When it derive to imbibing , we ’re creatures of habit . We place the same cocktail repeatedly until we ’re all of a sudden texting our ex from the back of a cab at 3 am . But what if you order a bunch of different kinds of drinks before you send those texts ?

That ’s the thing : at legal community , we ’re programmed to stick with an rescript . Or to think that certain drinks are n’t cool enough , or will get us shamed . ferment out , we ’re wrong , as evidenced by these top bartender ' thoughts on the drinks we should absolutely be ordering , but unremarkably are n’t .

The Mai Tai

Whitney Morrow , bar manager , Drumbar(address and info)Chicago , IL"I have a go at it a upright Mai Tai , people stay away from them because they have a history of being too honeyed and poorly made , but made decent and with menage - made orgeat … it ’s a dope and balanced drink ! "

Vermouth

Robby Haynes , beverage director , Analogue(address and info)Chicago , IL"I would have intercourse to see more the great unwashed drinking vermouth on its own . It ’s highly satisfying , offers layer of complexness , and is typically low cogent evidence and middling price . Unfortunately , like wine-colored , the moment a bottle of vermouth ’s top is pop it starts to oxidize , so choose the venues where you consume it carefully . For example , here at Analogue we go through a couple of bottleful a twenty-four hour period so it ’s always fresh . On the other side of the spectrum , if you ’re at an Applebee ’s in the suburbia , they might be sitting on a nursing bottle that was unfold in the late ' XC . So … if you ever find yourself at an Applebee ’s , your best stake is probably a Mudslide ™ .“Franky Marshall , beverage managing director , Le Boudoir(address and info)Brooklyn , NY"I think more hoi polloi should tope vermouth – in cocktails , highballs , or on its own . A pot of folk do n’t know what vermouth is , just see it as a modifier , or do n’t need it in their drinks at all , which is a shame since there ’s a wide range of delectable ones out there that are very versatile . ( And they wo n’t knock you out so quickly . ) "

Gin cocktails

Antonio Matta , barman , Firehouse Lounge(address and info)Austin , TX"Gin has such a bad report because it ’s one of those boozes that , if produce cheaply , leads to particularly nauseating results . It is the staple of so many cocktails and is part to get its due attention , but is still extremely misunderstood . A wide-eyed gin and soda pop or a gimlet is always a great option . Plus , they help forestall scurvy , malaria , and other such nasty ailments . You are literally drinking to your health ! "

The Tom Collins

Alex Gregg , owner , Moving Sidewalk(address and info)Houston , TX"People never order the Tom Collins . I guess it ’s not see as being exciting enough , but it ’s absolutely perfect , peculiarly when it ’s 100 degrees with 95 % humidity . "

Low-ABV cocktails

Michael Timmons , drinkable director , Kat & Theo(address and info)New York , NY"I’m really into low - ABV ( alcoholic beverage by volume ) cocktails at the moment . I suppose people either are n’t intimate with the component / flavor profile and are afraid to inquire , or they just feel that a cocktail should be " unassailable " or boozy , but the subtle - yet - complex nuances that you could achieve with amaros or bastioned vino are beautiful . "

The Sazerac

Silas Axtell , streak manager , Townsman(address and info)Boston , MA"It ’s my favorite cocktail to fuddle and make . The way my face lights up when someone orders it is almost mortifying . On multiple occasions , I ’ve had a guest separate me I was too delirious to make this drink . I love recommend it for people who wish whiskey , Manhattans , or an Old Fashioned . "

The mezcal Negroni

Nicole Cruz , bar manager , Contigo(address and info)Austin , TX"Though it is seldom ordered , nothing quite hits the spot like a Negroni with a simple change - up . The cocktail is traditionally one part snare , one part sweet vermouth , and one part Campari . One iteration that really sings is the mezcal Negroni , which swop a London Dry gin for an earthier choice . It may seem alien or overbearing , but the change of spirit imparts gravitas and affectionateness while maintaining balance . It sips effortlessly but still packs a punch . "

Straight booze

Andrew Pierce , bar director , Toro(address and info)Boston , MA"There ’s so much upkeep and time put into bottling these finished ideas . "

The Adonis

Trevor Frye , beverage director , Jack Rose Dining Saloon(address and info)andco - founder , Dram & Grain(address and info)Washington , DC"I love a good Adonis cocktail ( dry sherry , sweet & dry vermouth , orange bitters ) . I ’ve been drink more low - proof cocktail lately , and the Adonis has complex and full-bodied flavor , and your head wo n’t feel like a Wisconsinite and a racoon are fight in it the next day . "

Cider

Ezra Star , general manager , Drink(address and info)Boston , MA"I think more people should be ordering cider . It is such an underutilized class . A good juiceless cider can rival any beer or wine and it is an unbelievable accent in cocktails . "

Cosmopolitan

Nate Wales , beverage director , Cafe No Se(address and info)Austin , TX"It ’s pink , a little dainty , and so ' 90 , but freaking delicious ! It was also of critical importance in shifting drinkers ' habits from undivided mixer to properly craft and apprehended cocktails , but why consider this adorable pink drunkenness down with the gravitas of a ' cocktail movement . ' "

Brandy

Chris Morris , mixologist , Hunky - Dory Tavern(address and info)Houston , TX"Too often people tell me they ' do n’t care Cognac , '   which is just folly . They drink wine , they salute whisky , there ’s zero reason not to be drinking aged brandies . Every individual time I serve a Metropole , Vieux Carre , Champs Elysee , or their ilk , they love them . It ’s just such a misunderstood liveliness in a very trapped market place . "

The Gibson

Nicholas Bennett , head barkeep , Porchlight(address and info)New York , NY"A delicious dry martini made with your pick of gin ( Fords , Plymouth , Tanqueray ) and rather of a characterless Olea europaea , you are surprised with a sweet - and - piquant cocktail onion . It all comes down to the onion . If you could find a bar that is making their own onions , that is always a delight for me . They are delightful and , woefully , hard to find . "

The martini

Peter Canny , bartender / co - owner , Good Night Sonny(address and info)New York , NY"Over the last six months we ’ve been selling a net ton of them , whether it be gin or vodka ,   twist , onions , olives . I get it on pick up two people carry on a conversation in front of   me with two right martini in front of them , sharing a steak tartare and some   oyster . That just scream old New York for me . "

Egg white cocktails

Manisse Davison , beverage handler / bartender , Boiler House(address and info)San Antonio , TX"They are some of my favorite and when you find yourself in a fine establishment , a good one will deepen your life ! "

The classics

Tomy Lokvicic , general manager , Tanta(address and info)Chicago , IL"I believe hoi polloi should consecrate more classics cocktails – a great Tom Collins , fresh daiquiri , perfectly balanced Americano , Dark ’ n Stormy , Zombie , mint mint julep , older - school gin martini with sweet or dry vermouth , etc . By using interesting fresh products , nip , and techniques ( without turn a loss the romanticism of these drink ) , this is key to these cocktails making a comeback . "

Daiquiri

Diana Benanti , General Manager , Taste Bar(address and info)St . Louis , MO"A rum cocktail has three ingredients ; you may in reality try out them . It ’s classical , it ’s aphrodisiac as all sin , and just as delicious and refreshing in the winter as it is in the middle of summer . "

Bartender’s choice

Peter Wagner , bar manager , Bradstreet Neighborhood Craftshouse(address and info)Minneapolis , MN"This is honestly the good way to get to bonk your barkeep , and the best way for me to get to know a guest . You get a personalised experience and an chance to take the pulsing of what your bartender is cultivate on , and I get to make and show off a mo for you . It ’s a winnings - profits . "

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Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan | bogdanhoda/Shutterstock

Mai tai drinks

Flickr/Julie U.

vermouth liquor

OSSOBUKO/Shutterstock

gin and tonic cocktail on table

Flickr/Danielle Scott

tom collins drink

Wollertz/Shutterstock

sazerac cocktail

Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock

Mezcal negroni

Flickr/Chris Pople

Adonis cocktail

Cocktailmarler/Wikimedia

pair of ciders

Flickr/Anders Adermark

brandy on barrel

Africa Studio/Shutterstock

the gibson cocktail

Petar Djordjevic/Shutterstock

egg white cocktail

Flickr/Katharine Shilcutt

daiquiri cocktail

Shebeko/Shutterstock