11 Upscale Drinks You Need To Try in 2023

Somedays, you might feel like drinking a classic cocktail, a craft cocktail at your local bar, or even a simple cocktail at home. What if you are in the mood for something a little fancier?

We will show you some of our favorite upscale drinks that make you want to stick your pinky out when sipping these cocktails.

You might even win over your bartender if you order one of these at the bar, except the Ramos Gin Fizz. So don’t ever order that at a bar!

What is an Upscale Drink?

An upscale drink is sophisticated, using specialized ingredients that are not always common in cocktails. They can provide complex, fascinating, and robust flavors your palette might not be used to.

There might be a little more work involved with the cocktail. So give yourself more time to make it and to get it right. This is half the fun in improving your home bartender journey and learning.

Another part about upscale drinks, is your cocktail glass. You don’t want to spend all this time making a fancy drink and putting it in a red solo cup.

Invest in a Nick and Nora glass, martini glass, double rocks glass, and a Collins glass. You don’t have to have all of these but a couple will be fine.

What Are the 11 Best Upscale Cocktail Recipes You Need to Try?

You might be wondering why some of these drinks are on here. Or these are nothing special because you have been drinking them since 2009.

At the bar where I work almost daily, I meet people who haven’t heard of any of these drinks and are interested in trying something new.

1. Whiskey Sour

   This is one of my favorite cocktails to drink. It’s also one of my favorite cocktails to make for people when they say make me something. So many people still haven’t had a cocktail with an egg white in it, and I love showing people what it does to a cocktail.

   

   Whiskey Sour Recipe

   • 2 ounces Bourbon Whiskey (I like to use Bulleit Bourbon)
   • .75 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
   • .75 ounce Simple Syrup
   • 1 Egg White
   1. Combine all the ingredients in a shaker tin.
   2. Dry shake for 10 – 12 seconds.
   3. Add ice.
   4. Shake vigorously for 12 – 15 seconds.
   5. Double strain into a coupe glass.
   6. Garnish with 3 – 6 drops of Angostura bitters.



2. Ramos Gin Fizz

   Please don’t ever order this drink in the middle of a heavy service at your favorite cocktail bar. They will tell you, “No!” Even if they are slow and have some time to burn, it might still be a more polite, “no.” The reason is that the method of making this drink is extremely time consuming.

   Have fun with this one at home with some friends and see who gets their Ramos Gin Fizz the tallest!

   Ramos Gin Fizz Recipe

   • 2 ounces London Dry Gin
   • .5 ounce Heavy Cream
   • .5 ounce Simple Syrup
   • .375 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
   1. Combine all the ingredients in a shaker tin.
   2. Dry shake for 10 – 12 seconds.
   3. Add ice.
   4. Shake vigorously for 12 – 15 seconds.
   5. Double strain into a coupe glass.
   6. Garnish with 3 – 6 drops of Angostura bitters.



3. Pisco Sour

   I discovered this cocktail only a couple of years ago and instantly fell in love. Pisco is a fantastic spirit that reminds me of Lillet or an Ice Wine. It has a refreshing factor and adding juice and sugar makes it even more lovely.

   I saw on Anders Erickson’s YouTube channel about splitting the citrus base and was intrigued about the taste. So I made one up and was like, “Yup! That is how I am making mine from now on.”

   

   Pisco Sour Recipe

   • 2 ounces Pisco
   • .5 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
   • .5 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
   • .75 ounce Simple Syrup
   • 1 Egg White
   1. Combine all the ingredients in a shaker tin.
   2. Dry shake for 10 – 12 seconds.
   3. Add ice.
   4. Shake vigorously for 12 – 15 seconds.
   5. Double strain into a coupe glass.
   6. Garnish with one drop of Angostura bitters.



4. French 75

   I love to make someone their first French 75. Someone at the bar will order a mimosa, and I ask if they want something a little more refreshing and lighter.

   The French 75 is one of my favorite brunch or celebratory cocktails. You have to try this one.

   

   French 75 Recipe

   • 1 ounce Gin
   • .5 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
   • .5 ounce Simple Syrup
   • 3 ounces Champagne
   1. Place gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker.
   2. Add ice cubes.
   3. Shake for 10 seconds.
   4. Double strain into a champagne flute.
   5. Top off with Champagne.
   6. Garnish with a lemon twist.



5. Negroni

   When people order this cocktail at the bar, I always say, “This person knows their cocktails.” Is that always true? No, but I like to think so.

   There are so many different flavors in a Negroni, from bitter to sweet to botanicals to citrus, and it takes your taste buds on an exciting journey.

   

   Negroni Recipe

   • .75 ounce Campari
   • .75 ounce London Dry Gin (I like Beefeater)
   • .75 ounce Sweet Vermouth (I like Carpano Antica)
   • 1 Dash Orange Bitters
   1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass.
   2. Add ice.
   3. Stir for 30 seconds.
   4. Strain over one large ice cube in a double rocks glass.
   5. Garnish with an orange twist.



6. Vesper Martini

   Yes, this is the James Bond martini ordered in Casino Royale. The most significant difference is that we are stirring down our cocktail and not shaking it.

   The blanc vermouth sets this martini apart from the traditional gin or vodka. It gives it a little more flavor to complement the gin you choose.

   There are several different ratios for making this drink and my preferred way is 3:2:1.

   

   Vesper Martini Recipe

   • 1.5 ounces London Dry Gin
   • 1 ounce Vodka
   • .5 ounce Blanc Vermouth
   1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass.
   2. Add ice.
   3. Stir for 30 seconds.
   4. Strain into a martini glass.
   5. Garnish with a lemon twist.



7. Corpse Reviver #2

   If you couldn’t pick up from the name, this drink was intended to remedy those rough mornings we sometimes have. It also is the second in a series of Corpse Reviver cocktails.

   This drink is simple to make but packs in a lot of flavors. You will quickly be making yourself several of these.

   

   Corpse Reviver #2 Recipe

   • Absinthe, rinse
   • .75 ounce London Dry Gin
   • .75 ounce Lillet Blanc
   • .75 ounce orange liqueur
   • .75 ounce fresh lemon juice
   1. I like to use an atomizer to spray the inside of a coupe glass with absinthe. If you don’t have one, you can pour in a small amount of absinthe and roll it around and then discard.
   2. Place the remainder of the ingredients into a shaking tin.
   3. Add ice.
   4. Shake for 12 – 15 seconds.
   5. Double strain into your coupe glass.



8. The Last Word

   This cocktail is just as complex as a Negroni but seems more accepted by someone starting their cocktail journey.

   The Green Chartreuse adds deep and complex flavor, while the gin gives it an incredible lightness. You also get a nutty sweetness from the maraschino liqueur and nice acidity from the lime juice.

   

   The Last Word Recipe

   • .75 ounce London Dry Gin
   • .75 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
   • .75 ounce Green Chartreuse
   • .75 ounce Maraschino Liqueur (I like Luxardo)
   1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin.
   2. Add ice cubes.
   3. Shake for 12 – 15 seconds.
   4. Double strain into a coupe glass.
   5. Garnish by dropping in a maraschino cherry.



9. Black Manhattan

   Is a Black Manhattan better than the classic cocktail? I don’t think so, but I put it on this upscale drink list because of amari. It gives this cocktail a complexity of flavors with a richness that is just damn good.

   This is a great cocktail to try different variations with. Try using different amari and even splitting the amaro.

   

   _{Splitting a spirit/liquor  means you use two different brands of the same style to equal the required amount. Ex – .5 ounce Amaro Nonino and .5 ounce Averna}

   Black Manhattan Recipe

   • 2 ounces Rye Whiskey (I like Rittenhouse Rye)
   • 1 ounce Amaro
   • 1 Dash Orange Bitters
   1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass/li>
   2. Add ice
   3. Stir for 30 seconds
   4. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass
   5. Garnish with a maraschino cherry



10. Enzoni

    I first heard of this drink on Steve the Bartender’s YouTube channel and had always wanted to try it. We decided to make a video on it for our channel, and Riley and I both loved it right away. (Unfortunately, that video file got corrupted, but we will reshoot it)

    It is refreshing, bitter, and tart and 100% deserves to be on anyone’s list of upscale cocktails.

    

    Enzoni Recipe

    • 1 ounce Gin
    • 1 ounce Campari
    • .75 ounce Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
    • .5 ounce Simple Syrup
    • Five green grapes
    1. Muddle the grapes in your cocktail shaker.
    2. Add the rest of the ingredients into your shaker.
    3. Add ice cubes.
    4. Shake for 12 – 15 seconds.
    5. Strain over a large ice cube in a double rocks glass.
    6. Garnish with a skewer of 3 green grapes.



11. Hemingway Daiquiri

    The Daiquiri is my ‘let’s see if the bartender knows what they are doing’ drink. It’s simple to make and is a delicious cocktail to drink.

    The Hemingway Daiquiri is the complex and sophisticated big brother to the classic. Named after the author that supposedly drank more daiquiris than anyone can imagine, this drink will be a hit at any pool party.

    Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe

    • 2 oz White Rum
    • .25 ounce Maraschino liqueur
    • .75 ounce Fresh Grapefruit juice
    • .25 ounce Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
    • .25 ounce Simple Syrup
    1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin.
    2. Add ice cubes.
    3. Shake for 12 – 15 seconds.
    4. Double strain into a coupe glass.
    5. Garnish with a lime wheel.

There you have it! 11 of my favorite upscale cocktails. 

With some practice, you can create this at home without any problems. Your friends and family will be impressed with your skills at all the holiday parties. 

Last note on upscale cocktails

Don’t let your friends make fun of you for ordering fancy cocktails. They are the ones missing out. 

Let us know what you consider an upscale cocktail or a fancy drink. Have you tried any of these?