The 10 Classic Cocktails Every Bartender Must Know

Classic cocktails are classics because they have passed the test of decades. Their proportions are refined. Their balance is studied. When a guest orders a Negroni or a Daiquiri, they are often testing the bar — and they will know whether what arrives is correct. Knowing these ten drinks cold is the baseline of professional bartending knowledge.

What you need to know about every classic

For each cocktail on this list, commit the following to memory before your next shift:

• The ratio — the proportions of each ingredient, in millilitres
• The method — shaken, stirred, or built; and why it matters for that drink
• The glassware — the correct vessel and whether it needs to be chilled
• The garnish — what it is, why it's there, and how to express or apply it properly
• The common variations — so you can respond when a guest asks for a twist
• The guest conversation — a one-sentence story or flavour description you can deliver when serving it

The spirit-forward classics

1. Old Fashioned

Recipe: 60ml bourbon or rye, 5ml simple syrup (or one sugar cube), 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Build in a double Old Fashioned glass over a large cube. Stir gently. Express orange peel and place in glass.

The Old Fashioned is the oldest recognizable cocktail template — spirit, sweetener, bitters. Every bartender's execution is slightly different; own yours. Know the common variations: rye vs bourbon, demerara vs white sugar, orange vs cherry as garnish.

2. Manhattan

Recipe: 60ml rye or bourbon, 30ml sweet vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Stir with ice, strain into a chilled coupe or Martini glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

The Manhattan is a stirred, spirit-forward, vermouth-amplified cocktail. The quality of the vermouth matters as much as the whisky — use fresh vermouth and keep the open bottle refrigerated.

3. Negroni

Recipe: 30ml gin, 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth. Equal parts. Stir with ice, strain into a double Old Fashioned over a large cube or into a coupe. Express orange peel.

The Negroni is perhaps the most loved bartender's cocktail. Its equal-parts structure makes it easy to remember and scale. Its bitterness makes it polarising — which creates an upsell opportunity to guide guests toward Aperol Spritzes or lighter alternatives if the guest is new to amaro.

The citrus classics

4. Daiquiri

Recipe: 60ml white rum, 22ml fresh lime juice, 15ml simple syrup. Shake hard, double strain into a chilled coupe.

The Daiquiri is a masterclass in balance — sour, sweet, strong, diluted. The proportions above are a starting point; adjust the syrup for the sweetness of the limes available that day. A Daiquiri made from bottled lime juice is not a Daiquiri — it is a different, lesser drink.

5. Margarita

Recipe: 60ml blanco tequila, 30ml fresh lime juice, 22ml triple sec (Cointreau preferred). Shake hard, strain into a coupe or rocks glass (with or without salt rim). Lime wheel garnish.

6. Whiskey Sour

Recipe: 60ml bourbon, 30ml fresh lemon juice, 22ml simple syrup. Optional: 1 egg white for a Boston Sour. Dry shake (if using egg white), then shake with ice, double strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass. Angostura bitters on top.

The gin classics

7. Martini

Recipe: 60ml gin, 10–15ml dry vermouth (adjust to taste). Stir with ice, strain into a pre-chilled Martini glass or coupe. Express lemon twist or garnish with an olive.

Martini preferences vary enormously — wet (more vermouth), dry (less), dirty (with olive brine). Always ask the guest's preference. Know the difference between a gin Martini and a vodka Martini and be ready to make both.

8. Gin and Tonic

Recipe: 45ml gin, 90–120ml high-quality tonic water (Fever-Tree or equivalent), large ice cube in a highball or balloon glass. Garnish determined by the gin style.

The G&T is the simplest cocktail on this list and one of the most ordered. Its simplicity means every element is visible — use good tonic, use good ice, use the correct garnish for the gin style. A cucumber garnish for a fresh London Dry; a citrus wedge for a citrus-forward gin; a sprig of rosemary for a Mediterranean style.

The other essentials

9. Aperol Spritz

Recipe: 90ml prosecco, 60ml Aperol, splash of soda water. Build over ice in a large wine glass. Orange slice garnish.

The most ordered cocktail in many Canadian bars since 2018. Know it cold. Know the Campari Spritz (for guests who find Aperol too sweet) and the Hugo Spritz (elderflower, prosecco, mint, soda) as alternatives.

10. Moscow Mule / Dark 'n' Stormy

Moscow Mule: 45ml vodka, juice of half a lime, ginger beer to fill. Build in a copper mug over ice. Lime wedge garnish.

Dark 'n' Stormy: 60ml dark rum, ginger beer to fill, floated lime wedge. Build in a highball or copper mug over ice.

"Master the classics and you can make anything. Every modern cocktail on every current menu traces its lineage back to one of these structures. Knowing the originals teaches you the logic of what you're building."

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