Picture this: You just got off work after a long day of circling back and touching base. You want to kick back with some friends and some drinks. You walk into your favorite neighborhood watering hole, and the bartender asks what you want. Let’s get real. You always order the same thing, don’t you? I’m not judging. I always ask for a dirty vodka martini, no matter where I am. But recently, a server at a craft-cocktail spot rolled their eyes at me in response—and I get it. It might be time to ask for something new.
“I don’t think people should be scared to order any cocktail,” says Robert Lam-Burns, bar manager at LenLen, a retro-themed Thai spot in Gramercy, Manhattan. “The bartender should be scared if he doesn’t know how to make it.”
“Normally, if people don’t know what kind of drink they like, I ask, ‘Do you like something refreshing or bright or sour?’” says Rob Scott, beverage director at Almanac in Philadelphia, a Japanese-American fusion bar. “Do you want a drink you can crush, or do you want a drink you can sit and chat over for a while? Through the process of elimination, we can narrow down to your perfect drink.”
If you need a little extra help deciding what to order, we’ve rounded up a list of the best drinks to order at the bar in 2026. You’re likely familiar with some of these options, like the espresso martini or the tried-and-true Negroni. Others might be new to you. But we promise that no matter what your spirit of choice is, there’s a drink you’ll enjoy. And in case you’re the hands-on type, we’ve included recipes for each cocktail. (By the way, need a new drinking spot? Check out our recs for the best bars in America.)
—Recipes by Sarah Rense
Espresso Martini
This coffee-and-vodka cocktail is a viral sensation and surprisingly simple to make. “We add cardamom to the one we make at LenLen. Use the coffee to enhance the flavor and texture of this cocktail,” Lam-Burns says.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Grey Goose vodka
- 1/2 oz Mr Black coffee liqueur
- 3/4 oz simple syrup
- 1 1/2 oz fresh espresso
Directions
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with two or three coffee beans.
Daiquiri
A citrusy marriage of rum and lime in the Caribbean gave us the simple yet satisfying daiquiri. “To me it’s the perfect drink,” says Scott. “It’s a drink where the output is greater than the sum of the parts. It’s refreshing, simple, and easy to drink.”
Ingredients
• 2 oz white rum
• 1/2 tsp superfine sugar
• 1/2 oz lime juice
Directions
Squeeze lime into a shaker, stir in sugar, then add rum. Shake well with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Margarita
“Whoever made the margarita was onto some deep magic with this flavor combo,” says Scott. “The combo of tequila, orange, lime, and sweetener, it works no matter the ratios. This mixture of flavors always balances out any maladjustments that might have been made.”
Ingredients
• 2 oz silver tequila
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz lime juice
• Coarse salt for the rim
Directions
Rub the rim of a chilled cocktail glass with lime juice and dip in coarse salt. Shake tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and ice in a mixing glass, then strain into the salted glass over ice.
Gimlet
Rose’s lime cordial is perfectly balanced by herbaceous dry gin in this tart, impossible-to-screw-up British cocktail.
Ingredients
• 2 oz London dry gin
• 2/3 oz Rose’s lime juice
Directions
Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime.
Negroni
The Negroni is the epitome of refined summer drinking: sweet and bitter and invigorating. “A Negroni is a straightforward drink,” says Scott. “It’s three ingredients, so even if you fudge it a little bit it’s still good.”
Ingredients
• 1 oz London dry gin
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz vermouth rosso
Directions
Add the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker. Stir well with cracked ice. Strain into a glass over cubed ice, then garnish with a twist of orange peel.
Dirty Martini
Nothing hits the spot quite like a bold, briny martini. Pro tip: Ask your bartender to make it “filthy” (meaning with lots of extra olive juice).
Ingredients
• 2 oz gin
• 1/4 oz extra-dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz olive juice
Directions
Combine the gin, vermouth, and olive juice in a mixing tin with ice. Stir well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with as many olives as you’d like.
Amaretto Sour
Amaretto liqueur is bitter but not that bitter. It’s boozy but not that boozy. And it’s sweet but not that sweet. Italian in origin, the almond liqueur is easy to sip by itself. But add some citrus and sugar and it becomes a sweet amaretto sour.
Ingredients
2 oz amaretto liqueur1 oz simple syrup3/4 oz fresh lemon juice1 orange slice1 Luxardo cherry
Directions
Combine amaretto, simple syrup, and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake for at least 10 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.
Rosita
This complex cocktail with Mexican, Italian, and Trinidadian influences is perfect for summer.
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 oz tequila reposado
• 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz Campari
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
Directions
Stir ingredients with cracked ice in a mixing tin until chilled. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over cubed ice. Garnish with a citrus twist.
Gold Rush
Pro tip: Choose a bourbon you’re fond of, since those flavors will truly shine in this simple, straightforward cocktail.
Ingredients
• 2 oz bourbon
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• 3/4 oz honey
Directions
Combine the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Gin Rickey
If you love an herbaceous cocktail, cool down with a simple gin rickey this summer. It’s only three ingredients, and they combine beautifully for a refreshing drink.
Ingredients
• 2 oz gin
• 1/2 fresh lime
• 6 oz club soda (to top off)
Directions
Squeeze the juice from half a lime into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Drop the lime rind in the glass. Pour in the gin, then fill the rest of the glass with club soda. Stir.
Tequila Sunrise
This might earn you an eye roll from your bartender or drinking companions. But that’s their problem—you’ll just be enjoying your elevated tequila plus OJ.
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 oz tequila
• 3 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp grenadine
Directions
Shake tequila and orange juice well with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add grenadine and stir gently, for no longer than is necessary to produce layers of oranges and reds. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Vesper
No one can accuse this drink of being understated. Channel your inner James Bond and order this the next time you’re out.
Ingredients
• 3 oz London dry gin
• 1 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
Directions
Stir ingredients briskly with ice in a mixing tin until very cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a large, thin-cut lemon peel.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
When you’re craving a tequila drink that’s more than a mere margarita, consider the Paloma. For a smokier flavor, swap out tequila for mezcal.
Ingredients
• 2 oz tequila reposado
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• Pinch of salt
• Grapefruit soda
Directions
Combine the tequila, lime juice, and salt in a tall glass. Add ice, top off with grapefruit soda, and stir.
French 75
It looks like bubbly effervescence, but looks deceive. The French 75, with gin and Champagne, packs a wallop, made all the more dangerous by how delightful it is to drink.
Ingredients
• 2 oz London dry gin
• 1 tsp superfine sugar
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 5 oz brut Champagne
Directions
Shake gin, sugar, and lemon juice well with cracked ice in a chilled cocktail shaker. Strain into a Collins glass half full of cracked ice. Top off with Champagne.
Moscow Mule
This cocktail is crisp and cooling and good for any season. Plus, it (usually) comes in a copper mug, which is neat.
Ingredients
• 2 oz vodka
• 4-6 oz ginger beer
• 1/2 oz lime juice
Directions
Squeeze lime juice into a Moscow mule mug, and drop in the spent lime rind. Add 2-3 ice cubes and vodka, then fill with ginger beer.
Aperol Spritz
For daytime drinking, you really can’t beat an Aperol spritz. It’s pretty basic, but then again, that’s its charm. Just ask all the bar patrons crowding the patio around you, spritzes in hand.
Ingredients
• 2 oz Aperol
• 3 oz prosecco
• 2 oz (or a top-off) club soda
• Orange slices
Directions
Build Aperol, prosecco, and club soda in a wine glass over ice. Garnish with fresh orange slices in the glass.
Mojito
It’s difficult to imagine a combination more refreshing than rum, lime, mint, and bubbles. We have Cuba to thank, and thank heartily, for the mojito.
Ingredients
• 2 oz white rum
• 1/2 oz lime juice (squeezed fresh)
• 1 tsp superfine sugar
• 3 mint leaves
• Club soda or seltzer
Directions
In a smallish Collins glass, muddle lime juice with 1/2-1 tsp superfine sugar. Add the mint leaves, mashing them against the side of the glass, then fill two thirds of the glass with cracked ice and pour in the rum. Pitch in the squeezed-out lime rind and top off with club soda or seltzer.
Manhattan
A Manhattan is strong in all ways. The flavor is deep and unabashed, and the ABV is nothing to scoff at. It’s a cocktail stalwart and not for the faint of heart.
Ingredients
• 2 oz rye whiskey
• 1 oz Italian vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Directions
Stir ingredients well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist or maraschino cherry.
Whiskey Sour
For those nights when you want to cleanse your palate, opt for a puckery whiskey sour. Bourbon is traditional, but rye can lend it a kick.
Ingredients
• 2 oz bourbon or rye
• 2/3 oz lemon juice
• 1 tsp superfine sugar
• 1/2 egg white
Directions
Shake ingredients well with cracked ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon wedge or maraschino cherry.
Old-Fashioned
The old-fashioned is as classic as they come—the original whiskey cocktail. Even after two centuries since its invention, it’s still the most respected cocktail in the world, and not the least bit musty for its age. Rye will make it spicier than bourbon.
Ingredients
• 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
• 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 sugar cube (or 1/2 tsp loose sugar)
• Club soda
Directions
Place sugar in an old-fashioned glass. Wet it down with Angostura bitters and a splash of club soda, then muddle. Add a large ice cube and whiskey. Stir, then garnish with an orange twist.
