Classic Cocktails Archives - A Beautiful Mess

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe

Emma Chapman — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

We love the classic 1990s Cosmopolitan Cocktail. The Cosmo is made with vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice and fresh lime juice. This fun, pink drink became famous from HBO’s Sex and the City. The Cosmo is tart, fresh and not too sweet. It’s the perfect drink to serve at dinner parties and girls’ nights.

History of in the Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe

The modern day Cosmo is a variation of the 1930s cocktail called Cosmopolitan 1934 which was made using gin, Cointreau, lemon juice and raspberry syrup.

According to Gary Regan, the Cosmopolitan as we know it today was first mixed in 1985 by Miami bartender, Cheryl Cook. At the time Cook was working at a South Beach bar called The Strand. She created the Cosmopolitan as a variation of the Kamikaze with an added splash of cranberry juice.

Others believe the Cosmo was invented by Dale DeGroff at New York City’s Rainbow Room. Still other’s say it was first mixed by bartender Toby Cecchini in the late 1980s. Cecchini mixed his cosmo with Absolut Citron vodka, a citrus flavored vodka along with cranberry juice, orange liqueur and lime juice.

The drink became staple for New York City sophistication thanks to Sex and the City‘s Carrie Bradshaw in the 1990s. It has remained extremely popular ever since.

Ingredients in the Classic Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Vodka Choose unflavored or citrus flavored vodka.
Orange Liqueur Such as Cointreau, Triple Sec or Grand Marnier.
Cranberry Juice Cranberry Juice Cocktail (not 100% cranberry juice)
Lime Juice freshly squeezed.
Orange Peel (optional) for garnish

You can use any brand of vodka you prefer for this cocktail. We recommend a top shelf vodka such as Grey Goose.

How to make a Cosmopolitan

In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice and lime juice.

Shake until the shaker feels very cold in your hands or 10-15 seconds.

Strain into a martini glass or coupe glass and garnish with an orange peel.

Orange Twist Garnish

And here’s how I make those little orange spirals. You can buy a fancy peeler or a potato peeler to scrape off a large piece of orange peel, and then simply use my kitchen shears to cut strips and curl them.

Tips for Making

Chilled Cocktail Glass A chilled cocktail glass elevates any cocktail. Place your glass in the freezer for 30 minutes to 2 hours before you serve your drink.
Simple Syrup If this recipe is too stiff for you try adding half an ounce to one ounce of simple syrup before shaking.
White Cosmo A popular variation of the cosmo is the White Cosmo. Swap St-Germain in place of orange liqueur to try make your own.

More Cranberry Drinks

More Classic Cocktails

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Cosmopolitan made of?

Dirty Martini

Laura Gummerman — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

There are few drinks more classic than a dirty martini. The simple combination of gin (or vodka!), dry vermouth, and olive brine packs a punch that’s been adorning cocktail tables for decades. And of course, don’t forget the olive garnish!

Whether you use vodka or gin, this easy to make drink is a top choice for the savory cocktail lover and we’ve got a video to show you exactly how to do it.

Do you use gin or vodka for a dirty martini?

While gin is more commonly used for a dirty martini, it’s up to your personal preference to use vodka or gin as your base. The more subtle flavors of a vodka-based version allows the olive brine to rise to the front over the gin’s stronger botanical flavor.

What makes a dirty martini dirty?

The difference between a regular martini and a dirty one is that the dirty version has olive brine from a jar of olives added to the drink for an extra punch and usually a skewer of cocktail olives for a garnish. You can even up the amount of brine to go from a dirty martini to an “extra dirty” or “filthy” version.

Ingredients

Gin: Try out different gins to find your favorite for a dirty martini, some enjoy less juniper forward choices like Hendrick’s or Aviation over heavier flavors like Beefeater or Tanqueray.
Dry Vermouth: You’ll want to choose a dry vermouth for a dirty martini. Just a splash of it adds a note of tartness to help balance out the gin or vodka taste.
Olive Brine: The brine adds salt to the cocktail which enhances the flavors of the vermouth and the natural oils from the olives add a buttery mouth feel to the drink.
Cocktail Olives: What’s a dirty martini without a garnish of cocktail olives? Add a few jumbo olives to a skewer and you’ll also have a little built in snack to nosh on while you drink.

A dirty martini is best served in a classic martini glass and you can also do a stemless version for a different look.

Directions

Add your gin (or vodka), dry vermouth, and olive brine to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Give the shaker a good shake for about 15 seconds and use a strainer to pour your drink into a chilled martini glass (if you don’t have a separate strainer you can just use the strainer top of the shaker).

Add a garnish of olives on a cocktail stick and your drink is ready to go!

Tips for Making a Dirty Martini

Make sure your glass is chilled and your martini is ice cold! This is definitely a drink where temperature affects the taste, so go the extra mile to chill the glass to keep it cold.
For extra olive flavor, you can muddle olives into the drink before straining, or add extra brine for a heavier olive taste.
To make the perfect dirty martini for you, play around with the ratios of gin or vodka and vermouth until you find the sweet spot for your taste level.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you chill a glass quickly?

Grasshopper Cocktail

Laura Gummerman — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 14:05:00 +0000

The grasshopper cocktail is a classic drink that tastes like an after-dinner mint with its delicious creamy combination of mint and chocolate. The drink’s vibrant green color (thanks to the crème de menthe) makes it perfect for a Christmas holiday party or St. Patrick’s Day, but it can really be enjoyed any time of year.

The grasshopper drink is easy to make, so you can get your party cocktails together in a snap. Most recipes call for an equal parts crème de menthe and crème de cacao and you can play around with the cream proportion if you like to find the right balance for your taste. Try a pink squirrel for a cherry version of this drink!

Cocktail Ideas: Classic Mojito Recipe, White Russian, Peppermint White Russian, Classic Gimlet Cocktail, 50+ Fun Cocktails to Make at Home

What does a grasshopper cocktail taste like?

With its combination of mint, chocolate, and heavy cream, this after-dinner drink tastes like an Andes mint in liquid form. It’s basically a dessert you can drink as it has the flavor of melted mint chocolate chip ice cream.

What’s the origin of the grasshopper drink?

While the origin of the grasshopper cocktail recipe is unclear, the most popular story says that Philibert Guichet, owner of the New Orleans eatery Tujague’s, created the drink for a 1918 New York city cocktail competition (which won him second place). There is a mention of a drink from a 1907 cocktail book that layers crème de menthe and crème de cacao, so Prohibition caused the drink to fall out of fashion for a while but by the ’70s the drink was widely popular again.

Ingredients for a Grasshopper Cocktail:

Crème de menthe: The vibrant green crème de menthe is what gives this cocktail its amazing color and mint flavors.

Crème de cacao: This white liqueur brings the chocolate note to the drink with its buttery mouthfeel and sweet cacao profile.

Heavy cream: This is what gives the grasshopper its thick and creamy base and gives it that dessert-in-a-glass decadence. You can also use half-and half as a slightly less rich option.

While you can use any glass for a grasshopper, it’s traditionally served in a coupe style or martini glass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use milk for a grasshopper instead of heavy cream?

Homemade Old Fashioned Mix

Elsie Larson — Sat, 18 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000

The Old Fashioned is my favorite classic cocktail. I love ordering it when dining out, and I often make them at home. I have tried several options for Old Fashioned Mix (also called Old Fashioned Simple Syrup) and after some research, I strongly believe the most delicious mix you can use is homemade.

This recipe is simple and you can whip it up and enjoy it for weeks (or even months) in your fridge. Having this mix on hand makes mixing a cocktail faster and less messy. All you have to do is mix it with your spirit, shake, and pour over ice.

Related: If you’re already making some homemade syrups, why not try our Homemade Margarita Mix, Homemade Sour Mix, Classic Old Fashioned and Simple Syrup, and Mint Simple Syrup recipes while you are at it?!

Old Fashioned Mix Ingredients

granulated white sugar
water
freshly squeezed clementine juice
maraschino cherries
cinnamon stick
aromatic and orange bitters

How to Make Old Fashioned Simple Syrup

In a sauce pan, combine 3 cups sugar, 2 cups water, and 1 cup freshly squeezed clementine juice. I used 5 clementines and a citrus juice hand press to juice them.

Next, add 5 maraschino cherries cut into halves and stems removed. Add one cinnamon stick. Let the mixture simmer on medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved into the water.

Next, remove the mixture from the heat and let it sit to cool and for the flavors to steep for one hour.

After the ingredients have steeped for one hour, add aromatic and orange bitters. I used about 50 drops of each bottle, or you can measure out 1/2 tablespoon of each bitter type.

Use a fine mesh strainer and a funnel to decant your syrup into a glass bottle. I used this bottle set for mine.

As a finishing touch, you can use rubber stamps to create a label like I did. This is especially useful if you are getting ready for a party where guests will serve themselves, or if you are making more than one type of syrup.

Tips for Mixing an Old Fashioned

To mix an Old Fashioned using this recipe, combine 2 ounces high quality bourbon and 1 ounce of mix. Stir and pour over a large ice cube to serve in a whiskey glass.
Garnish your drink with an orange wedge and a maraschino cherry.
If you are in the market for glassware that works great for an old fashioned, these glasses are great for whiskey cocktails.

An Old Fashioned Pairs Well With

Other recipes you may like:

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an Old Fashioned taste like?

Appletini

Emma Chapman — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

An Appletini, or an Apple Martini, is made with only four ingredients and is easy to make and certainly far too easy to drink. It’s a dessert martini that leans toward the sweet side. In this post, I’ll share my Appletini recipe along with ways to change it up to suit your taste.

While I usually make this recipe with vodka, you could swap it for gin for a slightly more floral, and more classic martini variation. You could also choose to add a little cinnamon and sugar to the rim to up the dessert martini vibes.

Ingredients

Vodka – Choose a quality vodka such as Ketel One, Tito’s or Grey Goose.
Apple Juice – The apple flavor in this recipe comes from both apple juice and the schnapps liqueur.
Sour Apple Schnapps – This is where the sour apple flavor comes in as well as the green color. They also make Apple Schnapps in red if you prefer that.
Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed.
Optional Garnish – We like to use a slice of Granny Smith apple as an optional garnish.

You’ll see in the photo below I used a sparkling apple juice for the Appletinis pictured here, but this is not necessary. Any apple juice will work.

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients. Then add ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker feels very cold against your hand.

Stain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a Granny Smith apple slice.

Tips & Substitutions

You could use gin instead of vodka if you prefer.
Any kind of apple juice works fine. You could also use an apple cider for this recipe.
Store clean martini glasses in your freezer and you’ll always have a chilled glass ready for when you need it.
If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, a mason jar with a lid will also work. Simply strain through a cocktail strainer to keep the ice from getting into your chilled drink.

History of the Appletini

This drink was created on the Fourth of July in West Hollywood at a bar called Lola’s. The owner, Loren “Lola” Dunsworth, was approached by reps from Ketel One vodka to create a signature martini. She noticed an unused bottle of apple schnapps and asked bartender Adam Karsten to mix up a drink.

In pop culture, the Appletini was the drink Zach Braff’s character ordered on Scrubs. It was also the drink of choice for Mark Zuckerberg and Sean Parker’s meeting in The Social Network movie. Why not enjoy a delicious Appletini?

More Apple Recipes You’ll Love:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is schnapps?

Amaretto Sour

Emma Chapman — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:59:00 +0000

The next time you’re looking for an easy-to-make, not-too-boozy dessert cocktail, might I recommend an Amaretto Sour. There are two basic ways to make this classic cocktail; one is simple with only three ingredients and the other is more modern with egg-white added into the mix. Either way I know you will love these amaretto sour recipes as much as I do!

If you’ve never had an amaretto sour before here’s what you can expect. Amaretto is an Italian liqueur that tastes like almond and an. This drink is on the sweeter side but still balanced and not too boozy. It’s bright and refreshing flavor makes it the perfect summer drink, but you can enjoy it year round.

Amaretto Sour Ingredients
Amaretto Sour Variations
More Cocktails to Try
Modern Amaretto Sour – with Egg White
Modern Amaretto Sour Ingredients

Amaretto Sour Ingredients

Amaretto liqueur
Simple syrup
Lemon juice
Cherries and orange for garnish

Depending on what you have available in your pantry you can swap the simple syrup and the lemon juice for homemade sour mix.

Amaretto Sour Variations

This is a super popular drink with all kinds of fun additions/customizations you can make. Here are a few ideas:

Use a fruit infused syrup like orange simple syrup to enhance the fresh flavor of the drink.
Add an additional alcohol flavor like bourbon or whiskey.
Use Sprite or another lemon-lime flavored carbonated drink, or even plain club soda to top off the cocktail and add a little fizz. If using Sprite add it right before serving so that the soda doesn’t go flat.

More Cocktails to Try

Modern Amaretto Sour – with Egg White

While the original amaretto sour was introduced to the mid 1970s it was updated in 2021 by bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler with the addition of bourbon and egg white to create a more boozy, rich cocktail.

Cocktails made with egg whites typically have a foamy top. It’s a staple of many vintage cocktails. And while it’s never fully safe to consume raw eggs, it has become a staple of many trendy cocktail menus.

Modern Amaretto Sour Ingredients

Amaretto liqueur
Bourbon – cast-strength is recommended
Lemon juice
Simple syrup
Egg white

One egg white is roughly one ounce of liquid. You only need half an ounce for one serving so it’s best to make this version two at a time—perfect for a party!

Amaretto Sours; they are fun, they are sweet, they are delicious. Cheers!

Amaretto Sours – Classic & Modern

how to make an amaretto sour at home

Course Drinks

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword amaretto sour, cocktails

Prep Time 4

Cook Time 1

Total Time 5

Servings drink

Calories 257kcal

Equipment

1 cocktail shaker

Ingredients

2 ounces Amaretto liqueur
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce lemon juice about half a lemon
1-2 cherries and an orange wedge for garnish

Modern Version

1 ½ ounces Amaretto liqueur
1 ounce bourbon
1 ounce lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
½ egg white

Instructions

To a cocktail shaker add ice and all ingredients except the garnish.
Shake until the outside of the shaker becomes very cold in your hand.
Strain into a coup or over ice in a rocks glass.
Garnish with a cherry (or two) and a orange wedge.

Notes

If you prefer, make your own homemade sour mix and substitute for the lemon juice and simple syrup.

For the modern version it’s best to dry shake the ingredients (without ice) for 10-15 seconds before adding ice and then shaking in a cocktail shaker until cold. This helps incorporate the egg white better and create that foamy top.

Egg whites are roughly 1 ounce each, so you only need half an egg white to make a single serving of the modern version of Amaretto sour. This makes it a great cocktail to shake up two at a time—great for a party!

Nutrition

Homemade Margarita Mix

Elsie Larson — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Today, I’m excited to share my recipe for homemade margarita mix. It’s insanely easy to make (with only two ingredients, plus water!).

The difference between homemade margarita mix and something you buy at the store is kind of insane, though. Sometimes the store-bought mixes can be syrupy and gross. Homemade tastes SO much fresher.

Totally worth the effort! Here’s the quick little video I made showing exactly how to make your own margarita mix and margarita.

Homemade Margarita Mix Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 10 limes)

Squeeze the lime juice into a bowl or measuring cup. I love this handy tool for juicing lemons and limes.

Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let the mixture cool a bit before adding in the lime juice. Mix together and pour into a glass carafe or mason jar.

Refrigerate the mix for up to two weeks.

How to Make a Homemade Margarita:

Ingredients:
1 shot tequila
1/2 shot Triple Sec
homemade margarita mix
ice

Add 1 shot of tequila and half a shot of triple sec to a margarita glass (or these cactus glasses!). Add the ice and fill the rest of the glass with homemade margarita mix.

It’s super simple! Don’t forget to salt your rim and try a lime-flavored salt if you’d like.

This homemade margarita mix is perfect for parties. You can easily tweak the proportions to make a large or small batch depending on how many you’ll be serving!

You could even use a cast iron pot like this when making a bigger batch of mix.

Can I Make Different Flavors of Margarita Mix?

Yes! You can make different variations of this recipe by using grapefruit juice, orange, or cranberry juice instead of lime juice. You can even make your own strawberry margarita mix. If you like this recipe be sure to try our homemade old fashioned cocktail mix.

So many options! Don’t be afraid to experiment.

More Margarita Recipes:

Recipes to Pair with Margaritas:

Homemade Margarita Mix

Homemade margarita mix with only 2 ingredients, plus water!

Course Drinks

Keyword margarita mix, margaritas

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Calories 554kcal

Author Elsie Larson

Ingredients

For the Mix:

½ cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh lime juice about 10 limes

For the Margarita:

1 shot tequila
½ shot Triple Sec
homemade margarita mix
ice

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the Mix:

Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let the mixture cool a bit before adding in the lime juice.
Mix together and pour into a glass carafe or mason jar for up to 2 weeks.

For the Margarita:

Add 1 shot of tequila and half a shot of triple sec to a margarita glass. Add the ice and fill the rest of the glass with homemade margarita mix.

Nutrition

Classic Cocktails

Elsie Larson — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 13:47:51 +0000

Classic Cocktails are defined as recipes that have withstood the test of time. Many of these are historic recipes, while some are from more recent decades. Classic cocktails are definitive recipes that you can order at pretty much any bar in the world. In short, these are the most world-famous cocktails.

In this post, we’ve gathered more than 50 classic cocktail recipes for you to make at home!

Piña Colada

Classic rum-based cocktail made with three ingredients: rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice.

Classic Cocktails Archives - A Beautiful Mess

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe

History of in the Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients in the Classic Cosmopolitan Cocktail

How to make a Cosmopolitan

Orange Twist Garnish

Tips for Making

More Cranberry Drinks

More Classic Cocktails

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Cosmopolitan made of?

Dirty Martini

Do you use gin or vodka for a dirty martini?

What makes a dirty martini dirty?

Ingredients

Directions

Tips for Making a Dirty Martini

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you chill a glass quickly?

Grasshopper Cocktail

Ingredients for a Grasshopper Cocktail:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use milk for a grasshopper instead of heavy cream?

Homemade Old Fashioned Mix

Old Fashioned Mix Ingredients

How to Make Old Fashioned Simple Syrup

Tips for Mixing an Old Fashioned

An Old Fashioned Pairs Well With

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an Old Fashioned taste like?

Appletini

Ingredients

Directions

Tips & Substitutions

History of the Appletini

More Apple Recipes You’ll Love:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is schnapps?

Amaretto Sour

Table of contents

Amaretto Sour Ingredients

Amaretto Sour Variations

More Cocktails to Try

Modern Amaretto Sour – with Egg White

Modern Amaretto Sour Ingredients

Amaretto Sours – Classic & Modern

Equipment

Ingredients

Modern Version

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Homemade Margarita Mix

Homemade Margarita Mix Ingredients:

How to Make a Homemade Margarita:

Can I Make Different Flavors of Margarita Mix?

More Margarita Recipes:

Recipes to Pair with Margaritas:

Homemade Margarita Mix

Ingredients

For the Mix:

For the Margarita:

Instructions

For the Mix:

For the Margarita:

Nutrition

Classic Cocktails

Piña Colada

French Martini

Tom Collins

Greyhound Drink

Lemon Drop Martini

Irish Coffee

Gin Fizz Cocktail

Caipirinha

Peach Bellini

Vodka Martini

Mint Mojito Recipe

Moscow Mule Cocktail