20 classic cocktails every home bartender should know how to make

Not only should a home bartender know how to make a classic margarita, but they should also know how to make some variations. Give your guests options. But start with perfecting a classic so you can build on that knowledge. 

As a home bartender, it’s important to know all the martini lingo. Know the difference between dry and dirty, know what ingredients constitute a legitimate martini, and know how to make a classic dirty martini that all your guests will love. 

Not everyone you serve at home is going to ask for an Old Fashioned, but it’s important that you know how to make one just to prove you know your stuff. And if you can impress the Old Fashioned crowd, you can impress just about anyone. 

If you fancy yourself a home bartender, at some point, someone is going to ask you for a Bloody Mary, and you’ve got to be ready. It’s a classic cocktail that isn’t difficult to perfect, but it does take some tinkering. 

You’ll earn your home bartender stripes if you can make a Moscow mule. And people will really be impressed if you serve your mules out of hammered copper mugs. It’s not a necessary touch, but it does add a little something extra. 

Flips aren’t ordered quite as much as they used to be, but they’re still worth learning how to make. Flips are made with eggs, and if you can master how to manipulate an egg for your cocktail, you can master just about anything related to bartending. 

People love a Manhattan. It’s one of those drinks that guests first ask for when they’re not really sure what they want, and they fall in love with it and never ask for anything else. Don’t let those people down by not knowing how to make one. 

If you know how to make a Negroni, you won’t just be pleasing all the people who actually like them. You’ll also be pleasing everyone who orders one just as a reference to the viral Negroni meme. 

A daiquiri is a good cocktail for a home bartender to know how to make for a variety of reasons. It’s great to have in the summer. It’s perfect for people who don’t drink often. And it can easily be made without alcohol to satisfy those who don’t drink and those who are underage. 

Learn how to make a sidecar simply so you can get some practice sugaring rims and adding an orange twist. Few drinks are as pretty as a sidecar, so it’s a great opportunity to work on your cocktail presentation. 

A Highball is a category of cocktails that consists of an alcoholic spirit and a non-alcoholic mixer, typically a carbonated drink. A rum and coke is just one example of a highball, so if you’ve mastered that drink, you’re well on your way to mastering other highballs. 

Lots of cocktails, including the mojito, use simple syrup. By mastering the mojito, you’ll get lots of practice using a simple syrup, and you’ll be able to use that knowledge as you experiment with other cocktails. 

Any home bartender who can make a good espresso martini is a home bartender people want to be around because it’s proof that they can make a good martini and a good cup of coffee. 

You want to prove that you can make vacation drinks? Prove that you can make a mai tai. You’ll be entrusted with the sacred job of mixing drinks in tropical locations for years to come. 

Anybody can pop a bottle of champagne and get everyone celebrating, but it takes a special, practiced, experienced bartender to mark a special occasion with a French 75. Set yourself apart from the rest by mastering this cocktail. 

If you’re a home bartender, you probably like to entertain. And if you like to entertain, chances are you’re going to host at least one event in your lifetime where it’s festive to serve a mint julep. Make sure you know how to make one. 

A gin fizz is another cocktail that involves eggs, though this time just the white. And, per its name, there’s a lot of fizz involved, too. Making a gin fizz is a good exercise in managing bubbles. 

Lots of people love a gimlet. It’s also a great cocktail to serve to someone who’s not sure what they want to drink. If you want to be a helpful bartender, learn how to make a gimlet. 

If you feel out of practice with your shaker, make a whiskey sour. You’ll get back in the rhythm of using the tool, and you’ll get to have a delicious cocktail when you’re finished. 

It’s important to know another cocktail that’s made with tequila other than a margarita. And the Paloma is one of the classiest options available when it comes to tequila-based cocktails.