Looking for the best and most popular cocktail recipes in the world? Check out the top ten alchoholic drinks ever invented plus three that are the tastiest.
This post is all about 13 of the best cocktail recipes.
For a drink recipe to make the list of 13 of the best cocktails, its creator must be associated with fame, have a best-selling cookbook, a forward written by someone like Martha Stewart, and maybe even own a 5-star restaurant or something.
What? Like that’s hard? Actually, your chances of getting accepted into Harvard are better.
The point is, not just any ole cocktail recipe can make the cut for 13 of the best alcoholic drinks ever created. You must be a foodie and drink mastermind to have your creation qualify. For the critics out there wondering about this list’s validity, rest assured these best cocktail recipes are all of top-notch quality.
So, what exactly goes into ranking one of the best cocktails? According to Diageo Bar Academy, a perfect cocktail has tension, balancing the elements of alcohol strength, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, temperature, and texture.
And let us not forget about those funny and fruity cocktail names that often border on cheesy (and raunchy).
Sex on the beach got its awful name from a Florida bartender named Ted, who was inspired by a Peach Schnapps Promotion. Ted chose to name his alcoholic concoction Sex on the beach because he assumed spring breakers only visited Florida for two reasons, sex, and the beach.
Now that you have some background into what makes the best and most popular cocktail recipes, you should be fully prepared to appreciate the list of drinks chosen. After much research, opinionated feedback, and testing (the fun part), here’s a list of 13 of the best cocktail recipes you will ever try. Some of them are classic and fruity but with a trendy new twist.
13 Of The Best Cocktail Recipes
1. A Classic Cocktail
It’s not a gin and juice recipe, but it’s AMAZING, and with Snoop Dogg at the helm and a stamp of approval from Martha Stewart, how could an alcoholic beverage go wrong?!
And, the people have spoken too because Snoop’s cookbook, From Crook to Cook, features this basic dirty cocktail, and it’s been a best-seller since 2018.
This drink recipe named, So Clean We Dirty Martini has a lot going for it. While I specified this was not a gin and juice recipe, it does include a bit of gin because a true martini always does.
Check out Snoop’s best cocktail recipe here.
2. A Fruity Punch
This next best cocktail recipe was featured in Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings cookbook and was named after her low-key food blog, So Delushious. (Yes, that spelling is correct!)
If you weren’t aware she had a food blog, (last post dated 2013) check it out, especially if you appreciate good European food and earlier pics of Chrissy and John traveling the world.
Now, back to the spiked punch! Chrissy enjoys having huge cocktail punch bowls at parties when she’s serving this particular drink.
Think of this recipe as a cross between spiked sweet tea and a long island iced tea. With fresh lemon juice, sugar, black tea, and a bottle of Smirnoff as its main ingredients, your guests should be happy.
You can find Chrissy’s fruity cocktail recipe here.
3. A Top Ten Cocktail Recipe
The old-fashioned is a classic and best cocktail recipe with history and timeless ability to withstand any new drink trend.
Developed more than 200 years ago, this cocktail calls for a bottle of your finest bourbon. And according to liquor.com, the rule of thumb is, “If you wouldn’t sip it by itself, it has no place at the helm of a Bourbon Old-Fashioned,” so save your subpar liquor for other mixed drinks.
Check out Martha Stewart’s classic Old-fashioned recipe.
4. Possibly The Best Creation
Remember that time George Clooney and Cindy Crawford’s husband, Rande Gerber, developed a Tequila called Casamigos by accident and then turned around and sold it for 1 BILLION DOLLARS? If you didn’t have the back story, that’s pretty much it in a nutshell.
And of course, when famous friends go into the liquor business together, expert cocktail consultants like Brian Van Flandern create the best cocktail recipe inspired by their friendship and liquor brand.
This best cocktail recipe, House of Friends, is a brilliant creation.
5. What Is The Most Commom Cocktail?
Margaritas are pretty common (and delicious!), but what about a skinny margarita cocktail?
Kristin Cavallari’s Skinny Fizzy Spicy margarita cocktail does just that. (BTW, it tastes delicious and delivers the perfect spicy kick.)
This cocktail featured in her cookbook, True Roots, uses Blanco Tequila as its main ingredient. Kristin says this type of tequila is the most unprocessed alcohol, leaving less of a hangover the next day.
If you’re interested in comparing skinny cocktails, here’s the queen of skinny margaritas, Bethenny Frankel’s original recipe minus the spice.
6. Easy Cocktail Recipe
This particular Aperol Spritz cocktail recipe went viral after Reese Witherspoon shared her mixologist skills on Instagram.
And none of us should have been surprised to see Witherspoon showing off her skills because she’s the author of a best-selling cookbook, Whiskey In A Teacup, which features delicious southern-style cocktails.
While Witherspoon doesn’t give the exact measurements in her IG video, here’s an EASY copycat recipe:
- 3 ounces of Prosecco
- 2 ounces of Aperol
- 1 ounce of soda water
- 1 ounce of apple cider
- Optional garnish: apple slices and cinnamon sticks
- Ice
7. Best Alcoholic Drink
This best alcoholic cocktail recipe, the Painkiller, was created in the 1970s by Daphne Henderson, who at the time was the owner of the world-famous beach bar Soggy Dollar in the British Virgin Islands. Still today, the Painkiller is the bar’s most famous drink.
Upgraded in strength (for that painkiller effect), this cocktail mirrors the popular Pina Colada but with some slight differences. For one, it’s served on the rocks instead of blended to reduce the risk of diluting the alcohol. God forbid! And secondly, it calls for a bit of orange juice.
The strength of the Painkiller cocktail depends on your pain level, which then determines how much rum is added.
Check out Daphne’s recipe for her infamous alcoholic cocktail concoction.
8. What Is The Tastiest Alcoholic Drink?
This mermaid juice cocktail with its ocean blue hues can be enjoyed by all adults who enjoy a fun and delicious drink with rock-solid alcoholic ingredients. And you can thank Jessie James Decker for this best cocktail recipe, which is featured in her best-selling cookbook, Just Feed Me: Simply Delicious Recipes From My Heart To Your Plate.
If you follow Jessie on Instagram, then you already know she’s all about enjoying life and living in the moment. With Blue Curacao, White Rum, lemonade, and ginger ale as its main ingredients, what could go wrong? NOT MUCH.
While Jessie’s cocktail recipe comes with specific measurements, she adds, “I don’t like to measure how much alcohol I put into things. I just like to fill it up till it feels right.”
You can find this Mermaid Juice Cocktail recipe here (measurements included).
9. What Is The Best Cocktail Recipe In The World?
If you’re a big movie buff, you might remember the White Russian cocktail as Jeff Bridges character, Jeffrey “the Dude” Lebowski’s main slurp of choice in The Big Lebowski film, written and directed by the Coen Brothers.
This cocktail combines cream, vodka, and a coffee liqueur such as Kahlua.
The White Russian is also Kim Kardashian’s go-to drink since she despises the taste of alcohol and “the cream makes it more palatable.” Who would have guessed Kim K and “the Dude” would have anything in common?!
Check out this worldly cocktail recipe here.
10. The Tale of A Popular Cocktail
Have you checked out Stanley Tucci’s at-home Negroni Cocktail MasterClass? Pun intended, but the IGTV video he shared is pretty enticing and makes you want to stop, drop what you’re doing, and begin pouring those ingredients into a martini shaker, ASAP.
Tucci’s Negroni recipe calls for gin (or vodka if you prefer), a good Sweet Vermouth, not the Martini brand he adds, and Campari. Tucci finishes off his version of the popular Italian cocktail with a squeeze from an orange slice.
With two successful cookbooks under his belt (The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table) and a food memoir due out soon, of course, the people are salivating over his Negroni because the man knows what he’s doing! Be sure to follow Tucci on Instagram for more drink tips.
Tucci’s Popular Negroni Cocktail Recipe:
- 2 shots of Gin (or Vodka)
- 1 shot of Sweet Vermouth
- 1 shot of Campari
- 1 orange slice
11. The Best Cosmopolitan
When you see the Barefoot Contessa in the kitchen whipping up Cosmos, you know you’re heading into something good!
After salivating over Ina Garten’s humongous cocktail tutorial, there was no question it would be added to the list of the best cocktail recipes.
Is it the quality vodka, the fresh lime juice, or the Cointreau that makes this cocktail recipe so amazing? Who knows, but it’s delicious and a must-try.
Ina Garten’s Best and Ginormous Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe:
- 1 big pitcher
- 2 cups of Vodka
- 1 cup of Cointreau, Triple Sec, or an orange liqueur (your choice).
- 1 cup of cranberry juice cocktail
- 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
- Shake it up for 30 seconds in a martini shaker.
- 1 giant martini glass
12. A Classic Moscow Mule Recipe
Giada De Laurentiis’s Moscow mule creation has made the list of the best cocktail recipes because it’s the freshest and tastiest mule ever!
This cocktail recipe requires a bit more time, but it’s totally worth it. While making homemade mint-flavored vodka and ginger simple syrup might seem like daunting tasks, Giada makes every step look simple and easy to follow.
Check out her Classic Cocktail Recipe here!
13. Flay’s Popular Bloody Mary
Bobby Flay’s Spicy Citrus Bloody Mary cocktail recipe is everything!
Not only is it super easy to make, but it combines the perfect amount of spices and citrus, which complement the tomato juice and vodka perfectly.
If the master griller approved and created this best cocktail recipe, then we can rest assured we’re in good hands while brunching.
You can follow Bobby’s easy cocktail recipe here.
Final Thoughts On 13 Best Cocktail Recipes
Now that you have the full list of the best cocktail recipes in the world, it’s time to get busy with taste testing. Leave a comment below to let me know which cocktail recipe was your favorite, and please remember to ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
P.S. If you’re looking for a margarita that’s not skinny, check out this BOMB-ASS Margarita recipe. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
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