Aperol Spritz
Three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, one part soda. Low in alcohol, impossible to get wrong, built for the afternoon.
Moscow Mule
Vodka, lime and ginger beer. A deliberate 1940s marketing invention that turned out to be a genuinely good drink.
Mai Tai
Two rums, lime, orgeat and curaçao. No pineapple juice, no grenadine, no umbrella required.
Mojito
Rum, lime, mint and soda — built in the glass, and ruined more often by over-muddling than by anything else.
Daiquiri
Rum, lime and sugar. The simplest real test of whether a bar knows what it is doing.
Paloma
Mexico’s actual favourite tequila drink. Grapefruit, lime, salt — lighter and more drinkable than a margarita.
Margarita
Tequila, lime and orange liqueur in balance — a sour so well built it survived decades of being made badly.
Whiskey Sour
The sour template in its most familiar form — and the easiest place to learn what egg white actually does.