10 Cheesecake Factory Cocktails, Ranked Worst To Best

Being overwhelmed by The Cheesecake Factory's extensive menu is a universal experience. The 20-plus pages are filled with small bites, sandwiches, pasta dishes, seafood, steaks, SkinnyLicious picks, cheesecakes (of course), and more. The wildest part is that most of its menu items are made from scratch, and that same level of care is given to its cocktails as well. Fittingly, the Factory also churns out an eclectic lineup of alcoholic beverages. It offers a sip for every palate, and I recently got a little boozy in order to try some of its most popular libations at my nearest Columbus, Ohio location.

What I discovered on my trip is that each drink is less of a cocktail and more of a work of art. Each elixir is made fresh — shaken, stirred, or blended right behind the bar. The drinks are all decorated with elaborate garnishes, and the restaurant's general manager even told me that The Cheesecake Factory uses house-made fruit purees in its drinks. There's a great deal of quality to be had on this cocktail menu, so I ranked them based on ingredient balance, alcohol content, and freshness in order to find the concoction most worthy of a second round. Bottoms up!

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

As I tasted my way through this collection of cocktails, I wondered just what the "J.W." stood for in this drink. Could it be John Wooden's lemonade, named after the decorated basketball coach? Perhaps he had a thing for lemonade? Or maybe it's meant to be the "just wonderful" pink lemonade? I did a little internet sleuthing when I got back home, and according to The Cheesecake Factory lore, it is actually named after the bartender who invented it: Jeff Wiley. Apparently something of a mixologist, Wiley spun it up at The Cheesecake Factory in Redondo Beach, California, and now it's one of the best-selling cocktails at the chain.

The recipe is simple, made up of just Absolut Citron, black raspberry liqueur, and the chain's signature lemonade. It comes in an extra-tall glass, which looks like it could also be used for sundaes, with a sugar rim and a lemon garnish. The flavor is just about what you would expect from a spiked pink lemonade. It's extra sweet with a touch of sour. I actually like the choice of raspberry here, which helps to cut through the double dose of citrus and makes it taste like drinkable candy. It also masks most of the pangs of vodka, but you still know you're getting your money's worth on the alcohol side of things.

What you see is what you get with J.W.'s Pink Lemonade. Cheers to Wiley for a classic choice. But I simply don't think it's one of the most original or enticing beverages on the menu.

The chain's Mai Tai takes you on a trip to a tropical paradise. I mean, just look at it. It's adorned with a half pineapple slice and a pink flower, and it comes in a tiki-like glass that towers over the others. I would venture to guess that this is the only drink that's served in this glass, and if it stocks it just for this drink, I'd honestly be impressed.

So, the presentation is immaculate. There's no question there. But what about the taste? The cocktail consists of tropical juices shaken with Mt. Gay and Sailor Jerry rums. There also appeared to be an extra shooter of dark rum splashed on top, so I made sure to give it a good stir before sipping. Typically, in a Mai Tai, I can pick out the distinct flavors of orange, pineapple, and even lime. This rendition resolves to more of a generic tropical punch — not that far off from the Polar Blast variation of Hawaiian Punch. It's fresh, though, and blends well with the rich, vanilla notes of the rum.

It has more complexity than the pink lemonade, and it's clearly made well with the proper ratio of liquor to fruit juice. At the same time, it wasn't one that I found myself gravitating towards in the midst of all the other options. Perhaps it's a simple problem of location — because on a beach, with my toes in the sand, this would taste like liquid gold. But in a Cheesecake Factory booth, it's just another fruity cocktail.

This may be called "The Ultimate", but to me, it shakes out to be a very run-of-the-mill margarita — a very good one, but a standard margarita nonetheless. The tequila of choice is Altos Plata, which is actually a 100% agave tequila, so it has its own natural fruity notes before it meets the other margarita ingredients. The Cheesecake Factory bartenders layer in both Cointreau and Grand Marnier for a double shot of orangey flavors. Fresh lime juice and agave nectar are the final pieces of the on-the-rocks puzzle, along with the obligatory salt rim and lime wedge.

The marg comes off strong. The tequila pour was clearly generous, and the lime overtook my palate far more than the Cointreau or Grand Marnier. I hardly got that brandy-like orange taste of the Grand Marnier at all. The good news, though, is that the agave sweetness softens the sharp citrus and the sting of tequila, so you still end up with a very sippable drink.

My mind couldn't help but wander to other popular restaurant chain margaritas as I tried this one. And I will say I think this is better than Chili's Presidente Margarita, which I always found to be too diluted. It's actually more comparable to Texas Roadhouse's The Legend Margarita. However, that one does have The Cheesecake Factory beat on the tequila side of things, as Texas Roadhouse's rendition uses three different kinds of Patron and a more generously sized glass. 

The beachy theme resurfaces with this Moscow Mule. I was actually excited to try this one. I've sipped on plenty of mules in my time, from Kentucky Mules to London Mules to Moscow Mules flavored with things like strawberry, cucumber, and blueberry. But I've never had one that was laced with pineapple.

The first thing I noticed when I took a swig, though, was the ginger beer. It tasted especially sweet, bubbly, and was teeming with ginger notes. The Fever-Tree branded soda really pops in this particular glass. The soda is joined by Reyka small-batch vodka, fresh lime, and pineapple. Everything checks out, except for the pineapple piece. I really didn't detect any pineapple flavors within the drink itself. The only time I could notice the fruit at all was when I leaned in to take a sip and got a strong whiff of the pineapple slice garnish at the top. It was a bit disappointing.

As a pure Moscow Mule, the drink is delicious, but I wanted more of that pineapple sweetness swirled into the sparkling ginger beer. Add another splash of pineapple juice, and it could have been a much different story and ranking. I think it's also important to mention that the other garnish is a stack of ginger gummy cubes. You can pop 'em in your drink or eat them as a little side candy.

I always hesitate to order sangria at a restaurant. I'm a big fan of wine, and typically, I'm averse to watering it down with fruit juice, even if you also get a splash of brandy or rum in return. This glass from The Cheesecake Factory had me changing my tune a bit, though.

The chain describes its sangria as a Spanish creation, and the restaurant's manager shared that it's made with its own house-made cabernet sauvignon. I found The Cheesecake Factory's recipe for it online, and it reveals that riesling, spiced rum, simple syrup, cinnamon, and various fruit juices are also thrown into the mix, as well as cut-up fruits, including oranges, apples, and pineapple. It sounds like quite the concoction, but somehow it still leads with vino first, and that's precisely what I like about it. The cabernet is also accompanied by notes of orange and cranberry. It's never too sweet or syrupy, though, and tastes fresh all around. I do think the string of grapes was an interesting garnish choice. Other fruits are stirred in, but I still think I would have preferred something like maraschino cherries instead.

Although it is served cold, I think it would make for the perfect wintertime libation. Throw in some extra cinnamon and maybe star anise, and suddenly it's a Christmastime classic.

All of The Cheesecake Factory's cocktails are aesthetically pleasing. If I were to rank each of them based on appearances alone, they would all receive a 10 out of 10. But the Raspberry Lemon Drop is particularly alluring. Perhaps I'm just a sucker for a coupe glass — despite its heightened spill risk. This drink is also dazzling, thanks to the sugar frost coating half the glass, the lemon twist embellishment, and its deep pink hue. The way the light catches it even makes it look like a sprinkle of edible glitter was added to the top. It's pure magic in a glass.

Ingredient-wise, the cocktail is like an elevated, adult version of J.W.'s Pink Lemonade. They're all for adults, but you know what I mean. The lemon drop upgrades to Tito's vodka instead of Absolut, and it's infused with raspberry. Just like any standard lemon drop, it has a sour bite to it, but the addition of raspberry really helps round out that sharpness. Instead of going full lip-pucker mode, it lands in this sweet-and-sour middle ground that feels balanced. The vodka is also more forward here than in many of the other cocktails I tried, yet it's impressively smooth. Altogether, it makes for a light, refreshing sip that's bright and more nuanced than your average, everyday lemon drop. 

Its twist on a time-honored recipe even pulled it above the wine-first sangria. But it doesn't rise quite as high in the rankings simply because I fear its stronger sour notes may be an acquired taste for some cocktail lovers. 

The Ultimate Margarita is far from the only 'rita on the Cheesecake Factory menu. The restaurant has a flurry of other unique choices like the Strawberry-Infused Margarita, Coconut Margarita, and the Margarita Verde — all of which I want to try at one point or another. But the other one that I did get a taste of was the passion fruit installment.

It came to the table served in a conical stemmed glass, making me think it was switched for a fruity martini instead. And it does actually have some martini-like qualities to it. It's made from a simple mix of Milagro silver tequila and passion fruit, served chilled with an orange sliver. Its beautiful orangey color made me start to rethink my negative stance on passion fruit. You get all of the fruit's complex sweetness with just small hints of its tartness in each sip. It's honestly closer to a bit of a tropical blend, thanks to the orangey citrus flavors as well. There are certainly crisp undertones from the tequila, yet they're kept light — much lighter than tequila's influence in The Ultimate Margarita.

It may just be the glass throwing me off, but honestly, it doesn't even seem like it fits into the margarita family to me. It seems to land in its own category, and I'm not mad about it at all. It's fruity, light, and dangerously easy to sip for a tequila-based cocktail. It's more easy-going citrus also helped it edge out the lemon drop, though it couldn't hold up to a few other exceptionally fresh and one-of-a-kind beverages. 

The Cheesecake Factory puts its own spin on a dirty martini, dubbing it the Well-Mannered Dirty Martini. I think the first glass could definitely be defined this way. Made with Ketel One vodka and accompanied by a pair of blue cheese-stuffed green olives, it's a refined take on what's typically a more in-your-face kind of cocktail. But it's that second glass where those manners may start to go out the window.

If you want to know you're getting the most booze for your buck, go with a martini. This applies at any restaurant or bar, not just The Cheesecake Factory. The glass will always be filled with mostly liquor. In this case, it's mostly vodka with what tastes like the teensiest splash of vermouth. But it's balanced out oh-so-well by the perfect amount of olive juice. What results is the Goldilocks of dirty martinis; it's not too dry, not too briny, and not too boozy — it's just right. Since this quintessential dirty martini balance is so difficult to create, I was more impressed by this drink than some of the other fruity concoctions. 

When it comes to martinis, my motto is the dirtier the better. So, I was a bit worried about the light, nearly clear color of this drink. But it surprised me in the best way. Polish off your sip with the pungent and salty taste of a blue cheese-stuffed olive, or two, and what you have is one of the best cocktails mixed up by the chain. It's ranked third simply because two other cocktails surprised me even more with their vibrant tastes. 

As he brought it to the table, my waiter let me know this cocktail is actually done up to look just like a Georgia peach. How cute is that? The light orange frozen blend is poured into a short, rounded glass — the same shape as a brandy glass — and a green mint sprig shoots out in every direction from the top, made to look like leaves stemming off a fresh peach. The attention to detail on The Cheesecake Factory's cocktails continues to be unmatched, and the flavor of this blended beverage happens to be unmatched as well.

I love a fruity frozen drink as much as the next person. I just don't typically think of them as one of the most quality cocktails on a menu. But the Georgia Peach? She proves me wrong. This glass is teeming with real, juicy peach flavor. It isn't artificial, syrupy, or candy-like; it truly tastes like the fruit itself, and better yet, a piece of the fruit that was picked ripe just minutes ago. That's probably because peaches are included in the mix, along with Skyy vodka and peach liqueur. Then, you also get a bonus of raspberry swirled in, which, again, tastes like fresh fruit. Those house-made purees really shine in this cocktail.

With a velvety smooth consistency on top of all this quality fruitiness, this was easily one of my favorite beverages I tried, second only to the most suave and tasteful glass of them all. Just be careful with this one, because it's hard to tell there's any alcohol at all hiding under the succulent sweetness.

The Whiskey Smash is a smashing success. Sorry, I just had to. It's the only whiskey-based drink I tasted during my Cheesecake Factory sip-off, and it made me wish I had tried more. This one is specifically made with Yellowstone Bourbon, Aperol, fresh lemon sour, and passion fruit with an orange slice curl on top.

The first dram immediately warmed me from the inside out. The whiskey taste is strong, yet it goes down easily with a polished, honey-like finish. It's also accompanied by a generous splash of citrus. The bittersweetness of the Aperol counteracted the tanginess of the lemon sour, creating a bright, fruity taste. Orange is what I tasted the most, though it didn't taste like orange juice. What I thought I was getting with this one was something close to a smooth old fashioned. I think I like it even more, though. It has a bit more sweetness and a freshness that I've never seen replicated in an old fashioned.

This is the perfect middle-of-the-road cocktail. It's sophisticated enough for avid whiskey drinkers, yet sweet and fruity enough for those who aren't big on bourbon. We'll call that a cocktail compromise. It's easily my favorite drink on The Cheesecake Factory's drink menu.

As I mentioned, all of the cocktails shaken up by The Cheesecake Factory are easy on the eyes. If an aesthetic, Instagram-worthy picture is all you're after, you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The fresh-made purees and well-thought-out recipes meant there wasn't a single pick I encountered that I genuinely didn't like. So, the rankings ultimately came down to which ones had the best blend of ingredients and which truly wowed me with their taste.

I looked for cocktails where the liquor of choice — tequila, rum, vodka, or whiskey — worked seamlessly with the fruit juices or other add-ins. The ideal drink allows the natural taste of the spirit to shine through without overpowering the rest of the components. I also gravitated toward cocktails that weren't overly sugary, but instead offered nuance, whether through bright sour notes or even a touch of bitterness to give the drink more character and complexity.

Overall freshness was another key consideration, though the vast majority of The Cheesecake Factory's cocktails excel in this department thanks to the made-from-scratch components. And finally, garnishes were truly just the cherry on top. They didn't make or break a drink, but they did enhance the overall experience, especially in terms of presentation.