Everyone appreciates a nice martini or margarita but sometimes you want to take your cocktail game to the next level. Never fear, these unique cocktail recipes will expand your mixology repertoire without calling for hard-to-find ingredients.
Mexican Mule
Like its cousin the Moscow Mule, the Mexican Mule gets a lot of its flavor from the ginger beer. This variation, however, uses tequila to take the flavor to the next level! To mix up this cocktail simply pour one part lime juice, two parts tequila, and four parts ginger beer over ice and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately for a treat worthy of any Cinco de Mayo celebration!
French 75
If you are a big mimosa fan, you will want to try your hand at serving up a French 75. This gin and champagne cocktail has been around since World War I. Be sure not to let its delicate appearance fool you, it packs a punch! To make this bubbly concoction combine 2 ounces of dry gin with one teaspoon of superfine sugar and one-half ounce of lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into a collins glass filled halfway with ice. Top with 5 ounces of Brut champagne and enjoy one of the most unique cocktail recipes!
The Vancouver
Martini fans will love branching out and trying The Vancouver. While both are made with gin and vermouth, The Vancouver adds in a citrus twist and Benedictine for a new take on the classic cocktail.
Reportedly created at the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver, B.C. during the 1950s, the Vancouver is a sultry descendant of the Martinez, with the ethereal flavor of Benedictine herbal liqueur riffing on the botanicals of gin and sweet vermouth, the drink’s other major components. Not a whole lot is known about the Vancouver: There’s a story that Errol Flynn knocked back a Vancouver immediately before expiring, which seems like one of those “too convenient to be true” kinds of anecdotes. What is known is that the drink sank into obscurity before being revived by Vancouver bartenders just a few years ago. –SeriousEats.com
To create this cocktail mix 2 ounces of gin, one-half ounce of sweet vermouth, one teaspoon of Benedictine, and a few dashes of bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 30 seconds then strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.
El Presidente
Unique cocktail recipes don’t get much better than an El Presidente cocktail. This fruity cocktail is always a huge hit and is perfect for making in large batches for entertaining. To mix up this drink combine one and one-half ounces of white rum with 3/4 ounces each of orange curaçao and dry vermouth. Add a dash of grenadine and stir well with ice before straining into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel or cherry for an extra special touch.
Green Ghost
Not many unique cocktail recipes boast such an impressive name as the Green Ghost. The origins of this cocktail aren’t known but it is said to have first appeared in the Cafe Royal Cocktail Book in 1937, where the recipe is attributed to a J. B. Hurrell. Whoever invented it, it remains a unique cocktail definitely worth trying. To mix up this cocktail fill a shaker with ice and top with two ounces of gin along with a half ounce each of Green Chartreuse and fresh lime juice. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime if you wish.
These five unique cocktail recipes will definitely take your mixology to the next level and impress your guests when entertaining. For more spirited inspiration, find out What Your Signature Drink Says About You.
