So it's time for New Year's parties. Well, as you know, alcoholic cocktails prevail at festive events of any format: they enjoy drinking cocktails in a nightclub, at home, and in a restaurant.
Today we have selected for you 15 most popular alcoholic cocktailsthat you can easily cook yourself.
No matter how strange it may seem, but all the cocktails that are so popular today are, in fact, a modern interpretation of classic drinks or a modified version of medicines. This once again confirms the truth of the expression "Everything new is well forgotten old." Nevertheless, some changes in the cocktail recipe did not affect either their taste or their popularity.
15. Cosmopolitan
For the first time this drink was presented to the public in the 80s of the last century in one of the restaurants in South Florida. He began to gain his popularity in the 90s, after the release on the big screens of the famous series “Sex and the City”. That is why Cosmopolitan is considered a truly female cocktail. Its composition resembles an improved version of the classic “Screwdriver”: vodka, triple sec liquor, lime juice and cranberry juice. A characteristic feature of a well-prepared Cosmopolitan is astringency that softens the taste of alcohol.
- regular or vodka with lemon flavor - 45 ml;
- Cointreau orange liquor - 15 ml;
- fresh lime juice - 7-8 ml;
- cranberry juice - 30 ml.
14. Mojito
The history of this cocktail began back in 1586, when sailors from the expedition of Francis Drake landed in Cuba in search of cures for scurvy and dysentery. Cubans provided them with such a medicine. It is from the ingredients of this medicine that the famous Mojito is being prepared all over the world today. The popularity of this drink can be explained by the fact that the fresh taste of lime and mint perfectly quenches thirst and saves from summer heat. White rum, sugar, soda, mint and lime in their combination will not leave indifferent lovers of low alcohol cocktails.
- lime (in extreme cases, lemon) - 1 piece;
- white rum - 30 ml;
- soda (sprite) - 60 ml;
- sugar (preferably cane) - 1 tablespoon.
- fresh mint - 5-6 leaves;
- ice cubes - 100 grams.
13. May Tai
There are many versions of who is the "ancestor" of this cocktail. The first person to claim copyright is the owner of a California company. According to him, he prepared Mai Tai for friends who had just arrived from Tahiti. One of them was so impressed by the taste of the drink that he exclaimed “Maita’i”, which means “very good”. Since then, the name “stuck” to the cocktail tightly. Mai Tai is a symbol of Tahitian culture. This is a Polynesian fruit drink most popular in the western United States. It contains dark and light rum, lime juice and orange curacao.
- white rum - 40 ml;
- black rum - 20 ml;
- orange liquor - 15 ml;
- lime juice - 15 ml;
- almond syrup - 10 ml.
- ice;
- pineapple slice, sprig of mint and cocktail cherry (optional).
12. Mint julep
The mint julep is rightfully considered the official drink of the Kentucky Derby's main race event in the United States. This cocktail is a traditional variation of the use of bourbon, which is produced in huge quantities in the south of the USA. In the 18th century, the Peppermint julep was a combination of whiskey, gin and brandy in different proportions, and only in 1938 did its modern variation appear - with the addition of bourbon.
- bourbon - 60 ml;
- mint - 12 fresh leaves;
- powdered sugar - 1 teaspoon;
- water (without gas) - 2 teaspoons;
- crushed ice - 150 grams.
11. Caipirinha
At the beginning of the 20th century, the local population of Brazil used a special drink to combat the Spanish flu. It included kashasa (alcoholic concentrate from sugarcane), sugar and lime juice. Now this drink is popular all over the world and is called Caipirinha. It is worth remembering that the cocktail is very insidious: the composition of sugar and lime miraculously “masks” the taste of alcohol.
- Cachasa - 50 ml;
- lime - 1 half;
- cane sugar - 2 teaspoons;
- crushed ice.
10. Margarita
Perhaps this is the most popular cocktail in the United States. In the classic version, Margarita includes tequila, triple-sec liqueur and lime juice. Usually, all the ingredients are simply mixed in a mixer and served in special glasses with ice cubes. Some lovers like to experiment: instead of lime juice, they add any other juice. The story of Margarita is still not exactly known. It is only known that the homeland of the cocktail is the southern regions of the United States.
- silver tequila - 40 ml;
- orange liquor - 20 ml;
- lime juice - 40 ml;
- ice - 150 grams.
9. Pina Colada
It is believed that the bartender of the Caribe Hilton hotel made the first Pina Colada in 1952, immediately after the appearance of concentrated coconut milk on the market. It is coconut milk in combination with rum and pineapple juice that creates this incomparable distinctive taste and aroma of the cocktail. For a long time, Pina Colada was considered the national Puerto Rican drink, but today it is the property of the whole world.
- light (white) rum - 30 ml;
- pineapple juice - 90 ml;
- coconut milk (Malibu liquor) - 30 ml;
- ice in cubes - 50 grams;
- cream (11-15% fat) - 20 ml (optional);
- pineapple slice or cocktail cherry - 1 piece.
8. California
California Cocktail is one of the strongest of its kind, another variety of Long Island. It contains vodka, rum, gin, tequila, orange liquor and any citrus juice. A cocktail is made with an orange slice or “serpentine” from its peel. The taste of California is incredibly bright - a mix of sweetness and strength.
7. Long Island Ice Tea
Probably, this cocktail will never go out of fashion. Every year he is increasingly gaining popularity, especially among men. A characteristic feature of the "tea" Long Island is that there is no tea in it. The taste of cold tea is created by the combination of triple sec orange liqueur and Coca-Cola. The main ingredients of the drink are gin, vodka, rum and tequila. The origin of the Long Island Ice Tea is still controversial. This is due to the existence of several interpretations of this cocktail, popular in different parts of America.
- vodka - 20 ml;
- Golden rum - 20 ml;
- gin - 20 ml;
- silver tequila - 20 ml;
- orange liquor (Cointreau or Triple-sec) - 20 ml;
- lemon juice - 20 ml;
- cola - 100 ml;
- ice cubes - 150-200 grams.
6. Apple Martini
Apple Martini is the muse of all gourmets. The cocktail gained its popularity due to the bright and “modern” combination of dry martini and apple shveps (which in some cases is replaced with apple juice). A small amount of lime juice and an apple slice complement the drink very elegantly.
Interesting fact: apple martini is a favorite cocktail of the famous American comedian Conan O’Brien.
- vodka - 3 parts (30 ml);
- apple schnapps - 1 part (10 ml);
- Cointreau liquor - 1 part (10 ml).
5. Bloody Mary
The cocktail was invented, presumably, in 1939 by the American George Jessel. The author suggested mixing vodka and tomato juice as a remedy for a hard hangover. The current International Barmen Association recommends the following recipe:
- 45 ml of vodka (brand is not important)
- 90 ml of tomato juice.
- 2-3 drops of Worcester sauce.
- 15 ml of lemon juice
- Tabasco sauce to taste
- Celery juice to taste
- Black pepper
4. Screwdriver
A mixture of vodka and fruit juice was invented by American oil workers who worked in Saudi Arabia in the middle of the last century. In order to drink with impunity in a Muslim country, I had to be smart, and a screwdriver was born. The cocktail recipe is simple:
- 3/10 vodka
- 7/10 of any fruit juice
- Ice
- A slice of orange as a decoration
3. Martini Dry
The cocktail is named after its inventor - the famous Martini de Anna de Toggia. The classic recipe is this:
- 50% vermouth
- 50% gin
Although today a combination of three parts of gin and one part of vermouth is more common. The cocktail is decorated with olive and lemon zest.
2. Daiquiri
The drink got its name in honor of the Cuban town of Daiquiri. The classic cocktail recipe is as follows:
- 9 parts of rum
- 1 part sugar
- 4 parts lime juice
- ice
1. Tequila Sunrise
This extraordinarily beautiful cocktail was invented in the last century at the hotel at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. The name "Dawn" was a mixture of tequila, grenadine and orange juice due to the gradation of flowers in a glass resembling dawn. The recipe for tequila sunrise is:
- 45 ml tequila
- 15 ml grenadine syrup
- 90 ml of orange juice
Every day, bartenders all over the world come up with more and more combinations, invent new tastes, each of which will undoubtedly find its own connoisseur. However, most people still choose classic cocktails. Whether it be vibrant California or an exquisite apple martini, they all left their mark on the wine list of the world. They say, "you need to know the classics." And indeed it is.
