No. 032 · Cocktail · IBA
Alexander
Cognac, brown crème de cacao and fresh cream shaken and dusted with nutmeg.
The Bar
Cocktails
Our cocktail recipes follow the official specifications of the International Bartenders Association (IBA) wherever one exists, with quantities exactly as the IBA gives them. A handful of other classics, such as the G&T and Hot Toddy, are our own house recipes and say so.
28 entries · alcoholic drinks for adults aged 18+
By spirit: Gin · Whisky & whiskey · Vodka · Rum · Tequila · Sparkling wine · Brandy & cognac · Wine · Liqueurs · Vermouth & aperitifs · Pisco · Cachaça
No. 024 · Cocktail · IBA
Aviation
Gin, maraschino, lemon and a barspoon of crème de violette, shaken and served up.
No. 064 · Cocktail · IBA
Bee's Knees
Dry gin with honey syrup, lemon and orange juice, shaken and served up.
Photo: Will Shenton, CC BY-SA 3.0
No. 058 · Cocktail · IBA
Bramble
A gin sour over crushed ice with crème de mûre drizzled through it. Created in 1980s London.
No. 026 · Cocktail · IBA
Clover Club
Gin, raspberry syrup, lemon and a little egg white shaken to a pink, foamy sour.
Photo: Ralf Roletschek, CC BY-SA 3.0
No. 067 · Cocktail · IBA
Corpse Reviver #2
Equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and lemon with a dash of absinthe.
Photo: Farther Along, CC BY 2.0
No. 040 · Cocktail · IBA
Cosmopolitan
Citrus vodka, Cointreau, lime and cranberry shaken to a tart, pink sour.
Photo: Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 4.0
No. 016 · Cocktail · IBA
Daiquiri
White rum, fresh lime and fine sugar shaken hard: a three-ingredient sour that rewards precise measuring.
No. 057 · Cocktail · IBA
Espresso Martini
Vodka, coffee liqueur, sugar syrup and fresh espresso shaken hard for a creamy foam. Contains caffeine.
No. 042 · Cocktail · IBA
French 75
Gin, lemon and sugar syrup shaken, strained into a flute and topped with Champagne.
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/people/garyjwood/, CC BY-SA 2.0
No. 070 · Cocktail · IBA
French Martini
Vodka, raspberry liqueur and fresh pineapple juice shaken to a light foam.
No. 027 · Cocktail · IBA
Gin Fizz
Gin, lemon and sugar syrup shaken, then lengthened with a splash of soda and served without ice.
No. 068 · Cocktail · IBA
Grasshopper
White crème de cacao, green crème de menthe and cream shaken: a minty, chocolatey after-dinner drink.
Photo: TexasDex, CC BY-SA 3.0
No. 074 · Cocktail · IBA
Hemingway Special
Rum, grapefruit, maraschino and lime shaken and served in a large cocktail glass.
No. 029 · Cocktail · IBA
Last Word
Equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino and lime: herbal, sharp and intensely aromatic.
Photo: Kent Wang, CC BY-SA 2.0
No. 046 · Cocktail · IBA
Mai Tai
Two rums, orange curaçao, orgeat and fresh lime shaken and poured over ice: the tiki benchmark.
Photo: Achim Schleuning (E-Mail: comander02_de@yahoo.de), CC BY-SA 3.0 de
No. 047 · Cocktail · IBA
Margarita
100% agave tequila, triple sec and fresh lime shaken and served up, with an optional half salt rim.
Photo: Akke Monasso, CC BY-SA 3.0
No. 066 · Cocktail · IBA
Paper Plane
Equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol and lemon, shaken and served up.
No. 063 · Cocktail · IBA
Penicillin
Blended Scotch, lemon, honey and fresh ginger, with a smoky Islay whisky float.
Photo: Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
No. 053 · Cocktail · IBA
Pisco Sour
Pisco, lemon, sugar syrup and a whole egg white shaken to a thick foam, scented with bitters.
No. 022 · Cocktail · IBA
Sidecar
Cognac, triple sec and lemon shaken and served up: a dry, citrusy brandy sour.
No. 055 · Cocktail · IBA
Singapore Sling
Gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Bénédictine, pineapple, lime and grenadine shaken long.
Photo: Achim Schleuning, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
No. 014 · Cocktail
Snowball
Advocaat and fizzy lemonade in roughly equal parts, with a squeeze of lime. Advocaat contains egg.
Photo: Tobias R. – Metoc, CC BY-SA 2.5
No. 065 · Cocktail · IBA
South Side
London dry gin, lemon, sugar syrup and mint leaves shaken and double-strained.
No. 062 · Cocktail · IBA
Tommy's Margarita
Tequila, lime and agave nectar shaken and served over ice.
No. 071 · Cocktail · IBA
Vesper
Gin, vodka and Lillet Blanc shaken and served very cold with a lemon zest.
Photo: TabascoMan77, CC BY-SA 3.0
No. 021 · Cocktail · IBA
Whiskey Sour
Bourbon, lemon and sugar syrup shaken, with optional egg white for a soft foam.
Photo: Martin Asche, CC BY-SA 3.0
No. 033 · Cocktail · IBA
White Lady
Gin, triple sec and lemon juice shaken and served up: crisp, dry and citrusy.
Photo: Cocktailmarler, CC BY-SA 4.0
Guides for this shelf
- Drinking responsibly: the UK guidelines The UK Chief Medical Officers' low-risk drinking guidelines, what a unit is, alcohol and young people, and where to get help.
- Cocktail techniques: shake, stir, build and more When to shake and when to stir, plus building, muddling, double straining, layering, blending, rinsing and working with egg white.
- Ice: the most important cocktail ingredient Cubes, large blocks, cracked and crushed ice: which to use for which drink, how to make crushed ice at home, and keeping ice fresh.
- Garnishes: twists, wheels, rims and more How to cut a citrus twist and express its oils, salt and sugar rims, herbs, spices and the classic garnishes in IBA specifications.
- Home bar basics: kit, measures, syrups and bottles The essential tools, UK spirit measures, how to make sugar and honey syrups, fresh citrus, and a sensible starter set of bottles.
- Glassware: which glass for which drink Coupes, martini glasses, rocks, highballs and flutes; nonic pints, tulips and weizen glasses; Irish coffee glasses, and how to look after them.
Most-used kit
- Jigger Search Amazon.co.uk for Jigger (opens Amazon in a new tab)
- Bar spoon Search Amazon.co.uk for Bar spoon (opens Amazon in a new tab)
- Cocktail shaker Search Amazon.co.uk for Cocktail shaker (opens Amazon in a new tab)
- Hawthorne strainer Search Amazon.co.uk for Hawthorne strainer (opens Amazon in a new tab)
- Coupe glass Search Amazon.co.uk for Coupe glass (opens Amazon in a new tab)
- Highball glass Search Amazon.co.uk for Highball glass (opens Amazon in a new tab)
- Rocks (old fashioned) glass Search Amazon.co.uk for Rocks (old fashioned) glass (opens Amazon in a new tab)
- Mixing glass Search Amazon.co.uk for Mixing glass (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Amazon links search Amazon.co.uk, so you can compare options yourself. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.