Cocktail History, Culture & Recipes

Light, sparkling, floral, and seasonally iconic, the Sakura Rickey is a modern Japanese-inspired riff on one of America’s oldest highball-style cocktails. It marries the refreshing acidity of the classic Rickey with the delicate cherry blossom aromatics that define Japanese spring—creating a drink that is equal parts elegant, celebratory, and culturally symbolic. I. Origins 1. The Rickey: An American Highball Classic The Sakura Rickey begins with the Rickey , a cocktail inve

Effortlessly crisp, minimalist, and elegant, the Korean Highball is more than a refreshing mixed drink—it represents the fusion of Japanese highball precision, Korean drinking culture, and contemporary bar aesthetics. It’s a rising star in global mixology, fueled by the popularity of soju, Korean whisky, clear ice programs, and the cultural impact of Korean cuisine and nightlife. I. Origins 1. The Highball: An East Asian Icon While highballs have global roots, the modern cra

Delicate, fragrant, and refreshingly bright, the Elderflower Sour is a modern cocktail that blends the timeless structure of the classic sour with one of Europe’s most storied floral ingredients: elderflower. Often anchored by gin or vodka and lifted by the iconic liqueur St-Germain, this cocktail embodies the elegance of botanical mixology—balancing citrus acidity with soft, perfumed sweetness. I. Origins 1. The Elderflower: Europe’s Ancient Botanical The elderflower comes

Light, aromatic, citrus-driven, and quietly elegant, the Jasmine Sour is a modern cocktail that merges floral tea culture, classic sour architecture, and the contemporary bartender’s fascination with botanical spirits. Though not as historically codified as sours like the Whiskey Sour or Pisco Sour, the Jasmine Sour represents a new wave of globally inspired cocktails—where tea, aromatics, and precise balance define modern craft. I. Origins 1. The Sour: One of the Oldest Coc

The Plum Sour is a cocktail that bridges centuries of fruit cultivation, Asian preservation techniques, and the global evolution of the sour template. It’s tart, fragrant, delicately sweet, and capable of shifting personalities depending on the type of plum you choose—Japanese ume , Chinese li , European damson, or modern plum liqueurs. Despite feeling contemporary, the Plum Sour is rooted in ancient traditions: fruit wines, plum ferments, cordials, and the global rise of sou

The Soju Sunrise is a modern cocktail with a surprisingly deep lineage—a drink that channels the casual conviviality of Korean drinking culture while borrowing the visual drama of one of the most iconic Western cocktails ever created. Its radiant gradient, approachable sweetness, and low-proof sessionability make it a perfect bridge between tradition and trend, between the global rise of soju and the enduring allure of sunrise-style cocktails. This is the complete historical,

Few cocktails capture the glamour of the early 2000s lounge era while simultaneously drawing on centuries of Asian fruit cultivation like the Lychee Martini. Pearlescent, perfumed, and unmistakably modern, it’s a drink that bridges East and West—an emblem of cosmopolitan nightlife and the global cocktail renaissance. This is the full story of how a small subtropical fruit traveled from imperial Chinese orchards to martini glasses in New York, London, Singapore, and beyond. I.

Few drinks feel as modern—and yet as deeply rooted in centuries-old ceremony—as the Matcha Highball. Its unmistakable green hue, whisper of umami, and feather-light effervescence make it one of the most captivating new additions to the global highball canon. But behind this minimalist drink lies a story tied to Japanese tea rituals, the rise of precision bartending, and a cultural shift toward low-ABV refreshment with craftsmanship at its core. Prepare for a journey from medi

The Pink Dragon is one of the most visually striking modern cocktails—a bright fuchsia stunner built around fresh dragon fruit, citrus, and spirit-forward structure. It sits at the intersection of tropical mixology, contemporary fruit-forward craft cocktails, and the rise of vibrant natural ingredients. With its dazzling color, clean flavor, and cinematic presentation, the Pink Dragon captures the modern palate: fresh, photogenic, and globally inspired. I. Origins What Makes

The Pear Collins is the orchard-fresh, delicately fragrant reinterpretation of one of the most enduring highballs in cocktail history. Built on the bones of the classic Tom Collins, this variation introduces pear’s floral sweetness, crisp autumn character, and subtle elegance—turning a warm-weather staple into a year-round crowd-pleaser with seasonal charm. I. Origins The Tom Collins: A Pillar of Highball History The Tom Collins first appears in the 1870s and quickly becomes

The Pear 75 is the autumnal, orchard-fragrant evolution of one of the most enduring sparkling cocktails of all time. Where the classic French 75 is crisp, lean, and Champagne-driven, the Pear 75 brings aromatic fruit, gentle sweetness, and a seasonal glow. It is a drink that feels simultaneously elegant and comforting—Parisian bones dressed in Alpine pear perfume. I. Origins The Lineage Begins with the French 75 Few cocktails have as storied a history as the French 75 , first

The Aviation Royale is a luminous, effervescent reimagining of one of the most beloved pre-Prohibition gin cocktails. By pairing the delicate violet–cherry–citrus notes of the classic Aviation with sparkling wine, the Aviation Royale becomes something entirely new: lighter, brighter, and more celebratory, yet still anchored in old-world elegance. This is a cocktail where 1910s Parisian perfume meets modern aperitif culture—an Art Nouveau fantasy suspended in a crown of bubble

The Cosmopolitan Royale is the glamorous, sparkling evolution of the iconic Cosmopolitan—a cocktail that defined 1990s nightlife and has since undergone a complete renaissance. By adding champagne or sparkling wine to the original Cosmo structure, the Cosmopolitan Royale transforms from a flirty martini-style sour into a celebratory, effervescent aperitif with deeper historical roots than most drinkers realize. Blending the DNA of classic champagne cocktails with the modern p

The Jungle Bird Coconut is a lush, modern tropical cocktail that fuses the dark, brooding bitterness of the original Jungle Bird with the soft, silky tropical warmth of coconut. It’s a drink that tastes like a vacation but reads like a study in contrast: bitter and smooth, tart and creamy, vintage and contemporary. What began as a Malaysian hotel cocktail in the late 1970s has now entered a new era — reshaped by today’s love of coconut fat-washing, clarified tiki, and minimal

The Jungle Bird Mezcal is a smoky-tropical evolution of one of the late–20th century’s most beloved tiki classics. It takes the original Jungle Bird—a 1970s Malaysian hotel cocktail built on rum, pineapple, lime, and Campari—and transforms it into something moodier, earthier, and strikingly contemporary. Mezcal’s campfire smoke and agave depth don’t just modify the drink; they refract it, turning a cheerful tropical sour into a complex, bittersweet masterpiece. I. Origins The

The French Pearl is one of those rare modern classics that feels both timeless and unmistakably contemporary. At once herbal, elegant, and refreshingly bright, it bridges vintage absinthe culture with the craft-spirits revival of the early 2000s. This is a drink that tells the story of Parisian cafés, American cocktail bars, and the revival of forgotten spirits—all in a chilled coupe glass. I. Origins The French Pearl is a cocktail born during the early-2000s craft renaissanc

The Chartreuse Smash is one of the great modern “bartender’s handshake” cocktails—a jewel-toned, herbaceous, highly aromatic drink that bridges centuries of monastic liqueur tradition with the contemporary craft-cocktail movement. Bright, green, and irresistibly alive in the glass, it carries the lineage of juleps and smashes into the age of farm-to-glass bartending, where herbs, citrus, and intentional technique define the drink’s personality. I. Origins The Chartreuse Smash

Cool, clean, and garden-fresh, the Eastside is the mint-cucumber evolution of the modern gin sour—an effortlessly elegant cocktail that tastes like a summer breeze drifting through a rooftop garden. Built on the bones of the Southside but brightened with cucumber’s crisp vegetal lift, the Eastside has become a modern classic across cocktail bars worldwide. Light, refreshing, and botanically expressive, it’s one of the most iconic gin drinks to emerge from the 21st-century cra

Spicy, floral, and irresistibly mischievous, the Bee Sting is the fiery cousin of the Bee’s Knees—a cocktail that takes the classic gin-honey-citrus template and electrifies it with heat. It’s part Prohibition homage, part modern craft riff, and all attitude. Where its predecessor is soft and sunny, the Bee Sting bites back: honey warms, chili burns, and gin lifts everything into a buzzing, aromatic harmony. Balanced sweetness, bright citrus, and lingering spice make it one o

Lush, brooding, and ocean-soaked in spirit, the Tortuga cocktail is a modern tropical drink that channels the Caribbean’s pirate lore, island rum culture, and the moody gravitas of aged spirits. While the name “Tortuga” evokes the legendary stronghold of privateers and rum-running seafarers, the drink itself is a contemporary craft creation—typically a dark rum–forward sour enriched with allspice, citrus, and tropical aromatics. Bold yet elegant, it represents a new generatio