Classic cocktails are going strong after a century for good reasons. Easy to craft, they typically have just a few ingredients and don’t require bar tools beyond a jigger, shaker and bar spoon. Most important, timeless tipples are super easy to sip.
Discover a dozen classic cocktails that pre-date prohibition and yet are as fresh as ever.
1. Whiskey Sour
The Whiskey Sour ranks as one of the most popular drinks in the world. It’s a pleasure to drink and a breeze to craft at home. Follow our Whiskey Sour recipe and join the happy crowd of Whiskey Sour fans.
Get the Recipe: Whiskey Sour
2. Manhatttan
Crafting a Manhattan at home is both easy and rewarding. Follow our recipe and craft the classic cocktail at home in just five minutes. You’ll feel like you’re at your favorite bar at 1am but without the drama.
Get the Recipe: Manhattan
3. Negroni
Follow our classic Negroni recipe and learn how to make the sophisticated Italian cocktail with just five ingredients including ice. Unique for its deep red color and acerbic flavor, a Campari Negroni packs a punch with equal parts of bitter Campari, dry gin and sweet vermouth.
Get the Recipe: Negroni
4. Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is one of the most classic of classic cocktails. Follow our easy recipe to craft an the iconic bourbon cocktail at home in just five minutes.
Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned
5. Gin Sour
The Gin Sour tickles the tongue with clean flavors that are simultaneously sweet and sour. The classic gin cocktail is also super easy to craft at home in just a few minutes.
Get the Recipe: Gin Sour
6. Sazerac
The Sazerac may be one of the oldest cocktails in America but the classic New Orleans drink is as relevant today as ever. Follow our Sazerac cocktail recipe and craft the sophisticated sipper at home.
Get the Recipe: Sazerac
7. Boulevardier
A Boulevardier cocktail is a Negroni crafted with bourbon instead of gin. Follow our easy recipe and craft a the fantastic French cocktail at home in just five minutes.
Get the Recipe: Boulevardier
8. Daiquiri
Leave any preconceptions about the Daiquiri behind when you follow our easy Daiquiri recipe. The classic rum cocktail is a sophisticated summer sipper made with just three ingredients that you probably already have at home.
Get the Recipe: Daiquiri
9. Tom Collins
Simultaneously sweet and tart, the Tom Collins cocktail is a delightful drink that tastes like spiked lemonade. It’s also super simple to craft at home with just a few ingredients.
Get the Recipe: Tom Collins
10. Bee’s Knees
The Bee’s Knees is the cat’s meow when it comes to classic cocktails. The three-ingredient gin lemon cocktail is both sophisticated to sip and super easy to craft at home.
Get the Recipe: Bee’s Knees
11. Brooklyn
Brooklyn isn’t just the most populated borough in New York City. It’s also a pre-prohibition cocktail that sips like a dream. When you follow our easy Brooklyn cocktail recipe, you’ll forget about the other four boroughs before you get to the bottom of the glass.
Get the Recipe: Brooklyn
12. Martinez
You probably aren’t familiar with the Martinez unless you’re either a cocktail connoisseur or a history buff. But once you try this classic gin drink, you’ll surely be a fan. Follow our easy Martinez cocktail recipe and craft one at home in just five minutes.
Get the Recipe: Martinez
Read Next: Pre-Prohibition Cocktails
America’s Prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933 was a bleak time for cocktail connoiseurs. However, the preceding years were filled with so many classic libations that the era is fondly referred to as the golden age of cocktails.
More Cocktail Collections
Treat your tastebuds to more cocktails using these tried and true step-by-step recipes with photos.
About the Authors
Daryl and Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world.