10 of the Most Popular Cocktails of All Times

The world of cocktails is big and vast. There are countless popular and some less-popular cocktails out there. Here are 10 of the most popular cocktails in the world. Everyone who loves cocktails should definitely own these recipes.

Bloody Mary

There are many beautiful stories about the origin of the Bloody Mary. What is very probable is that it is invented at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, what is less probable is that it is named after the English queen Mary. Rumour has it that is named after a beautiful waitress working at Harry's Bar, called Mary and we stick to that story. The perfect brunch cocktail with vodka, tomato juice and lemon juice that you can spice up with some tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and salt & pepper if you like.

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Long Island Iced Tea

According to popular belief, this cocktail was first served during prohibition times in America, the name suggesting its resemblance to iced tea. It is a legendary cocktail due to the combination of many spirits, such as triple sec and vodka. Even though only a small amount of each spirit is used. When made properly it is a refreshing, balanced cocktail with a dash of coke and a little kick.

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Pornstar Martini

The legendary bartender Douglas Ankrah invented this vodka cocktail behind the bar at The Townhouse Bar in Knightsbridge, London. The Pornstar Martini is a real crowd-pleaser: very few people will be turned off by its vanilla and passion fruit flavours. A good Pornstar Martini starts with a deliciously fresh scoop of half a passion fruit and a shot of sparkling wine, followed by a fruity, fresh and sweet balance of passion fruit, vanilla and lime.

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Margarita

Cocktail historian David Wondrich mentions that the Margarita became popular during the prohibition in the 1920s when Americans crossed the border into Mexico to get alcohol. It falls in the category of "Sour" cocktails. Meaning that it contains some sweet & citric elements. The Margarita as we know it today contains Tequila, Triple Sec liqueur, sugar & lime juice. Our version is of the blue kind and has extra hints of aromatic oranges.

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Mai Tai

'Mai tai-roa aé!!' Apparently, this is what friends called out when Trader Vic, the inventor of this cocktail, first served this drink. Mai tai-roa aé means 'out of this world' in Tahitian and the name stuck. This Tiki cocktail was first created in the '40s and is a beautiful example of a punch style drink. Traditionally it calls for 2 styles of rum, balanced with orange Curaçao liqueur, fresh lime juice, and the subtle nutty flavour of orgeat, an almond syrup. We like to add a little bit more complexity to our Mai Tai by using Bols Barrel Aged Genever instead of rum.

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Amaretto Sour

This cocktail was at its peak of popularity during the '80s, the so-called 'disco drinks' era. It features the almond flavoured amaretto liqueur, which is the star of the show in this cocktail! Origins and creator of this cocktail are unknown and the drink remains extremely popular to this day. The sweet, gentle almond flavour of the amaretto liqueur is beautifully balanced with the sharpness of lemon juice and often a little egg white is used to provide a gorgeous silky texture to this cocktail.

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Espresso Martini

It was created by Dick Bradsell in 1983 at the Soho brasserie in London. The story goes that a young supermodel asked for a drink to 'wake me up and f*ck me up'. It’s the delicious combination of coffee liqueur, vodka, a cold espresso and sugar syrup that makes this cocktail the perfect after-dinner drink with a good caffeine kick.

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Negroni

The Negroni is so popular, it has its own "Negroni Week". Said to have been made first in Florence, Italy. The story goes that Count Camillo Negroni ordered his favorite cocktail, the Americano, but he wanted it to be spiked. So, the bartender substituted the soda water with gin. He garnished it with orange and the rest is history. The Negroni is made with equal parts of gin, sweet vermouth & an amaro bitter like Galliano l' Aperitivo or Campari.

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Daiquiri

Said to have been invented by an American mining engineer who was stationed in Cuba during the Spanish-American war. He named his drink after a beach in Cuba. The Daiquiri is a simple, yet great drink with only three ingredients. Rum, lime & sugar. There are many variants where even the famous writer Ernest Hemingway had his own variation with hints of grapefruit.

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Cosmopolitan

The link between movies/television series and cocktails can't be denied. The cosmopolitan might be one of the best examples of that. We all know the cosmopolitan to be the favourite drink of Carry Bradshaw, the lead character of the very popular 90's show Sex and the City. This beautiful drink containing vodka, triple sec, lime- and cranberry juice is easy to make