Cocktail Families
Every cocktail belongs to a family — a template of flavors. Learn the formula, and you can invent your own.
Flip
→Spirit + Sweetener + Whole Egg
Ratio: 2:0.75:1 egg
Rich, dessert-like cocktails featuring a whole egg shaken with spirit and sweetener. Creates a velvety, custard-like texture.
1690s · Colonial America
Highball
→Spirit + Carbonated Mixer
Ratio: 1:2 to 1:3
The simplest cocktail form: spirit lengthened with a carbonated mixer, served tall over ice. Refreshing, low-effort, and endlessly versatile.
1890s · United States / United Kingdom
Julep
→Spirit + Sugar + Mint + Crushed Ice
Ratio: 2:0.5:8-10 leaves
Spirit, sugar, and fresh mint served over crushed ice. The Julep is one of the oldest American cocktail forms, predating the word 'cocktail' itself.
1800s · American South
Martini
→Spirit + Vermouth
Ratio: 2:1 to 5:1
Spirit-forward cocktails featuring a base spirit and aromatized wine (vermouth), stirred and strained. The epitome of elegant simplicity.
1880s · United States
Negroni
→Spirit + Sweet Vermouth + Bitter Liqueur
Ratio: 1:1:1
Equal-parts cocktails built on the bitter-sweet interplay of spirit, sweet vermouth, and a bitter liqueur. The gold standard of balanced bitterness.
1919 · Florence, Italy
Old Fashioned
→Spirit + Sugar + Bitters
Ratio: 2:0.25:2 dashes
The original cocktail template: spirit, sugar, bitters, and water. The simplest expression of a mixed drink, designed to enhance the base spirit rather than mask …
1800s · United States
Punch
→Spirit + Citrus + Sugar + Water + Spice
Ratio: 1:2:3:4:spice
The ancestor of all cocktails: large-format communal drinks combining spirit, citrus, sugar, water, and spice. Punch predates the individual cocktail by over a century.
1600s · India / British Navy
Sour
→Spirit + Citrus + Sweetener
Ratio: 2:1:0.75
The foundational cocktail family built on the balance of spirit, citrus, and sweetener. Every sour follows the same template: a base spirit shaken with fresh …
1860s · United States
Spritz
→Sparkling Wine + Bitter Liqueur + Soda
Ratio: 3:2:1
Low-ABV aperitif cocktails combining sparkling wine or soda with a bitter or sweet liqueur. Designed for leisurely daytime drinking.
1800s · Veneto, Italy
Tiki
→Rum(s) + Citrus + Syrups + Modifiers
Ratio: Varies (complex)
Complex, rum-based tropical cocktails featuring multiple juices, syrups, and spirits. Known for elaborate garnishes and exotic presentation.
1930s-1960s · Hollywood, California