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.
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.
Mint Julep
Bourbon, sugar and mint over a mountain of crushed ice. The cup should frost before you drink it.