Top 5 Cocktails You Need to Try in 2018
This year it's time to try some new drinks! Add old fashioned, manhattan, champagne cocktail, negroni and pink lady to your list of must try drinks and impress your friends!
#5: Old Fashioned
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If you’re looking for a drink that always looks cool to order at a bar and will definitely impress your guests if you can whip one up, an old fashioned will serve you well every time. And the secret is, when it comes down to it, it’s really easy! The one ingredient you’ll need that you may not already have stocked in your bar is bitters, which are really what elevate this drink. Traditionally, old fashioneds are made with whisky, but you can experiment with liquors like brandy as well. Then add some sweetness and citrus, and you’ve got yourself a classic and classy cocktail to serve.
#4: Pink Lady
If you want to try out something unabashedly feminine but not something so common as a vodka cran, a pink lady is a great option. This rosy-hued drink first became popular in the 1950s, and it’s not actually as sweet as it looks. The most classic version is made with gin, though other types of alcohol can be substituted if you want to (literally) mix it up a little. Grenadine (pomegranate syrup) is the essential piece of the puzzle that gives the drink its signature color; and to create the creamy texture, you use whipped egg white (and actual cream. If you’d like). Shake it all up, and you’ve got yourself a perfect pick for girls night.
#3: Manhattan
If you have the ingredients to make an old fashioned, you can pretty easily make a manhattan as well. The only big change is that the addition of red vermouth is key to getting a manhattan just right. The drink originated in, you guessed it, New York City, at a bar called The Manhattan Club. (Well, that’s one version of its origin story, anyway.) You can order one pretty much anywhere though, and there are a ton of variations which allow you to make it at home with almost any liquor you’ve got kicking around. Typically, rye, or Canadian whisky, is the base of choice, but others will give you a similar, and just as delicious, result. Don’t forget the maraschino cherry!
#2: Champagne Cocktail
Who says champagne is only for special occasions? One of the trends in the mixology world lately is bringing bubbly into the mainstream, with the creation of champagne-based cocktails. Now if you have any snobby (or rich) friends, you probably know that sparkling wine isn’t technically champagne unless it comes from a specific region in France, but champagne cocktails can really be made with prosecco, Cava, or whatever bubbles you can afford. It will give a celebratory tone to any evening, so make these when you want to liven up a party a little.
#1: Negroni
If there’s one drink everyone was talking about in 2017, it was the negroni, and it doesn’t look like this cocktail’s popularity will be waning anytime soon. The nice thing is, this drink is just as simple as it is trendy. The ingredients you’ll need are gin, vermouth rosso (that’s red to you), campari and some orange peel for garnish. It’s typically served on the rocks, and makes for a very elegant pre-dinner aperitif. Its origins are also murky, though most assume it was first created in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century. But no matter wherever and whenever it’s from, it’s always a crowd pleaser.
