9 Classic Cocktails You Should Know How to Make, According to Pros

Daisy

“The Daisy family is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys mixed drinks. Daisies include the Margarita, Sidecar, Champs-Élysées, and 20th Century, and are part of the greater Sour family. While both these groups contain a base, acid, and sweetener, the Daisy uses either a fruit liqueur or an herbal liqueur in place of, or in addition to, a syrup. If we expand on the original structure by removing all syrups, then adding both a fruit and herbal liqueur, and lowering the base amount, we end up with drinks like the Paper Plane, Last Word, Naked and Famous, and Corpse Reviver #2. These templates are timeless, versatile, and provide potential for endless flavor combinations. Daisies can be placed on the rocks, or up in a coup; they can be slow-sipping and intimate, or tall and crushable; and they can be complex and interesting, or straightforward and comfortable.” — Mark Mentzel, Bar Manager, The Elk Room

Daisy

“The Daisy family is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys mixed drinks. Daisies include the Margarita, Sidecar, Champs-Élysées, and 20th Century, and are part of the greater Sour family. While both these groups contain a base, acid, and sweetener, the Daisy uses either a fruit liqueur or an herbal liqueur in place of, or in addition to, a syrup. If we expand on the original structure by removing all syrups, then adding both a fruit and herbal liqueur, and lowering the base amount, we end up with drinks like the Paper Plane, Last Word, Naked and Famous, and Corpse Reviver #2. These templates are timeless, versatile, and provide potential for endless flavor combinations. Daisies can be placed on the rocks, or up in a coup; they can be slow-sipping and intimate, or tall and crushable; and they can be complex and interesting, or straightforward and comfortable.” — Mark Mentzel, Bar Manager, The Elk Room