World’s Most Popular Cocktails

The World's Most Popular Cocktails

Whisk(e)y and cocktails have long been bedfellows, especially so of the American styles. This year, a whiskey cocktail has topped the list once more, with Drinks international magazine announcing the Old Fashioned as the world’s most popular (best-selling) cocktail in 2020, albeit with a lower percentage than the previous year. It’s important to note that the list is compiled using a survey of bars and doesn’t relate to how much that bar sells in volume. We suspect the Daiquiri, Margarita and Aperol Spritz may be ordered in high quantities, and surprised the Cosmopolitan doesn’t feature at all, but hey, a list that includes three whisky cocktails in the top ten deserves a mention. Here they are.

OLD FASHIONED The Old Fashioned has topped the biggest selling list for the past seven years. However, Drinks International said “for the first time, succession looks plausible”. This year only 23% of bars said the sweetened American whiskey drink was their top seller, down from 35% last year.

DAIQUIRI The Daiquiri is the world’s top rum tipple. Rarely the number one cocktail in a bar (only 3% said it was the top seller) this Cuban white rum and lime classic was among the two most likely served in almost of a third of venues polled. NEGRONI The Negroni has been runner up on the biggest selling list for the past seven years, but it’s gaining ground – 22% of respondents made it their most likely serve (up from 13% last year).

DRY MARTINI The purist’s gin cocktail, the Dry Martini, completes a static top four this year. This classic was among the top five in just under a quarter of our polled bars, while just under half said it figured in their top 10.

MARGARITA Up two places on last year, the Margarita is the top tequila cocktail on the list. It’s among the top five drinks in 17% of bars and top 10 in 46% of cases. “If we hadn’t split out the votes for the Tommy’s Margarita, it’d be a place higher,” Drinks International said.

ESPRESSO MARTINI Now an established member of the top 10, the vodkacoffee cocktail retains sixth spot. It’s a top-10 serve in almost 40% of polled bars, and the number one classic in 5%.

WHISKEY SOUR Down a couple of places, this old timer comprising American whiskey and lemon was first published in Jerry Thomas’s book How to Mix Drinks or the Bon Vivant’s Companion in 1862. This isn’t too many bars’ top serve but was a top-10 classic in 40% of bars polled.

MANHATTAN It’s eighth again for the whiskey classic, the Manhattan, with 36% of polled bars making it among their top 10. This rye (and sometimes bourbon) and vermouth veteran mix may play second fiddle to the Old Fashioned in the whiskey cocktail stakes but it was still among the top-three classics in more than 10% of bars.

APEROL SPRITZ Up one is the Aperol Spritz. Just under 30% of bars named it in their top 10 – a “sign of the spritz-loving times we live in”.

MOJITO The white rum, lime and mint long drink is a top-10 classic in about a quarter of Drinks International’s sample of the world’s best bars.