16 Tips For Upgrading Classic Cocktails

It seems like bartenders at trendy city spots are inventing new cocktails left and right. These concoctions come with strange and wonderful elements like cherry foam or salted honey cream. Or they require one or more ingredients to be set on fire. But amidst all the mayhem, sometimes it's nice to go back to the classics — the tried and true cocktails you know you're going to like because they've been around for generations. The classic Manhattan, for example, has stood the test of time, and with only three ingredients plus a simple garnish, it's easy to make at home. Likewise, you'll never see a Martini go out of fashion, while Negronis may go in and out of style, but they'll never be lost forever.

But classic doesn't mean boring, and there are almost as many ways to upgrade a classic cocktail as there are to invent a brand-new one. So if you're looking for a cocktail that you know you'll like, but will give you a new experience at the same time, have a look through our list of recommendations for upgrading classic cocktails.

The key to experimenting with a classic cocktail is to try new things without messing up the balance of flavors. Take the classic margarita, for example. Typically made with tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and agave syrup, you'll notice that this cocktail relies on sweet and sour elements, in addition to the alcohol. This means that when you switch up your margarita, you should keep that interplay in mind.

For instance, you could try switching your margarita mix with hibiscus, which is also very tart and therefore able to maintain the balance of flavors that make a margarita a classic. To make this work, you'll have to first make some hibiscus syrup using hibiscus flowers, water, and granulated sugar. Then combine the syrup in a shaker with the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and ice, and shake it all up. Don't forget to strain before serving.

If you like dirty martinis but think they could stand to be a bit dirtier, we have just the recipe for you: the chicken soup martini, which, like all good chicken soup, includes carrots, celery, extra virgin olive oil, and chicken bullion. To some, this may seem like a bit much, but if you think about it, a bloody mary calls for celery too, along with such savory delights as Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco, so a chicken soup Martini shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

And the thing is, it actually tastes good. To make it, you'll have to prepare your own mirepoix gin by sauteing the carrots, onions, and celery, and then adding gin and letting the mixture infuse. Just be sure to strain this component thoroughly before using, as you don't want to end up with bits of sauteed onion in your glass. Next, prepare the chicken bullion brine by mixing bullion with hot water, kosher salt, and MSG. Lastly, combine these mixtures with sherry and a couple of drops of saline solution, stirring as you would for any other Martini. Just steer clear of botanical gins like Hendrick's and opt for a more neutral, dry gin like Sipsmith. Anything flowery won't pair well with chicken broth.

No cocktail could be more of a classic than one that is called "old fashioned." This all-around mainstay calls for bourbon or whiskey to be combined with Angostura bitters, orange bitters, and a sugar cube in a glass and mixed until the sugar dissolves. Add ice, a garnish, and you're done.

And the upgraded version of the old fashioned is just as simple, despite the twist. Just pour in some rum instead of whiskey at the appropriate moment in the recipe. Or you can prepare our version of an old fashioned, which calls for cola syrup, orange liqueur, and some lime bitters as well as rum. The important thing is that the rum will give your usual old-fashioned a tropical kick and some extra hints of sweetness, without straying in the direction of saccharine. Meanwhile, the oakiness present in most rum will stand in for the oakiness in the whiskey, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.

Over the past couple of years, Aperol spritz went from being practically unknown outside of Italy to the it-cocktail on every bar menu worth its salt. So while this might not be considered a classic cocktail in New York or L.A., where many people have only just heard of it, it has been going strong in Italy for decades, ever since Aperol itself was invented in 1919.

So if you still need to go out and discover the original Aperol spritz, which is made from equal parts Aperol and Prosecco, plus a splash of club soda, do that first. Then try this frozen twist to the Aperol spritz. Unlike the original, this one requires a few extra ingredients, as you will have to add frozen mango chunks and orange juice to the original set. Then just pop everything in a blender and blitz until smooth. Other great options for this twist are frozen strawberries or frozen raspberries for something more tart.

If you need a quick pick-me-up and can't choose between a drink and a meal, have both in the form of a Michelada. This classic cocktail is made with beer, tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire, and sometimes hot sauce, is filling yet refreshing.

For something that looks like a meal and doesn't just taste like one, try our super-garnished Michelada recipe, which calls for practically all the ingredients needed to prepare a complete meal, including protein and vegetables. But the twist we're talking about is actually pickle juice. John Cusimano, the husband of celebrity chef Rachael Ray, appears to be something of a cocktail aficionado in addition to being a lawyer and musician. He was the one who came up with this addition, and a good thing, too, because it works! Just follow our Michelada recipe, add the pickle juice along with the Clamato, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce, and lime juice, stir, then continue on as directed.

In the mood for a twist on a Tom Collins?  The classic drink is made with lemon juice, gin, simple syrup, and club soda, but how about using orange juice instead of lemon juice and rosemary simple syrup instead of the plain kind?

Other than that, everything is the same, including the proportions. So next time you want to make a Tom Collins, follow a classic recipe and simply use orange juice instead of lemon juice. Just make sure to make the rosemary simple syrup ahead of time, as it will need refrigerating. To prepare it, combine 1 part sugar with 1 part water, and add 3 sprigs of rosemary, heating the mixture until the sugar has melted. Then refrigerate until it's time to use it.

We've mentioned elevating an old fashioned with different spirits and various fruits, but there are many wonderful things peaches can do for an old fashioned. Not only do they make a great garnish, but they can also appear in the form of peach simple syrup or as peach schnapps.

If going for the first option, you can make your syrup by sprinkling sugar over peeled and sliced peaches before mixing them together lightly and refrigerating them overnight. The next day, strain out the peaches and any remaining clumps of sugar. Then stir this concoction into your regular old fashioned. Alternatively, you can keep things quick and easy by skipping the overnight syrup recipe and just adding a peach slice into the bottom of your glass with some sugar and an orange slice before pouring in the ice and bourbon. Lastly, you can add some peach schnapps to the cocktail at the same moment as you add the whiskey or bourbon. Just remember that this will create a much sweeter cocktail than the norm.

Bloody marys, with their Tabasco sauce, pepper, and sometimes horseradish, are already pretty spicy as it is, so if you want something with even more of a kick, you'll have to pull out the big guns, which in this case consist of Ancho Reyes liqueur.

This spirit is made by steeping sun-dried ancho chiles in a cane spirit for six months, so remember to use it with caution if you're not inured to spicy ingredients. To incorporate this liqueur into your bloody mary, you can follow our already spicy bloody mary recipe and stir it in with the vodka, tomato juice, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce, and jalapeño. Add as much as you're comfortable with, and if you think the spice might end up overwhelming you, ditch the hot sauce and horseradish for now. You can always add them next time.