Mai Tai
The credit for this iconic 1930s drink—whose name is a nod to the Tahitian, “Maita’i,” which means “good”—is usually given to venerable Los Angeles tiki bar Trader Vic’s.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Dylan + Jeni
Plausible Deniability
Istanbul-based bartender Alex Waldman created this drink with the parameters of using limited citrus with a bitter liqueur to make something round, full and relatively dry.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
Sherry Cobbler
Simply sherry, sugar and citrus, shaken and poured over crushed ice.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Sidecar
A gussied-up cognac sour made famous at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Julie Reiner’s Clover Club
Reiner's version of the classic has become a staple at her Brooklyn bar of the same name.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Whiskey Sour
This iconic sour—whiskey, lemon juice and sugar shaken over ice—forms the building block for many a cocktail.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Gimlet
Essentially a Gin Sour made with lime juice, legend has it that the Gimlet was created in the mid-19th century to encourage Royal Navy sailors to consume their rations of…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Leslie Pariseau
Southside
Depending on how you look at the glass, the Southside lands somewhere between a gin mojito sans soda water or a gimlet with mint. New York’s 21 Club lays claim…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Aviation
After being lost for almost a half-century, this sky blue concoction was refurbished to its original glory only within the last decade. This original version first appears in Hugo Ensslin’s…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Tom Collins
If you take the American side of the story, this drink evolved from the “The Great Tom Collins Hoax” of 1874.
- story: Leslie Pariseau