The 7 Cocktail Families: 25 Classics Every Bartender Should Know
2:27 · October 18, 2026 · Cocktails
The 25 classic cocktails every bartender should know come from just seven families: sours, the Old Fashioned family, stirred drinks, highballs, Collinses, sparkling drinks, and coffee and cream. Learn the pattern for each family, then watch the Old Fashioned built step by step.
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In this video
- 0:00 25 classics, 7 families
- 0:11 The sour: Daiquiri, Whiskey Sour, Margarita, Sidecar, Cosmopolitan, Mai Tai
- 0:23 The Old Fashioned family: Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Mint Julep
- 0:33 Stirred: Manhattan, Martini, Negroni, Boulevardier
- 0:41 The highball: Gin and Tonic, Moscow Mule, Paloma, Bloody Mary
- 0:51 Collins, sparkling, and coffee and cream
- 1:13 Deep dive: how to make an Old Fashioned
- 2:01 Free course and spec sheet
Transcript
Every bartender is expected to know the classics. There are twenty-five of them, and they all come from just seven families. Learn the family, and the drinks follow.
First, the sour. Spirit, fresh citrus, and something sweet. The Daiquiri, the Whiskey Sour, the Margarita, the Sidecar, the Cosmopolitan, and the Mai Tai.
The Old Fashioned family. Spirit, a little sugar, and bitters. The Old Fashioned itself, the Sazerac, and the Mint Julep.
Stirred drinks. All spirit, no juice. The Manhattan, the Martini, the Negroni, and the Boulevardier.
The highball. One spirit, a mixer, and plenty of ice. The Gin and Tonic, the Moscow Mule, the Paloma, and the Bloody Mary.
The Collins. A sour, stretched tall with soda. The Tom Collins, and the Mojito. Sparkling drinks, for lift. The Aperol Spritz, the French 75, and the Mimosa. And coffee and cream, for after dinner. The Espresso Martini, the White Russian, and Irish Coffee.
Now, if you master just one, make it the Old Fashioned. Back in 1806, a cocktail was defined in print as spirit, sugar, water and bitters. As bartenders started dressing drinks up, regulars asked for one made the old-fashioned way, and the name stuck.
Here's the spec. Two ounces of bourbon or rye. A quarter ounce of simple syrup. Two dashes of Angostura bitters. Stir it with ice for twenty to thirty seconds, until it's cold and silky. Strain it over one big cube. Then twist a strip of orange peel over the top to spray its oils, and drop it in. Spirit, sugar, bitters, and a good stir. Nail that, and the whole family makes sense.
Want every spec, and the story behind all twenty-five? Take Mixology 101, a free course from Learn Brands, with a certificate when you pass. And grab the free printable spec sheet. The links are below.