Before the 1920s, the Americano cocktail of Campari, sweet
vermouth and club soda was all the rage in Italy. That is until
French general Count Negroni decided that it wasn’t strong enough
and switched soda for gin. Sip this signature blend today and you
may as well be perched at a bar in
Florence overlooking the Arno.

Caution: this cocktail is perilously fun. A heady combination of
sake and beer, the concoction was the lovechild borne from the
American occupation of Japan during the Second World War. Balance a
shot of the rice liquor on a pair of chopsticks bridging a glass of
beer. Pound the table while shouting “sake!” until the chopsticks
shift and the shot tumbles into your brew. Consume immediately.

This famous cocktail was originally created in the 1860s by the
Gosling family (of Gosling’s Rum fame) in Bermuda, shortly after
distilling their first dark variety of rum. Simply combine with
ginger beer over ice and enjoy.

A Manhattan in Manhattan,
groundbreaking. Throw on your most sophisticated garb and make like
Don Draper et al. as you knock back the Big Apple’s timeless
combination of whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters. Maraschino
cherry, subject to supermarket rations. As Ol’ Blue Eyes once sang:
if you can make this cocktail in your flat, you can make it
anywhere.

With a name that roughly translates to “hillbilly”, the
caipirinha mixes the nation’s favourite spirit, cachaca – fermented
sugarcane juice – with sugar and lime. Rumour has it that this
cocktail was created as a remedy for pirates suffering from scurvy
in the 19th century because limes are high in vitamin C. We’re
counting it as one of our five-a-day.

The origins of the mojito are a little foggy (unsurprising,
given the drink’s quaffable nature), though they’re generally
pinpointed somewhere in 16th-century Havana.
Mix white rum, sugar, lime juice, sparkling water and mint –
specifically the yerba buena or spearmint varieties, though any
will do – and pretend you’re Ernest Hemingway, who allegedly sank a
glass or 10 in the Cuban capital’s La Bodeguita del Medio.

Yes, we’re all partial to a G&T here, but mother’s ruin has
quite the run of attention. While the sunshine teases us from our
locked-down homes, bring a taste of the outdoors inside with this
classic summer cocktail of Pimm’s No.1, lemonade and fruit, which
has been keeping Brits merry since the 1800s. Strawberry, orange
and cucumber are the go-to throw-ins, but you can try other fruits
– we love using frozen berries.

With an abundance of vineyards on tap, France is better known
for its plonk than its mixers. Cocktail recipes veer towards the
pared-back here: simply add creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
to your favourite champagne (prosecco or cava work just as well).
Garnish with a blackberry for added je ne sais quoi.

If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain, head
(virtually) to Puerto Rico, where legend has it that, in 1954, the
cocktail was popularised in San Juan’s Caribe Hilton hotel. Recipes
can swerve towards the wrong side of saccharine with rum, coconut
cream and pineapple juice, so adjust to taste – this is your
private lockdown bar, after all.

In the early 1900s it was frowned upon for Singaporean women to
drink in public, so Raffles Hotel bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created
this juice-based cocktail to disguise a healthy dose of spirits.
Shake together gin, pineapple juice, grenadine, lime, Cointreau,
Benedictine and cherry brandy and raise a toast to equality.

Thought that Mexicans only knock back margaritas? Think again. A
refreshing marriage of tequila, grapefruit juice, lime, syrup and
soda water splashed over the rocks, the Paloma is a more authentic
tipple.

While pisco sours are popular in both
Peru and Chile,
we prefer the former’s tarter iteration. Riffing on the traditional
whisky sour, pisco (a clear brandy) is shaken with egg whites,
fresh lime, simple syrup and a few drops of Angostura bitters.
Deliciously refreshing.

Does alcohol diluted with water count as a cocktail? Made from
twice-distilled grapes and aniseed, raki is around 90 proof and a
favourite tipple in
Turkey and Albania.
Before drinking, it’s typically mixed with a little water, in which
it turns an opaque white and earns it the moniker “lion’s
milk”.

Canadians go mad for the bloody caesar, a take on the
traditional bloody Mary hangover cure. While bloody Marys mix
vodka, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne with tomato juice, the
caesar uses clamato (a combo of tomato and clam juices) – some
refer to it as a “love potion” thanks to clams’ aphrodisiac
properties.

While the name and exact recipe of this libation vary across the
Scandi countries (it’s known as aquavit in
Denmark), it always has herbaceous notes – caraway, anise,
fennel, dill – and is most commonly consumed during meals. Make
sure to make eye contact when you raise the glass and sing a
“snapsvisor” (an ode to snaps) if you really want to get into the
spirit.

Keeping The Big Easy happy and heady since the 19th century,
this cocktail was originally made with French cognac in the Sazerac
Coffee House. When this ran out, bartenders switched to rye whiskey
instead, mixing it with Peychaud’s bitters, Angostura bitters,
sugar and absinthe.

Meaning “medicine” in Swahili, the dawa is a short, potent mix
of vodka, fresh lime juice and honey – just what the doctor
ordered. A carved dawa stick is traditionally used to incorporate
any honey, but any kind of muddler will do the trick.

Espresso martinis may look chic, but there’s something
comforting about a good old Irish coffee. Marrying whiskey (use
Jameson’s if you’re feeling especially patriotic) and coffee – two
of our staple beverages – this classic pick-me-up is best served
with a hefty helping of cream on top. Like this? Try a Black
Russian, a (confusingly) Belgian creation, that mixes three parts
vodka to two parts coffee liqueur.