Since 2016, we’ve set the lofty goal of finding the ultimate expression of every classic cocktail. After asking dozens of America’s best bartenders to submit their finest recipes for Rob Roys, Jungle Birds, Martinis and beyond, we blind tasted them all with a panel of experts to crown a winner. In search of the platonic ideal, we’ve discovered that some first place winners strictly adhere to traditional recipes (the case for the Manhattan and the Bamboo), while others look to unorthodox and potentially controversial methods—such as orange juice in a Whiskey Sour or a Negroni that forgoes an equal parts construction. Here, we’ve rounded up the best of the best classic cocktail recipes.
Patrick Smith’s Espresso Martini
Vanilla liqueur adds a fulsome, candied quality to this version.
Anthony Schmidt’s Negroni
A winning, exceptionally balanced take on the classic.
Paddy O’Brien’s Last Word
A New York craft gin stars in this take on the classic.
Bobby Heugel’s Freezer Martini
An archetypal London dry–style Martini.
Fanny Chu’s Piña Colada
The winner of our Piña Colada blind tasting.
Jelani Johnson’s Rum Old-Fashioned
Three rums and two types of bitters come together in this winning recipe.
Joe Campanale’s Negroni Sbagliato
A Sbagliato with endless layers of piquant, herbal and savory flavors.
Haley Traub’s Frozen Margarita
An icy take that adds an unexpected splash of orange juice.
Richie Boccato’s Manhattan
A winning, archetypal recipe for the classic.
Rockwell Place’s Jungle Bird
A winning recipe for the bitter, tropical classic.
Alex Anderson’s Sherry Cobbler
An archetypal, winning recipe for the 19th-century classic.
Sarah Morrissey’s Cosmopolitan
A textbook example of the citrusy classic.
Tom Macy’s Rob Roy
A true exemplar of a modern Rob Roy, with good body and a touch of smoke.
Garret Richard’s Mai Tai
Saline is the secret to this winning Mai Tai.
Harrison Ginsberg’s White Negroni
A winning recipe that adds a splash of verjus for extra brightness.
Anton Kinloch’s Zombie
A winning Zombie recipe built on a trio of rums.
Harrison Ginsberg’s Martini
In this winning Martini recipe, a few simple ingredients come together in precisely the right proportions.
Abigail Gullo’s Boulevardier
A near-perfect example of the cocktail.
Leanne Favre’s Oaxaca Old-Fashioned
A winning take on the modern classic adds dimension with two reposado tequilas and saline solution.
Shannon Tebay’s Paloma
An unfussy example of a fresh-grapefruit Paloma.
Anthony Schmidt’s Kingston Negroni
A winning take on the modern classic made with the unexpected addition of oloroso sherry.
Jen Akin’s Ti’ Punch
A textbook example of the classic Caribbean cocktail.
Brian Evans’ Pornstar Martini
A well-integrated take on the modern classic calls for a homemade vanilla bean syrup.
Javelle Taft’s 50/50 Martini
A structured 50/50 Martini thanks to overproof gin.
Chip Tyndale’s Vieux Carré
A winning Vieux Carré that dials back the sweet vermouth, letting the spirits shine.
Chip Tyndale’s Sidecar
A refined, subtle revision of the Cognac classic.
Dan Sabo’s Whiskey Sour
An unorthodox half-ounce of orange juice amps up the classic Whiskey Sour blueprint.
Otto’s High Dive’s Daiquiri
Lime oleo saccharum brings the sharp, flavorful oil of the citrus peels to the classic.
Tim Miner’s French 75
This Cognac-based rendition was the winner in a blind tasting of a dozen French 75 recipes.
Dale DeGroff’s Grasshopper
A textbook example of the New Orleans cocktail.
Jelani Johnson’s Mojito
Jelani Johnson's take on the classic took the top spot in our recent blind Mojito tasting.
Izzy Tulloch’s Gimlet
A winning Gimlet recipe incorporates a lime wheel directly in the shaking tin.
Gage & Tollner’s Dirty Gin Martini
House-made brine—without actual olives—stars in this winning recipe.
St. John Frizell’s Hemingway Daiquiri
Shaking with a swath of grapefruit peel adds brightness to this winning recipe.
Christine Wiseman’s Margarita
This winning recipe is a hybrid of a classic Margarita and a Tommy’s.
Chip Tyndale’s Bamboo
A traditional build showcasing both bitter and dry notes with a finish that doesn't fade.
Doppio Spritz
Two types of Italian aperitivo are the key to this winning recipe.
Sakura Vesper
A winning, floral take on the Vesper made with Japanese gin and vodka.
Matthew Belanger’s Painkiller
A winning recipe built on a trio of rums.
Toby Cecchini’s Gin & Tonic
A winning G&T recipe, made with a slightly unorthodox method.
St. John Frizell’s Sazerac
This straight-shooting recipe calls on an atomizer for the absinthe rinse to enhance the drink's aromatics.
Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Mint Julep
Calling on mint leaves, rich simple syrup and Woodford Reserve bourbon, Jeffrey Morgenthaler favors simplicity in his julep recipe.
St. John Frizell’s Irish Coffee
This recipe calls on fresh espresso in place of regular coffee.
Maison Premiere’s Ramos Gin Fizz
A winning recipe for the New Orleans classic.
Alicia Perry’s Corpse Reviver No. 2
A pastis rinse completes this perfected take on the classic.
Nico de Soto’s Pineapple Daiquiri
A winning recipe built on a base of three rums.
Tom Macy’s Old-Fashioned
A winning take on the classic.
Max Overstrom-Coleman’s Eggnog
An archetypal example of a traditional eggnog.
Dan Sabo’s Champagne Cocktail
A Champagne Cocktail with a little something extra.
Nonalcoholic Negroni
A winning zero-proof take on the Italian classic.
