The 12 Oldest Cocktails You Can Still Drink Today

Humankind has been drinking alcohol for thousands of years with evidence of the existence of beer dating all the way back to 11,000 B.C.E. Distillation methods yielded liquor around the 1400s and cocktails naturally followed after, modifying liquor with sugar, fruit, or herbs. Some ingredients are added for flavor, while some may have been added for its medicinal properties. For example, the classic gin and tonic came about because quinine helped British Empire soldiers combat malaria.

While the oldest cocktail in the world is thought to be a 16th-century recipe called El Draque, that cocktail can't easily be had today because it was made with the bark of a tree called Chuchuhuasi that is native to the Amazon rainforest. Other historic cocktails, though, are still present today and some are even considered to be the most popular cocktails of all time. Cocktails like the old fashioned or the Sazerac were first created in the 1800s. These classic cocktails are widely enjoyed by imbibers around the world throughout the centuries. Here are some of the oldest cocktails that you can still easily drink today.

The Sazerac is a classic cocktail that is closely associated with New Orleans. In fact, in 2008, the Sazerac became the official cocktail of New Orleans. Nice. The history of this cocktail goes back to 1838, and it was invented by a Creole apothecary by the name of Antoine Peychaud. Peychaud had moved to New Orleans from the French colony of San Domingo (now Haiti). The cocktail has gone through a few iterations in regards to the exact ingredients that are used.

The original Sazerac is believed to have used French brandy, but it is now commonly made with rye whiskey. Whichever spirit you choose to use, the cocktail involves rinsing the glass with absinthe (yes, really), then combining the whiskey (or brandy) with simple syrup or sugar cube and Peychaud's bitters (created by Antoine Peychaud, of course). It is then typically garnished with a lemon peel. You can order this cocktail at many craft cocktail bars around the world as most well-trained bartender would know how to make it. In New Orleans, we are partial to Bar Tonique, a dive bar meets craft cocktails. Bar Tonique still serves it for just $9.

Bartenders creating flaming cocktails are not just a modern trend, even though it has become very popular thanks to social media. One particular flaming cocktail called the Blue Blazer actually dates all the way back to the 1850s. The cocktail later appeared in bartender Jerry Thomas' book "How to Mix Drinks" and it was Thomas that popularized the cocktail back then.

As with all flaming cocktails, you need a high proof spirit to be able to set it aflame. The Blue Blazer is essentially a high proof, flaming hot toddy. To make a Blue Blazer, you start with high proof scotch whiskey, Demerara syrup or sugar, and boiling water. Preheat two toddy mugs (or other heatproof mugs), then add the liquid mixture above to one of the mugs. Light the liquid on fire and start passing the flaming mixture between one mug to the other back and forth.

Of course, it takes skill and practice to be able to make this drink safely. It is important to make sure the drink preparation area is clear from anything flammable, as a simple mistake can turn into a dangerous situation. Because it takes a lot of skill and prep, it can be harder to find this cocktail on bar menus, but it does show up from time to time. You can even check ahead of time online or on a bar's social media to see if this cocktail is in the bartenders' wheelhouses.

We dare say that most cocktail drinkers have had plenty of daiquiris, and many people already know that it originated from Cuba. But fewer people know that the commonly accepted theory is that the drink originated and was named after a mining town called Daiquiri in Cuba. The cocktail is said to have been invented in 1898 by an American engineer who was working in the mines of the town.

People these days associate daiquiris mostly with the frozen blended versions. These slushies tend to be sweet, strawberry-flavored and come out of a machine. But the original daiquiri is a simple, not frozen drink. The classic daiquiri combines rum (originally Cuban rum, of course) shaken with lime, sugar, and ice to create a refreshing and well-balanced cocktail. This drink formula is a familiar one to many people. Combining a spirit with a citrus and sugar is the same formula used for margaritas, whiskey sours, and more. The daiquiri has become such a classic and well-known cocktail that you should be able to order this drink at any bar that uses fresh limes. We recommend you give it a try if you somehow haven't already.

The Sidecar is definitely one of the best cocktails to make with cognac. This classic cocktail combines Cognac with orange liqueur and lemon juice, and it is often served with a sugar rim. The Sidecar was a very popular cocktail in Paris and London during the 1920s (unfortunately for the United States, that year was the start of the Prohibition era). As to when exactly it was first created and who created it, though, that is a bit of a mystery.

One version of the story claims that it was created by Harry MacElhone, owner of Harry's New York Bar in Paris. However, the first printed of the Sidecar appeared in a 1922 book, "Cocktails: How to Mix Them" by Robert Vermeire which was published just a few months before MacElhone's own book "ABC of Cocktails." More importantly, it is said that in the first edition of "ABC of Cocktails," MacElhone himself credited the creation of the cocktail to Pat McGarry from Buck's Club in London. Regardless of who had created it, one thing is true: The Sidecar is one of the most famous cocktails to come out of the Prohibition era. We're just grateful it's still around today.

The "highball" is actually a term that refers to a family of drinks that are made with some type of spirit topped with a carbonated beverage, like gin and tonic or rum and cola. These drinks should also be served in, you guessed it, a highball glass, made just for this type of carbonated drink. The most classic highball, however, is the whiskey highball which is made with whiskey and soda water. Many people lay claim to inventing the whiskey highball. While the term "highball' may have come later, the drink itself most likely originated in England in the 1800s.

Carbonated water itself was invented in 1767 by an Englishman, so whiskey highball could only have been created after. Later in 1792, Johann Jacob Schweppe set up shop in London selling carbonated drinks. Made with just whiskey and soda water, whiskey highball can pretty much be had anywhere in the world. The drink can be made with scotch, bourbon, or any type of whiskey you desire. The drink is particularly popular in Japan, though. Izakayas all over Japan typically serve whiskey highballs made with Japanese whisky. Yum.

The Ramos Gin Fizz was created by a bartender named Henry Charles Ramos in 1888. Ramos worked at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans, and it was originally called the New Orleans Fizz. The Ramos Gin Fizz is notorious as a cocktail that takes a long time to prepare, but it's worth the effort.

The fizz is made by combining gin, citrus juices, simple syrup, orange flower water, heavy cream, and egg white. You then need to dry shake the mixture (shaking without adding ice) vigorously until the mixture is smooth, which can take up to a full minute. After it is smooth, ice is then added to chill the mixture. The resulting liquid is then poured into a Collins glass without ice, and cold soda is poured on top which results in the cocktail's signature frothy top.

While the drink takes a long time to make, they do frequently appear on bar menus. The bar most famous for its Ramos Gin Fizz, though, is the Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel. The hotel actually trademarked the name Ramos Gin Fizz back in 1935.

The Pisco Sour has the distinction of being the national drink of two different countries: Peru and Chile. The origin of the drink seems to be a little murky, but the latest evidence suggests that it was created by a Utah-born bartender by the name of Victor Morris who immigrated to Peru in 1903. Story has it that Morris made Pisco Sour when he ran out of whiskey in the midst of making whiskey sours for customers.

Pisco Sour is made similar to whiskey sours, except it uses pisco which is an un-aged, grape-based spirit from Peru and Chile. When Spain invaded Peru, they brought wine grapes with them. Locals began using the leftover grapes to make a brandy-like liquor they called aguardiente (which means "fire water"). The port of Pisco in the town of Santa María Magdalena was a key distribution point for this aguardiente, which eventually became known as just pisco.

The most common version in the U.S. is the Peruvian Pisco Sour. For this drink, pisco is combined with lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white and it is shaken together until it is frothy. The cocktail is typically topped with a few drops of Angostura bitters for added complexity and a touch of color on the foam. Bars in Peru naturally serve this cocktail, and you can also find it at most Peruvian restaurants in the U.S.

Mint julep is a cocktail that is also considered a Southern classic because the drink is closely associated with The Kentucky Derby, which takes place on the first Saturday of May in Louisville, Kentucky. However, it is believed that the origin of the drink goes back much further. The word "julep" originally came from the Arabic word "gulab" which means rosewater, but the ingredient is eventually replace by mint as it evolves in the United States. It is unclear just how far back the history of julep goes back, but cocktail historian David Wondrich has found references to medicinal juleps from the 900s.

Today, mint juleps are traditionally served in silver cups and made with Kentucky bourbon, simple syrup, and mint leaves served over crushed ice. The mint julep has been the official drink of The Kentucky Derby since 1939 and more than 125,000 mint juleps are sold at the event each year. At Churchill Downs, where the race takes place, the mint julep is made with Woodford Reserve bourbon as the brand is the presenting sponsor and the official bourbon of The Kentucky Derby. Of course, there are quite a few places in Louisville where you can get a mint julep even when it is not Derby Day, thankfully.

According to cocktail lore, the old fashioned cocktail dated back to 1880 when a bartender at Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky created this cocktail for a customer who said he did not like bourbon. Despite initially created for someone who did not like bourbon, the Old Fashioned is a wonderful cocktail for whiskey lovers as the simplicity still showcases a whiskey's characteristics. The classic cocktail is made using one sugar cube. Get the sugar cube wet with a few dashes of Angostura bitters (add a small amount of water if necessary) and muddle until the sugar is dissolved. Add ice and whiskey of your choice and stir. It is traditionally garnished with an orange twist.

While the quality certainly differs from bar to bar, depending on the whiskey used and the bartender's technique, pretty much any bar should be able to make an Old Fashioned. This cocktail is also an easy one to learn to make at home as it required minimal ingredient. There are many variations to this classic drink, including swapping Angostura out for different types of bitters, swapping the whiskey for mezcal to give the old fashioned a smoky flavor, or smoking the cocktail outright.

A Rickey is a type of cocktail made with spirit, lime, and soda water. It is light and refreshing, much like a highball, but with the addition of lime. The gin rickey was created sometime in the 1880s by bartender George Williamson at Shoomaker's in Washington, D.C. The drink was made for a bar patron named Colonel Joseph Kyle Rickey and that is where the name of this drink came from.

Gin rickey became quite popular in the 1920s and was even mentioned in the novel "The Great Gatsby." These days, the gin rickey is not quite as popular, but you can still find it at bars in Washington, D.C. It is a simple cocktail to make, however, with ingredients that most bars have readily available. You should be able to order it at most bars or easily make it at home. It is a refreshing cocktail that would be great to enjoy on hot summer days, just as the characters in "The Great Gatsby" did in the book.

The Manhattan is one of those classic cocktails with many theories surrounding its origin. Some say that the cocktail was first created in the early 1880s for a party held at the Manhattan Club in New York City (hence the name of the cocktail). However, others say that the cocktail was the creation of a bartender named George Black, who named it after his bar, the Manhattan Inn, sometime in the 1860s or 1870s.

Regardless of which account you believe, there is no question that recipes for the Manhattan started appearing in the 1880s. The Manhattan is considered the first modern cocktail because of its use of vermouth, and it is an influential recipe that changed face of the cocktail world. The Manhattan recipe calls for whiskey (usually rye whiskey or bourbon), sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters, and cherries for the garnish. The ingredients are stirred together with ice, then it is strained to be served straight up. You can easily order a Manhattan from various cocktail bars around the world. Quite a few variations to the Manhattan cocktail have been developed since the late 19th century, including a Black Manhattan which swaps out the sweet vermouth for Amaro.

The Aviation cocktail is eye-catching with its purple hue, because it is made with crème de violette, a sweet liqueur infused with violet flowers. To make an Aviation, gin is mixed with crème de violette, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice. The violet liqueur addition not only creates the beautiful color, but also contributes to the floral flavor notes of this drink.

The Aviation was invented sometime in the early 20th century and first appeared in print in a book from 1916 titled "Recipes for Mixed Drinks." The book was written by Hugh Enslinn who worked at Hotel Wallick in New York City. The cocktail all but disappeared after the 1960s until recently, and that is because the major producer in Europe at the time had stopped producing this liqueur. Soon after, there was sadly no crème de violette to be found in the U.S. Fear not, though. In 2007 an importer brought another brand of crème de violette back into the U.S. and so the Aviation made a comeback. While it is not particularly common, you can now find this cocktail served at bars across the country.