The modern cocktail revival famously brought proper drinks and dignified drinking culture back to the forefront. While the movement’s touchstone is typically tied to the opening of Sasha Petraske’s legendary Milk & Honey bar in New York City in 2000, the seeds of a creative renaissance were planted a few years before, as newfangled drinks like the Cosmopolitan and the Espresso Martini started popping up on ’90s menus. This liquid innovation flourished as the scene grew, leading to a new era of cocktails that managed to have some staying power, earning them the title of “modern classics.”
Some of these drinks are still widely known contemporary bangers, such as the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph. But the category also boasts an abundance of killer yet underrated cocktails. These low-key gems aren’t necessarily obscure. The casual drinker may even recognize them on a menu. They just haven’t achieved the same level of popularity as some of the other drinks in the category. But they should grab their own share of the spotlight, if only because each carries the potential to introduce drinkers to a whole new world of ingredient and flavor possibilities.
There may be no better way to get introduced to some of these underrated modern classics than to sit at a bar and strike up a conversation with the bartender. They likely have at least one unsung drink to introduce you to, and it may even be their default “dealer’s choice” option. So which of these underappreciated cocktails captures their attention the most? We asked 15 bartenders to share the modern classic they believe deserves a little more love.
The most underrated modern classic cocktails, according to bartenders:
- Mezcal Negroni
- Lemon Drop Martini
- Oaxaca Old Fashioned
- Siesta
- White Negroni
- Bensonhurst
- Penicillin
- Gin Blossom
- Bodega Buck
- American Trilogy
- Red Hook
- Artichoke Hold
- Maid in Cuba
- Trinidad Sour
“One of the most underrated modern classic cocktails is the Mezcal Negroni. While technically a riff on a century-old classic, I think the addition of mezcal transforms the drink into something entirely new. My preferred ratio is 2 ounces mezcal, three-quarters of an ounce of Campari, and half an ounce of sweet vermouth, which lets the mezcal truly lead while keeping the bitterness and sweetness in balance. To me, it may be the perfect spirit-forward cocktail — smoky, herbal, bitter, slightly sweet, and endlessly complex. What I love most is that it feels equally appropriate in the dead of winter or the height of summer, which is incredibly rare.” —Bob Peters, beverage director, Soul Gastrolounge and Stylus Sound Lounge, Charlotte, N.C.
“The Lemon Drop Martini is one that is coming back in a big way, from Brooklyn to Beacon. It’s a vodka crusta of sorts. This cocktail combines vodka, lemon juice, triple sec/Cointreau, and simple syrup — the amount of the syrup varies based on sugar-rim preference). Without the sugar, it is more closely related to a Sidecar. I asked a guest at the bar who ordered it why they did. They said it’s bright and fresh, and feels like spring and summer. The drink, originally named for [those] little lemon hard candies, does deliver this. I make sure to garnish with an expressed lemon peel to bring the candied notes to the forefront.” —Lynette Marrero, co-founder, Speed Rack/partner, Milly’s Neighborhood Bar, Brooklyn
“Right off the top of my head, it’s going to be the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. Phil Ward from Death & Co. created it in 2007; I’ve made a lot of these, and for good reason. They’re delicious and smooth. The original recipe calls for Angostura bitters, but I personally like mole bitters. The earthiness of the mezcal, the barrel notes of the reposado tequila, the chocolate… it all just works so well.” —Mitch Stewart, bar manager, Jettie Rae’s Oyster House, Asheville, N.C.
“Early on in the cocktail resurgence, one of our favorite cocktails to make at the bar I was at was the Siesta by Katie Stipe. This drink was a great way to introduce people into Campari and ease guests into trying more bitter flavors in cocktails. You can draw a straight line from the influence of the Siesta to the popularity of Mezcal Negronis.” —Alex Barbatsis, co-founder, Bees and Bats Beverage Consulting, Chicago
“The White Negroni is the most underrated modern classic because of its flexibility. As a cocktail that came to be simply by using what was available, my favorite renditions of this drink rarely include the original ingredients. I love something unmistakably alpine, so I’ll often use Bordiga’s Occitan gin in place of Plymouth and Salers in place of Suze. And if you sneak a little génépy in my White Negroni, I might just add you to my will.” —Marissa Chirico, wine director and general manager, Emmett, Philadelphia
“Created by Chad Solomon in 2006, the Bensonhurst is a modern Manhattan riff that deserves way more love than it gets. Maraschino liqueur takes a lot of unnecessary heat, and Cynar is too often overshadowed by its many imitators, but together they create a cocktail that’s layered, savory, complex, and endlessly rewarding.” —Stuart Weaver, partner and general manager, Lady Jane, Denver
“The Penicillin. I love it because it allows for such incredible variation; as long as you have the ginger and a hint of smoke (originally from peated Scotch), you can play with the ingredients and feel confident you are going to have a delicious drink. I have been running a riff that includes mezcal and a smoked sunchoke and honey eau de vie, which adds a great earthiness while maintaining the core elements that make it a modern classic.” —Thomas Sullivan, bar director, Pasjoli, Santa Monica, Calif.
“Accepting that ‘underrated’ is highly relative, the one I’m most likely to drink is Julie Reiner’s Gin Blossom. I love Martini riffs of all forms, and I really love stirred drinks that play with fruit eau de vie, so this one’s got everything I like in spades. It’s aromatic and thoughtful, while still retaining enough punch behind it to make it work as a pre- or post-dinner drink. It’s also a format that’s fun to play with. Just find different bottles of eau de vie and gin (hell, even different styles of blanc vermouth) and see which botanicals and which fruits really shine together.” —Patrick Halloran, beverage manager, Henrietta Red, Nashville
“My favorite modern classic is the Bodega Buck, created in 2016 at Attaboy in NYC: bourbon, amontillado sherry, ginger syrup, lime, and Angostura bitters; shaken; served over ice in a Collins glass, and topped with soda water. Garnished with lime or candied ginger. It is not quite widely known, but it is delicious.” —Kapri Robinson, bartender, Allegory, Washington, D.C.
“The American Trilogy. I feel that outside of NYC, no one really knows of this perfect Old Fashioned variation. Apple, rye spice, and a little rich sugar. After the Toronto [cocktail], I think this is the best Old Fashioned take. I personally like to put my version into overdrive and use Laird’s Bonded over the original call of applejack [brandy] to make it a truly bold, in-your-face drink.” —Kraig Rovensky, bartender, Amor y Amargo, NYC
“The most underrated modern classic is the Siesta. Existing somewhere between a Margarita, a Paloma, and a Hemingway Daiquiri, the Siesta is refreshing, balanced, and helped show just how approachable Campari and red bitter cocktails could be to the American palate. Another reason the Siesta feels underrated is that there are so many differing recipes floating around online that you rarely see the original build served properly. Even with that, the drink still shines, which says a lot about how strong the concept is at its core.” —Robby Dow, owner, Bespoke, Wilmington, N.C.
“My favorite underrated modern classic cocktail has to be the Red Hook, one of the several modern classics that came out of NYC’s legendary bar Milk & Honey. The drink is a Manhattan variation featuring Punt e Mes, Maraschino, and rye whiskey, offering a perfectly balanced point on the bitter/sweet/herbal flavor spectrum. This is not a cocktail you’ll hear many people ordering, but they should as it inspired a generation of Manhattan riffs!” —Christian Shaum, sommelier, Asador Bastian, Chicago
“The Artichoke Hold! It’s a little tiki without being tiki; a richer Jungle Bird-like drink, and so much potential to play around with!” —Sarah Hsiao-Fang Ku, bartender, Hello Hello, NYC
“Maid in Cuba. White rum, lime, sugar syrup, mint, cucumber, soda water, and an absinthe rinse. I feel like this drink bridges the old and the new when it comes to rum. There’s a bit of Daiquiri, and there’s a bit of Mojito. But most of all, it gives rum a platform through old-world Cuban charm. It’s a shame we don’t see it appear more on cocktail menus.” —Gabriel Urruita, professor of spirits, FIU School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, Miami
“My favorite modern classic is the Trinidad Sour because it reads like a typo and drinks like a revolution. It shouldn’t work, and that’s exactly why it does. And it took someone like Giuseppe Gonzalez, the kind of rock star who genuinely doesn’t care about trends or applause to build it. The fact that it took him so many years to even realize it’s fame, and that he’s not particularly interested in the fact that it transcended into the modern zeitgeist tells you everything. It spread the old-fashioned way: bartender to bartender, city to city, long before algorithms tried to take credit. Cocktail culture has never been advanced by the cautious. It’s built by curiosity that is reckless enough to be wrong, and stubborn enough to keep pouring anyway.” —Niko Novick, director of hospitality, Spiegelworld, Las Vegas
