Penicillin. Paper Plane. White Negroni. One would be forgiven for thinking these familiar menu items with seemingly timeless builds were creations of the Golden Age of cocktails at the turn of the century. But these household names belong to a more contemporary cohort: modern classics, a group of drinks whose popularity has transcended their bars of origin to become the second generation of canonical cocktails.
In his column Modern Classics, Robert Simonson sought to chronicle the stories of these drinks, detailing what sets this class apart. According to him, traveling beyond the bar where it was created is a central pillar to the success of a modern classic. And it’s reinforced by another key characteristic—a straightforward ingredient list that allows these drinks to be thrown together easily, ensuring a seamless transition to any bar, anywhere. In this way, there’s a certain universality to these drinks, almost as if they’ve been plucked from the pages of a long-lost recipe book.
That is certainly true of the Kingston Negroni, Tommy’s Margarita or the Oaxaca Old-Fashioned. These contemporary classics bear all the hallmarks of their original namesakes—widely appealing, minimalist, timeless—but have gone on to inspire countless riffs of their own, much like the classics they themselves were based on. The Paper Plane, Sam Ross’ equal-parts, bittersweet sour, for example, has given way to a whole fleet of Paper Planes, while the smoky-spicy Penicillin has become one of the most riffed-on modern classics of all time.
A coffee liqueur-laced twist on the Manhattan.
This industry stalwart omits orange liqueur in favor of agave syrup.
The modern classic that helped spark a boom in mezcal cocktails.
The traditional Caribbean Rum Swizzle rejiggered with green Chartreuse.
Honey syrup shines in this Whiskey Sour update.
A tequila-based spin on the Hemingway Daiquiri.
“You don’t wanna meet this cocktail in a dark alley.”
Dick Bradsell’s modern classic has traveled under many names, but has never waned in popularity.
An herbaceous modern classic that hails from Hamburg, Germany.
A distant Southern cousin to the Brooklyn
Erick Castro’s herbal, modern-classic play on the Piña Colada.
Julie Reiner’s aromatic play on the Martini with apricot eau de vie, bianco vermouth and gin.
Joaquín Simó’s funky spin on the Negroni.
The British-born modern classic.
A spicy, smoky modern classic.
Audrey Saunder’s bold pastis-laced spin on the Mojito.
The fairer Negroni made with Lillet and Suze in lieu of Campari.
One of the few sherry-based modern classics.
Audrey Saunders’ remixed Mojito gets topped with Champagne.
This Pegu Club riff uses Campari in place of Angostura bitters, and swaps lime juice for lemon.
This update calls on overproof bourbon for added backbone and balance.
Sam Ross’s straightforward equal-parts modern classic.
One of the most famous examples of jam as a cocktail ingredient.
This spiced rum-based Sidecar became the signature of San Francisco’s Starlight Room.
Mezcal shines in this three-ingredient modern classic.
A rare example of a stirred citrus cocktail.
A Berlin modern classic that carefully balances rum, lime and falernum.
