The Top 10 Cocktails for the Home Bar
10 classic cocktails to master for your home bar.
The Best Cocktails to Serve at Your Home Bar
When you have a home bar, it's easy to serve up beer and wine on demand.
But what happens when someone asks for a cocktail? If it's anything other than a mixed drink, it can catch you off guard and leave you awkwardly scrambling to:
a) remember how to make that cocktail or
b) wonder if you have what you need to make it.
With that in mind, I prepared this list of the top 10 most common cocktails to serve at your home bar.
This is based on my experience here at the Grand One Lounge over the years. Once you master these 10 cocktail recipes, make sure you have the ingredients on-hand and you'll be able to impress your guests by preparing any one of these cocktails with ease.
Offer up these drinks to your guests to avoid getting stumped with something you're not prepared to create. You can even create a cocktail menu card for that extra touch of guest experience. Ultimately you'll want to adapt the list with your own cocktail options, but this cocktail recipe list provides a well rounded place to start.
A Note About Cocktail Glassware
Many cocktails have specific glass styles in which they are typically served (the Martini being among the most famous, for example). But don't be afraid to break the rules and serve the drinks however you like. As a home bartender, you may not have on hand every conceivable type of cocktail glassware, so give yourself a break and get a little creative with your serving options. I'm sure your guests won't mind -- it's what inside the glass that counts.
The 10 Most Popular Cocktails for the Home Bartender (in no particular order)
Moscow Mule cocktail.
1. Moscow Mule
The Moscow Mule is a classic cocktail. Not only is it delicious, it's quick and easy to make and guests love it (even those who've never tried one before). Serve it with ice in a copper Moscow Mule mug for the full effect of chilling condensation and you'll impress your guests with your cocktail prowess
How to Make a Moscow Mule
1-1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
4-6 oz ginger beer
Garnish the Moscow Mule with a lime twist, twirl or your own creative spin. Some people add mint, but I prefer not to add mint to a Moscow Mule, as it really has no place there at all.
Build the Moscow Mule right in your glass of choice. Add the ingredients, then top up with ice and add your garnish.
More on how to create a Moscow Mule.
Whiskey Sour.
2. Whiskey Sour
A classic whiskey cocktail is a must for your list and the Whiskey Sour is a great choice. While an egg white is traditional (it creates the foam during the shaking), you can make it without the egg white. Since our goal here is to be able to prepare cocktails quickly and easily at home, we’ll skip the egg white in this version of the Whiskey Sour cocktail recipe. Aside from not having to separate an egg on your home bar, there are many people really don’t like the idea of raw eggs in their drink.
How to Make a Whiskey Sour
2 oz Bourbon whiskey
1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
Garnish options: slice of lemon, slice of orange and/or maraschino cherry.
A Whiskey Sour is shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker and then strained into your serving glass of choice. As always, if you want to serve it on the rocks — go for it!
More on how to make a Whiskey Sour.
Like bourbon? Here are three more bourbon cocktail recipes for the home bar.
How to make a Mojito at home (the easy way).
3. Mojito
The Mojito is a very popular and refreshing cocktail. It's rum based with a fresh flavor profile. Plus, I find them fun to make and muddling the fresh mint is always a nice touch that guests like to see. It gives you an opportunity to flex your bartending skills at home.
How to make a Mojito
2 oz white rum
10 or more fresh mint leaves (approx. five to eight for the drink and a sprig for garnish)
1 oz fresh lime juice
2 lime wedges
1 oz simple syrup
club soda to splash on top
Garnish with a slice of lime or lime wheel.
A Mojito has been traditionally served in a highball/Collins glass, but you can (and should) buck that trend when making this home version. Feel free to use a short glass with a wider bottom (rock glass, lowball glass)
More on how to make a Mojito.
Negroni cocktail.
4. Negroni
The Negroni has been enjoying a long run of popularity, making it a great choice to offer at your home bar. Plus, it's a very simple cocktail to make.
How to Make a Negroni
1 oz gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth
For the easiest approach, simply combine these three ingredients in a rocks glass with ice.
Garnish with an orange twist.
If you want to follow the traditional (extra step) approach, see the full recipe on how to make a Negroni.
Classic Margarita.
5. Margarita
The Margarita is a classic and is offered in many flavors beyond the classic original lime. The Margarita typically has its ingredients shaken over ice in a shaker and then strained into a glass half-filled with ice.
How to Make a Margarita
2 oz tequila blanco
1/2 oz triple sec (or alternate orange liqueur)
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz agave syrup (or simple syrup)
Garnish with a lime wheel. Optional: rub the rim of glass with a lime wedge and salt the rim (dip it in salt) for an extra touch of saline and traditional serving style.
More on how to make a Margarita.
Daiquiri.
6. Daiquiri
Like the Margarita, the Daiquiri is another light tasting and popular cocktail that's refreshing and generally liked by all. It's rum based as opposed to tequila, which may the differentiator for some guests.
How to Make a Daiquiri
2 oz white rum
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
The Daiquiri is shaken over ice and then strained into a rocks glass with ice cubes.
Garnish with a lime wedge or twist.
More on how to make a Daiquiri.
The Manhattan.
7. Manhattan
The Manhattan is a true classic cocktail that has stood the test of time. It's a great option for any guests who like rye whiskey and might want to try something a little more adventurous than a rye and coke or rye and ginger.
How to Make a Manhattan
2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes angostura bitters
Traditional garnish is a maraschino cherry. Those are not popular with our crowd, so I opt for a cranberry instead. Garnish is one area where you can have some fun and add a touch of unique flair to a cocktail without affecting the flavor profile in the glass.
You will often see Manhattan's shaken with ice and then strained into a glass, however, it's not uncommon to see them made on the rocks in a lowball glass. This is how I prefer to serve them.
More on how to make a Manhattan.
The Caesar.
8. Bloody Caesar
Here in Canada, the Caesar still reigns supreme as a very popular cocktail (the "Bloody" is often dropped from the name — we just call it a Caesar). Think of the Caesar as the spicier and more flavorful cousin of the Bloody Mary. The Caesar also has a reputation of being the ultimate hair-of-the-dog cocktail.
How to Make a Caesar
1-1/2 oz vodka
4 oz Clamato Juice
2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 dashes of Tabasco (to taste)
a dash of salt
a dash of pepper
Celery salt (for rimming the glass)
One of the unique things about a Caesar is to rim the highball glass with celery salt. That is an important part of the overall flavor profile. The Caesar is typically garnished with a cherry tomato, celery stalk and occasionally a lemon or lime wedge.
More detail about how to make a Bloody Caesar.
Cosmopolitan cocktail.
9. Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan (or simply just a Cosmo) is popular enough to deserve a spot on your top 10 list of home bar cocktails.
It's a pretty pink cocktail that you shake with ice and serve in a martini glass. It looks great and people usually love it if they like a tart and refreshing drink.
How to Make a Cosmopolitan
1-1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz triple sec
3/4 oz lime juice (fresh squeezed)
3/4 oz cranberry juice
Garnish with a lime twist and serve in a chilled glass.
More about how to make a Cosmopolitan.
The classic Martini.
10. Martini
Rounding out the list is the classic Martini. There are so many ways to make a Martini that one could get lost in this cocktail alone (and many have). In fact, try my recipe for homemade Chocolate Vodka and you can take your Martini to a whole new level.
But first things first, focus on making the classic original Martini.
How to Make a Dry Martini
2-1/2 oz London Dry Gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
Garnish with a green olive
The Vodka Martini also became popular when vodka stormed on the scene in the U.S. To make a Vodka Martini, substitute vodka for the gin.
More about how to make a Martini.
A Few Notes About this List
This list does not include basic popular mixed highballs like rum and coke, gin and tonic and so on. Of course you should always have the basic cans of soda on hand to mix up these drinks at any time.
I have also avoided popular drinks that include champagne or sparkling wine as an ingredient (Mimosa and other champagne cocktails), as you may not want to pop a bottle of sparkling just for one drink. Again, this is a starting point so have some fun and adapt the top 10 cocktail recipes list for your own home bar.
Also, you may want to add any special signature or unique cocktails to the list to reflect the theme and style of your home bar.
By Mike Belobradic
Wine, Spirits and Beer Virtuoso
Grand One Lounge