-families-and-formulas-how-to-make-cocktails
Cocktail 101: Families and Formulas
August 9, 2018 - Champagne Cocktails: French 75, Champagne Cocktail, Seelbach. Highballs, Collinses, and Fizzes. Juleps and Smashes. Hot Drinks: Irish Coffee, Toddies, etc. Flips and Nogs: Drinks using whole eggs. Pousse Family: A family fallen rightly into disrepute, these are usually layered drinks made of sweet liqueurs.
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Toast POS
pos.toasttab.com › blog › on-the-line › simple-mixed-drinks-to-order-at-a-bar
Simple Mixed Drinks to Order at the Bar: 7 Easy Cocktails
Once you find one you like, it becomes your reliable fallback — and a solid base for branching into more adventurous cocktails. ... Use these bar menu templates as a starting point for your menu design or to give your menu a refresh. ... Use these bar menu templates as a starting point for your menu design or to give your menu a refresh. Just rum and Coca-Cola over ice — that’s it. It’s one of the easiest mixed drinks you can order, and almost every bar has the ingredients on hand.
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Difford's Guide
diffordsguide.com › encyclopedia › 1989 › cocktails › cocktail-categories › families
Cocktail categories/families
January 10, 2020 - Comprises: Spirit or wine base + fruit + sugar Glass: Collins or Cobbler glass Serve: Shaken and served over crushed ice garnished with lots of fresh berries and fruits Created: 1930s Example: Bramble More info: Cobblers · Comprises: Spirit + fruit juice + sweetener Glass: Poco Grande / Colada glass Serve: Blended with crushed ice Created: Pre-1922 Example: Piña Colada More info: Colada, Spanish for 'washed', or in this case 'strained', refers to a cocktail blended (or sometimes shaken) with fruit juice and often coconut.
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OnMilwaukee
onmilwaukee.com › articles › 7-cocktail-recipes
No lie: You can make hundreds of cocktails at home with just 7 recipes
March 9, 2020 - A #NationalCocktailDay trip into the archives: You can make hundreds of cocktails with just 7 recipes
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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
We’re getting back to basics here at A Bar Above, so we thought it was time to walk you through what Chris and Julia feel are the 6 main types of cocktail categories. Instead of memorizing hundreds of cocktail recipes, you’ll be able to make tons of drinks if you just remember these six simple formulas. 2:22– Introducing cocktail families and techniques · 4:50– The 6 main cocktail families according to Chris and Julia · (5:08– cocktail, 6:35– spirit-forward, 7:59– cobbler, 9:29– sour, 10:52– highball, 12:04– flip)
Published   September 21, 2022