I drank every cocktail
225 comments
·July 23, 2025antognini
matsemann
My second advice would be ice ice ice. A bartender uses copious amounts of ice. It's for a reason. If you make a mojito at home and just chuck two ice cubes in, you will either get waaayyy too much soda in when filling the glass, a too hot drink, too watered down etc.
Avalaxy
> A bartender uses copious amounts of ice. It's for a reason.
$$$$$$$$$
matsemann
Hehe. But where I'm from (Norway) it's only allowed to serve drinks with 40 cl (edit, I meant 4 cl heh) of liquor (with exceptions for international recognized cocktails). So if you were to get less ice you wouldn't get anything more for your money anyways. Except more soda water and a diluted taste.
wrsh07
In _regarding cocktails_, the note from the author is that it's better to have a cold drink with too much ice than one that isn't staying cold
The tacit advice is to drink faster than the ice melts (and if there is no ice, enjoy quickly)
Anecdotally at home and out, I've found I agree. But it could be a mental trick
pnt12
A decent bartender will measure the drinks regardless of ice. I've been doing them at home and a generous amount of ice leads to better results, especially if you like ice cold drinks!
johnisgood
What do you mean by that? In many European countries or cities, ice in your "iced latte" is unheard of.
bongodongobob
Yeah, I have a 22 year old friend who thinks this as well. His drinks are fucking terrible.
reverendsteveii
it's really not though. you're getting 1.5 oz liquor whether I put it in a shot glass, a rocks glass with no ice, a rocks glass with half a scoop of ice, a shaker with a full scoop of ice and then strain into a martini glass, a highball glass full of ice, a pint glass with no ice, w/e. Most mixers are so dirt cheap compared to the tremendous margin on alcohol that it doesn't make a ton of difference.
morberg
I find it really strange that the IBA list does no longer include the gimlet.
dbl000
I also want to shout out The Sprits which serves as a book club for cocktails. Very good if you're just exploring. Each week you get a cocktail and a themed playlist to go with it, plus some other random musings.
reverendsteveii
This. As someone for whom food & bev was a career for 18 years and now it's a dedicated hobby Suderman is the Salt Fat Acid Heat of booze. It's graduating past memorizing recipes and into theory and framework.
Also please God pour out that old vermouth, get a new one and put it in your fridge.
moehm
> Also please God pour out that old vermouth, get a new one and put it in your fridge.
Don't pour it out, but deglaze your pan the next time you cook.
FuriouslyAdrift
Vermouth, like wine, has a short shelf life once opened and really should be chilled to keep it's flavors.
ReptileMan
My rule of thumb for cocktails is - they were created to mask the flavors of shitty base liquors so this is what should be used. The best old fashioned comes from jim beam white label. Unless you use some really strong medicinal smoked whiskeys you probably won't be able to pick up much of the delicate flavors from the good stuff with so much syrup and bitters in it. and if you want to add complexity - just make a more complex syrup.
kingnothing
I'm not advocating to use limited release bourbons, but when 90% of your drink is the base spirit, you'll get a lot of value out of using a traditional top shelf bourbon vs well like Jim. Try a $40 bottle like Eagle Rare or Angel's Envy. There's not much syrup in a good old fashioned -- go with 2oz bourbon, a teaspoon of simple or good maple syrup, and a couple dashes of Angostura. Maybe a dash of black walnut bitters, too. The higher quality whiskey should be apparent.
Karawebnetwork
When I treat myself to an expensive bottle as a treat, I go against conventional wisdom and use it at least once to make my favourite cocktails. While I agree that a simple bottle is best suited for cocktails, I can't remember an expensive base liquor ever spoiling a cocktail. For some, this is a waste because the premium taste takes a back seat to the cocktails, but often the result is better due to the subtle flavour profile of higher-quality spirits.
omnimus
To be fair Jim Beam is not that shitty. It’s cheap but there are way worse bourbons.
8note
you can make cocktails with subtler adjuncts just fine. Tea bases are a bunch of fun
FuriouslyAdrift
I recommend a high proof (bottled in bond or cask strength) rye in most whiskey drinks
kenanfyi
Wasn‘t it Woodford Reserve? I think I never used Jim Beam for an old-fashioned.
scott_w
Yes and I don't know how they manage it but Woodford Reserve somehow makes the worst old fashioned money can buy. I find Wild Turkey makes a decent tasting old fashioned that you can make at home with not much knowledge.
owenversteeg
For those that are getting into cocktails, by far the best piece of advice I can give is: know when the quality of ingredients matter and when they don’t. If it’s a very sugary/salty drink, or people are smoking, or already drunk, most people won’t care, but for a lot of cocktails the ingredients make a massive difference. The best bang for your buck is Carpano Antica, a sweet vermouth with real complexity to it; the worst value is high end vodka.
crystal_revenge
My advice would be: Every cocktail has an unlisted ingredient that makes or breaks the drink - ice water.
Shaking or stirring a cocktail doesn’t just make it colder, it dilutes it as well. Getting this right is very often the difference between a good and bad drink.
I demonstrated this once when a friend complained that it was so hard to get a good cocktail, especially getting good ingredients. All they had in their kitchen was some gin and some other slightly floral novelty liqueur. I just took a spoon and a glass and stirred them something based on the ratios for a martini and they said it was one of the best cocktails they have had!
Balancing chill and dilution, even in more complex drinks, is essential.
A good way to experiment is to make batch chilled cocktails in which case you need to explicitly measure out the water you’re adding.
avanai
The other magic ingredient is salt. A tiny pinch of salt can balance out sour and bitter flavors in surprising ways, and be otherwise undetectable. I’ve “fixed” a lot of cocktails that way.
lawik
This reminds me of when a student pub hosted a wedding party. As we got to the dance floor there were drinks on offer. I grabbed a Cuba Libre and essentially went "oh, that's the roughest on I've had, must be cheap cola on truly awful booze". Kept on sipping. Someone else complained. Then another one. We go back to investigate. Bartender has a taste. Grimacing.
Like bad and maybe salty?
Takes a minute before they track it down. They'd mixed up the salted ice cubes they used to keep champagne cold with the ones they use for drinks.
That one was rough. I had politely worked through my drink before we launched the investigation. Good party though and I did get a new drink which tasted fine.
I'm sure a tiny pinch can do wonders. Salted cubes, not recommended.
codyb
A little pinch of salt in the water is recommended for drip coffee as well to add a pop to the flavors and reduce bitterness.
FuriouslyAdrift
weirdly, a few drops of maraschino liqueur (I go for Lazzaroni) can "stretch" out the flavors of a lot of "brown" liquors. I have no idea why. It kind of adds a strange almond-ish flavor on the finish, though.
hattmall
Yeah one thing that makes a huge difference is that you mix your ingredients in the shaker with ice. Then strain and serve over fresh ice if it's called for.
jjice
> know when the quality of ingredients matter and when they don’t.
Very good point. The first time I had a Gin and Tonic with a fresh squeezed lime half and a good tonic water was mind blowing. I had thought that sour mix was just as good as a fresh lime and that all tonic water was the same, but man I was wrong.
cpfohl
I like to doctor bad sweet vermouths with a barspoon of Cynar. Goes a long way to add the missing complexity, and if you're sparing enough even a Cynar hater won't mind it.
djoldman
I do enjoy Antica.
That being said, IMHO sweet vermouths vary a lot. Enough that I'd pick one over another depending on the cocktail.
wrsh07
And they taste good/interesting on their own. If you're making drinks at home, try out the ingredients! I rather like a sweet vermouth, and you can feature it strongly in eg a gin and it https://newsletter.anthonygladman.com/p/all-hail-the-gin-and...
Some recipes call for 1:2 ratio, but the 1:1 works well! Give it a try
FuriouslyAdrift
Punt et Mes is also really good but very different flavor profile. More like the historic flavor of "sweet" vermouth which was actually more bitter.
bryanlarsen
> worst value is high end vodka.
For mixing, definitely. If you're drinking it straight, the subtle complexity of a good vodka is nice.
miketery
You don’t need to spend anything more than kettle one. It’s a super simple lab process it’s not like whiskey which has a lot of complexity.
FuriouslyAdrift
Biggest differences I see are between grain and potato based. I love rye base vodka. It has a sutle sweetness and almost oily mouth feel. I go for Sobieski most of the time.
mgaunard
People who never had Belvedere or Chopin simply don't know that a vodka shot doesn't have to be a painful experience.
johnisgood
Vodka for some reason has always made me nauseated and it often did result in vomiting. None of the other alcohols have ever made me nauseated or nor made me puke, not even in high, undiluted amounts. So I realized if I do want to get drunk, I cannot go wrong with whiskey.
Maybe there is a vodka that would be different.
kingnothing
The nice thing is Chopin is only $20 these days, too. There was a massive price drop a few years back that has fortunately stuck.
Barbing
Does this bear out in double-blind tests?
antonvs
If it's not 100% pure ethanol, are you even a connoisseur?
TheBoozyGenius
Finally someone who ''Gets It''.
azhenley
Do you have a ranked list of items that pay off to spend a bit more versus doesn’t matter?
yojo
General rules for cocktails:
- Avoid the big brands for Tequila and Rum (Cuervo and Bacardi). There are exceptions, but it’s easier to skip.
- Cheap gin can be good or bad. Gordon’s is a reasonable entry. The step up is Beefeater or Tanqueray. There are a bajillion craft gins and you can skip them until you’re ready to go deep.
- Tequila should always say 100% puro de agave on the bottle. If it does not say this, do not buy it.
- Anything that says “straight bourbon” on the bottle is probably fine.
- For scotch, look for single malt (best) or blended malt (acceptable) if you plan on sipping it. For mixers, I like Bank Note or Famous Grouse. Avoid the lower tiers of the big blends (Johnny Walker, Dewars, etc) - they are mostly grain alcohol.
- I don’t have an opinion on Vodka. If you do for some reason want it, Polish brands seem to be the best value (Sobieski, Luksusowa, etc).
- For “rye” look for something bottled in bond. Don’t pick up a Canadian rye unless you know what you’re doing. They are not the same, and most Canadian rye is not good.
- Rum is kind of hard. There are actually very different styles appropriate for different things, and tons of brands at similar price points that can be great or awful. For funk, look for Hamilton pot still, Rum Bar, Wray and Nephew, Doctor Bird, or Smith and Cross. For a cleaner style, look at Plantation 3 star as an entry level.
- always squeeze your own citrus juice (lemon/lime/orange). Orange should not be squeezed ahead of time. Lemon/Lime can be done a few hours before or to order, depending on personal preference.
- skip Rose’s anything (grenadine, cordial, etc).
- Angostura is a great all-around bitter. Add Regan’s Orange bitters and you’re all set unless you want to go deep on the hobby.
I have spent a lot of time in this rabbit hole, happy to answer specific questions.
scosman
Rye refers to different things in Canada and the US. Canadian Ryes can be excellent, and Canada makes some excellent rye grain whiskey. Don’t sub it in the wrong ingredient assuming it’s equivalent, then claim it’s mostly not good.
mNovak
I'll add to this, there's no reason to buy simple syrup! You can make it in a mug in the microwave in 30s, and it'll hold in the fridge for a while.
And the only counterpoint is pineapple juice, which you should just buy in the can -- it doesn't hold long at all once in air.
d3ckard
On vodka: Sobieski is not a good brand and "Luksusowa" is fine, but it's made of potatoes.
Personally, I strongly prefer vodkas made of wheat, they tend to be smoother and sit better (and the hangover is anegdotically less of a problem).
Also, people who think vodka quality doesn't matter clearly never drank a lot of vodka.
FuriouslyAdrift
For gin (dry style) gor Beefeater or Brokers.
For the floral styles then there's all kinds out there. Leopold Brothers is very intersting if you can find it. Also Monkey 47... pricey though.
nycdatasci
If the goal is to get drunk, there are lots of cheap ways to do it and it's fine to buy high-fructose-corn-syrup-based "mixers". If you're looking for great cocktails, consider the PDT (Please Don't Tell) book and/or app by Jim Meehan. When his recipes call for lemon juice, you'll be buying and squeezing (do not buy "fresh squeezed lemon juice"). If you want more of a sensory experience, take recipes from the Aviary in Chicago (they also sell a book). Prepare to spend several days preparing each drink.
refactor_master
It's just simple food science really. Cooling things down reduces harshness and complexity. Sweetening things reduces harshness and complexity. So if you're going for something cool and sweet, don't mix it with high end liquors, because you probably won't really notice a big difference.
addaon
#1) Good Maraschino cherries or similar.
technothrasher
Amarena Fabbri cherries are my go to for a Manhattan. So much better than even the good Maraschinos.
terribleperson
Good maraschino cherries are expensive and yet so incredibly good they're absolutely worth it.
The syrup they're in is also incredible.
yojo
Antica is very particular, IMO. It’s good, but lots of vanilla flavor, which doesn’t work everywhere. Honestly Martini and Rossi is totally adequate, and I wouldn’t bother stepping up until your palette is dialed in.
jen729w
I think anyone could immediately appreciate the difference between a negroni made with Antica vs. Rossi. It's night and day. The Antica lends a far deeper flavour vs. the brash sweetness of the Rossi.
The gin, on the other hand: just get the cheapest stuff you can find. Our go-to was Aldi's store brand.
Campari, of course, has the middle ingredient all stitched up.
yojo
I still disagree. The vanilla is just too much in a negroni. I’d rather use Dolin, or the Death & Co 50/50 Dolin/Punt e Mes mix if I think I can get through both bottles before they oxidize.
But Martini & Rossi is fine. It does the job well enough to understand the drinks, and you can start trying the pricier stuff once you decide if you even like them.
Also, hard disagree on “buy the cheapest gin.” Gordon’s is better than everything else on the bottom shelf at a regular liquor store, but often costs a buck or two more. Way better than Seagrams, or something like New Amsterdam that isn’t even a London Dry. I don’t have an Aldi to compare to. Kirkland Signature is fine if we’re doing store brands.
No argument on Campari. That’s just truth.
alex-moon
Since no-one else has mentioned it so far, I wanted to say I appreciated the big warning at the top. As someone who has struggled with (and overcome!) alcohol dependency in the past, having a big reminder that literally says "You should probably stop reading this" shows a sensitivity to the issue I rarely see online.
The other thing I loved about this write-up was the photo of the "best cocktail bar in the world" being the skeeziest, most dangerous looking flat-top you've ever seen. Having known a few bartenders in my life, I am absolutely not surprised that a "bartenders' bar" would look like that.
dcminter
Eh, that's also kind of the East London aesthetic for you. It used to be (maybe 30 years ago) very dodgy and is now (mostly) very hipster.
The Bar Americain which he mentions but doesn't show a picture of, on the other hand, is excellent, slap bang in the middle of Picadilly, and quite opulent. That's great to combine with a meal at the surprisingly cheap (given the location) brasserie Zedel.
NoboruWataya
Yes, I haven't been to Satan's Whiskers but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it was as expensive as Bar Americain (or moreso).
Bar Americain is probably my favourite cocktail bar in central London, though I'm not much of a cocktail drinker so that's not saying much. The Connaught is good for a special occasion (very opulent, also very expensive).
dguest
For about 6 months I tried to order a Jack Rose [1]. Only one bartender knew what it was (lime, applejack, and grenadine). And no it's not on this list.
How can I excuse such a pretentious mission? Well someone told me that "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" [2] was The Cocktail Bible and a Jack Rose was the thing I'd never heard of. Turns out no one else has either, at least since Hemingway was drinking them in Paris in the 1920s. Funny how things change in 100 years.
But it's actually pretty good: applejack pretty much died out in the US with the prohibition and cheaper liquors, but if you can find cider or calvados it's worth a shot.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Rose_(cocktail)
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fine_Art_of_Mixing_Drinks
Balgair
Jack Rose is one of my favorites!
99 Red Balloons is also a great one
tristor
I love a Jack Rose. Unfortunately it's hard to find any good Applejack. I bought some Laird's Apple Brandy that was supposed to be of a special release, thinking it'd be good, but it was very harsh and ended up (before a move) getting dumped. It's really difficult to find any decent Applejack, even though this used to be a quintessentially American drink.
dguest
The French version of the Wikipedia article [1] actually lists calvados [2] instead of applejack. So who knows what the Lost Generation was drinking, maybe the french version is just as good.
tristor
Yes, I've made it with Calvados and also with French pear brandy, which was pretty good, but Calvados and Applejack aren't exactly the same. Calvados is done with "cider apples" and Applejack was done with "eating apples" (from my understanding when I was reading into this), which meant Applejack was supposed to be sweeter and was often drunk straight, but it's pretty much disappeared after we learned to make Bourbon in this country.
jamestimmins
Such a fun and entertaining read. I'd never suggest someone give up a software career to become a food writer, but I'd love to read more of OP's writing as he pursues these goals.
aaaronson
Writer of the post here, really appreciate this! When I was really little I did say I wanted to be a food critic when I grew up...
gms
I also found this to be a fun read! Was intending to skim but ended up reading the whole thing. The level of care shines through - nice work.
pragmatick
Hi! I wondered why the Gin Basil Smash is in the column with rare, specialized ingredients? Sounds pretty basic to me, especially compared with the other cocktails in the list.
aaaronson
Purely because basil, in my experience, in the US, is not commonly stocked at bars (this might change as the gin basil smash grows in popularity). I had to go out of my way to find a bar with a gin basil smash on its menu, because the few I tried didn't have basil on hand.
userbinator
He wouldn't be the first to go from software to alcoholic beverages: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Pietrek
gpderetta
Arguably, jwz counts as well.
justsomehnguy
After 20 years you really want to be a goat farmer or a food critic/writer whatever.
And some happy folks figure this earlier.
jamestimmins
I spend all of my free time woodworking; thankfully it only took me 10 years to find the power of hobbies.
rbranson
If you wanna run thru this list and get a tally, I quickly created this lovable app: https://cocktail-checkered-log.lovable.app/. I'm at 68/102!
pnt12
Cool! 27 here! And I thought of myself as a connoisseur!
vincefutr23
Does this maintain state if navigate away ?
imrehg
Yes, the site seems to save the checked cocktails into Local Storage (you can click some, and in your browser's inspection tools you can check. Eg. in Firefox > Inspect > Storage > Local Storage, there's a key with "cocktail-tracker").
I've checked and closing/reopening works (of course locally only, no incognito tabs, etc...)
tristor
Nice, I'm at 75/102 apparently. Some of these I haven't heard of.
maest
> First semester that year, I took a Beverage Management class, which was ostensibly about managing bars, but it was no secret that everyone took it because of its tasting component.
Is this breadth of topics common for the American higher educational system or did the author go to a special university?
ordersofmag
At the very largest universities there is a really really wide variety of programs and courses. For example here's a course catalog where a search for 'intro' returns 3500 different courses. https://classes.osu.edu/#/?q=intro&client=class-search-ui&ca... You can see the variety, from "Introduction to the Army and Critical Thinking" to "Introductory Meat Science"
This breadth is typical of the very largest universities in the U.S.
hattmall
Yeah, but just to be clear there's only ~1500 classes offered there. The 3000 comes from many of the classes having multiple components, lab etc.
The number is further reduced by the fact that many of them are the same class with special qualifications to ensure placements. For example intro classes for designated transfer students. So you have the same class but 10 seats or something are only available to certain transfer program students.
The real number looks like somewhere in the ~400-600 range. Which is still very impressive but 3500 different intro subjects would be wildly excessive.
mNovak
As an aside if you're in Ohio, the OSU Animal Science lab sells meat raised at the university teaching farms for very good prices [1]
Related to the broader catalogue, I had fun in my Riflery and Table Tennis classes in college.
ChadNauseam
Sure. My alma mater (Michigan State) offers a minor in "Beverage Science and Technology" https://reg.msu.edu/academicprograms/ProgramDetail.aspx?PTyp...
It requires all the following courses:
CEM 482 Science and Technology of Wine Production 3
CHE 483 Brewing and Distilled Beverage Technology 3
FSC 481 Fermented Beveragesaaaronson
Author of the post here, I joke that I could've gotten a minor in Food because, on top of my actual CS major and Linguistics minor, I took Contemporary Nutrition, Grilling & BBQ Science, Beverage Management, and Vegetable Gardening (not to mention Bowling).
xboxnolifes
My university had courses such as wine tasting, beer tasting, and food tasting. Not necessarily a ton of them, but enough that a lot of 4th year students would fill their "free" credit slots with those courses as fun easy As.
avalys
It depends on the specific institution, but the US higher educational system does have a lot of very specialized degrees. This is part of a "Food Science & Nutrition" program (https://staging.fshn.illinois.edu/about/what-we-do-why-it-ma...).
While the value of some of these courses is somewhat questionable on their own (hence the old joke about majoring in "Underwater Basket Weaving"), they make a bit more sense as part of a broader program and/or a double-major.
For instance, you might double major in Chemistry, plus Food Science and Nutrition, if you intend to do some work in that industry - or perhaps Business plus Food Science and Nutrition.
Someone with less ambitious college plans might major in Food Science and Nutrition alone and aim for a job as a nutritionist, or a restaurant manager, etc.?
It's also common for people to register for courses like this as a fun or lightweight diversion from "more serious" majors. For instance, MIT offers a course on glassblowing, which counts toward the humanities & arts part of the general curriculum requirements.
TheBoozyGenius
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is something of a "special" university...
soared
Most large university have a few well known courses like this, though I don’t really know the purpose. Every in Boulder wants to take the history of the US through baseball, for example.
hattmall
Most reasonable business schools will have a significant restaurant management / hospitality program.
Balgair
Aside:
The internet is terrible for cocktail recipes. Discovery is terrible, recipes are badly listed most of the time, and the blogs don't curate well.
Youtube is not that bad if you can find a good channel with someone that has actually worked in a bar, but even then, they tend to go downhill after a while. It's a time limited gig.
The best way to grow your repertoire is to go to Goodwill and browse the book section there. The dollar bin section at any bookseller is good too. Used bookstores too. I have no idea why this is, but these crummy non-seller books have the best recipes and the best curation; it's bonkers. Sure, grab Smugglers Cove and the other hits, actually read them. But I have found that the best cocktail recipes are in the books no one wants anymore.
pnt12
On YouTube, I follow:
- Steve the bartender - How to drink - Cocktail time with Kevin Koz - The educated barfly - Anders Erickson
Good recipes, sometimes adding new things, but usually tasteful.
But maybe they're better to search for than to strictly follow regularly; there's so many cocktails that is impossible to buy all ingredients or try all of them.
AdmiralAsshat
drinkboy.com used to be my go-to for cocktail preparation. I liked that some of the articles had a bit of history behind them. Plus, in an era before YouTube destroyed all other video hosting sites, it was nice to see a video of the drink's preparation.
Plus I figured the HN crowd would enjoy that it's managed by Robert Hess, longtime Microsoft employee.
krebby
Such a sweet story! My friend actually went to the author's Borg party a few weeks ago and I'm second-guessing my choices that night after reading this. Funny to see it on Hacker News!
If you guys like reading about this kind of thing I recommend Cocktail Codex from the people behind Death & Co (referenced in the article). It's a great way to think about cocktails as a remixable grammar and the purpose behind all the mixing, muddling, and stirring.
mNovak
It's strange to note that a Dirty Martini, probably one of the most popular cocktails in the world, isn't on the IBA list. Likewise I've found many cocktail books also won't deign to list it as a 'real' cocktail. But I'd argue the heritage is the same as a great many now classic prohibition drinks -- adding ingredients to distract from low quality liquors.
I think that's a disservice, and it's worth standardizing; just like many of these, it can be surprisingly hard to get just right.
stouset
Do yourself a favor and use cerignola olives.
mgaunard
The trick to having a good time at a cocktail bar is sitting at the bar and talking to the bartender. Tell him what kind of things you like and he'll be happy to make recommendations and even have you taste some unusual ingredients he recommends for a twist on any of the classics.
There are a lot more good addresses in London than the ones he listed, it's clearly a hot spot worldwide for this kind of thing.
In NYC there are a few good ones as well, but I feel it's below London. It's also a bit too busy.
null
octo888
Any particular recommendations for London? I feel a thirst coming on!
mgaunard
Happiness Forgets is one of my favourites for a classic experience.
Discount Suit Company has a cool vibe, a bit more party-like, I remember dancing a few times there (despite it being tiny).
Waltz is a new one that's a bit different, Japanese-style, their creations are quite unique and masterfully delivered.
Shapes is also very popular for some reason, though I don't really see the point of places that only do bottled cocktails.
In Shoreditch and adjacent areas there are many other ones.
octo888
Thanks :) Happiness Forgets is right next to where I was going to grab some pizza later. Sorted
ik_ben_paul
I was surprised to see the Pornstar Martini outside of your Well-Known category, that's a big North America/Europe difference! eg Wikipedia cites a claim it was the most ordered cocktail in the UK a few years ago.
If anyone is interested in getting into cocktails I really can't recommend Cocktails with Suderman enough. The early posts are free and go into the theory of how cocktails are structured and why they work. Once you start to understand the structure of the major cocktails it makes it a lot easier to understand how you can play with the ingredients and make something new.
For instance, tons of cocktails fall into the "sour" category. They usually have proportions of 2:1:1 or 3:1:1 of a liquor, a sour, and a syrup. If you have rum, lime juice, and simple syrup it's a daiquiri. Swap out the lime juice for lemon juice and the rum for whiskey and you get a whiskey sour. Swap out the simple syrup for honey syrup and you get a Gold Rush. Use tequila, lime juice, and a blend of agave syrup and Cointreau and you have a margarita. Gin, lime, and simple syrup is a gimlet. And so on.
Also, as others have mentioned, the quality of the ingredients and the brands often matter a lot. A Manhattan calls for whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters, but the choice of whiskey and vermouth makes a big difference in the character of the drink. (And if you are using old vermouth that has been sitting out on the counter for a few years, or making a drink with bottled lime juice, it's just not going to turn out all that good.)
https://cocktailswithsuderman.substack.com/