20 Spirits and Cocktails You Secretly Can't Explain

Bone up on your boozing vocab so that you can decipher the cocktail menu sans a smartphone.

Hannah Norwick

The cocktail revolution is an exciting and mainly awesome phenomenon. These days, drinking at a good bar is like the education you never got in college—one where you’re supposed to get drunk while learning about antique cocktail recipes, obscure spirits, and funky house-made syrups. However, it can also be mentally exhausting, and sometimes you’d rather just order a whiskey neat than figure out what the hell Demerara is, and what it’s going to do to your Old-Fashioned. (Don’t worry, it’s just fancy sugar.)

With the cocktail scene becoming increasingly competitive, bar programs continue to find new ways to stand out—from shock-and-awe theatrics to often unrecognizable ingredients and booze. Often, you don’t feel like asking for someone to decode the menu for you, especially when the bartender is already dealing with a packed house (or, worse still, appears to be a douche). Consider this your handy cheat sheet—20 mixed drinks, spirits, and cocktails ingredients that you might vaguely recognize when you see them at the bar, but kind of need a refresher to remind yourself what they really are.

Study up, then order with confidence rather than just blindly asking for a cobbler and wondering what’s going to show up in front of you.

Orgeat

What it is: A non-alcoholic syrup made with almonds, sugar, and rose water; sometimes orange flower water or zest is added as well. The Latin etymology of the word is related to horchata, the Hispanic beverage made with ground almonds, rice, and a blend of spices. The word originally referred to barley. How it's served: Most typically associated with Tiki-style drinks, the syrup helps to marry fruit juices with multiple spirits and is a key ingredient in a proper Mai Tai.
Reviver

What it is: A family of cocktails meant to bring you back to life from a hangover, hence the name. The Corpse Reviver is the most famous. Revivers are typically served up and should be made with cognac and brandy. Many use absinthe as a rinse or spritz. How it's served: Over time, many of the reviver recipes have been lost. The famous Savoy Cocktail Handbook details both the Corpse Reviver and the Corpse Reviver #2. The first is made with cognac, brandy, and sweet vermouth in a shell glass, while the second is gin, Cointreau (orange liqueur), Lillet, lemon, and absinthe, also served up.
Shandy

What it is: A drink made by mixing beer and lemonade, though modern interpretations may also use ginger beer, cider, or citrus soda. How it's served: Typically served in a beer glass, a shandy should include some type of citrus added to beer. Other additions include Campari and Aperol. Shandies are a good call when you want a drink, but don't want to get drunk.
Flip

What it is: This genre of cocktails was born on ships, where seafarers would create a hot mixture of beer, rum, and sugar. The process of making it a frothy consistency was referred to as "flipping" the drink. Cocktail forefather Jerry Thomas added eggs to his flips, then poured them back and forth repeatedly between two glasses to achieve the correct consistency. Today, raw egg whites are always present in a flip, and sometimes cream is used, though it is not traditional. How it's served: Flips are served up in a shell glass with a visibly frothy head. They undergo a dry shake before being shaken again with ice. A famous and classic flip called the Clover Club is made with gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup, and an egg white.
Pulque

What it is: This Mexican beverage is made from fermented sap from the maguey plant (a species of agave, which is a water lily rather than a cactus). It is the color of milk and has a slightly sour flavor, not unlike over-ripe pears. How it's served: Most pulque is served in bars called pulquerías. Today, the drink is exported to the U.S. in cans, but it is also being used in cocktails with an array of juices and spices.
Sloe Gin

What it is: An English gin that is infused with sloe berries and sugar. How it's served: In Britain, sloe gin was traditionally a wintertime drink consumed to shake off the chill. The American take on the booze involved adding citrus and carbonation, making it more summery and spawning the Sloe Gin Fizz. In recent years, with the cocktail renaissance in full swing, sloe gin has made a bit of a comeback, especially with Plymouth resurrecting its traditional recipe to replace the cheap imitations that had been keeping the market alive.
Zombie

What it is: A classic Tiki cocktail that took off during the 1939 World's Fair in New York. It is very high in alcohol (predominantly rum)—the name is a joke on the idea that it turns drinkers into zombies. How it's served: Riffs on the Zombie have evolved over time, with countless variations between bartenders. Most use multiple types of rum (golden, dark, white, and 151), as well as a mixture of juices from pineapple, papaya, and passion fruit to coconut milk. The iced drink is boozy as all get out, and is sometimes set on fire or topped with a 151 float and served in a 12-14 ounce untapered glass, also referred to as a Zombie. Often customers are limited to only two Zombies a night—trust us, it's for the best.
Fernet-Branca

What it is: Fernet is a type of amari—an Italian digestive translating to bitter. It is made from a blend of more than 40 different herbs and spices including gentian root, fermented beets, rhubarb, bay leaves, and quinine. The name fernet refers to a "clean iron" used in the distillation process. How it's served: Traditionally taken as an after-dinner drink or apéritif, the dark brown liquid is often served neat and sipped. It's also commonly mixed with Coke or soda water and served over ice. The most recent fad, popularized in San Francisco, is to shoot the astringent and herbaceous stuff straight. The practice was adopted by barkeeps who would take shots of Fernet which was easy, fast, and calms the stomach, but it's spread to consumer—many bars even have Fernet on tap to keep it flowing.
Sweet and Dry Vermouth

What it is: Technically a fortified wine, the base for this spirit comes from fermented grape juice, which is steeped with a blend of herbs, botanicals, other alcohol (often brandy), and sugar. There are multiple varieties of vermouth, but sweet and dry are the most common. How it's served: Vermouth can be served by itself, on the rocks, or with a slight chill. A lemon twist is a nice touch for the dry variety. More commonly and famously, the stuff is used in cocktails like martinis, Negronis, and Manhattans. A quick rundown about the two vermouths: Sweet vermouth is darker in color and is traditionally the one you're tasting in Manhattans and Negronis. Dry vermouth is a clear liquid used in gin and vodka martinis. If someone orders a martini dry, it requires a very light pour of vermouth; extra dry means nearly no vermouth; and naked means none. An in-and-out requires a splash of vermouth in the glass where a martini will be served but is dumped before pouring, while a perfect Manhattan or martini is equal parts sweet and dry vermouths together.
Cobbler

What it is: A class of cocktails that came about in the mid- to early-19th Century, characterized by a wine base, fresh fruit, sugar, and a fresh berry garnish. Early cobblers also made exciting use to two new luxuries a the time—ice and straws. How it's served: One of the most famous renditions falling within this family of cocktails is the Sherry Cobbler, which is traditionally made with sherry, fresh oranges, and sugar. It is shaken, served over ice, and topped with plenty of fresh berries. Today, cobblers are made with all sorts of base spirits, from bourbon to gin, but all use fresh fruit both in the drink and for garnish, and they should use some sort of wine, such as champagne to claret.
Fizz

What it is: As a class of cocktails, the fizz is a close relative to the sour, but it sees carbonation—essentially, it's a fizzy sour. Traditionally lemon or lime and simple syrup are used, as well as club soda. How it's served: The most popular fizz ordered today is probably the Gin Fizz, which is made with gin, lemon juice, simple, and soda served over ice in a highball glass. This is the exact recipe used for a Tom Collins, though an old-school Collin's was most likely made with Old Tom gin rather than a London dry variety. Other fizzes use eggs (sometimes not just whites), like flips, to gain frothiness. The Ramos gin fizz—which was created in the late 1800s in New Orleans—throws in cream, milk, vanilla, powdered sugar, and orange flower water. Because it has to be shaken for so long, bartenders hate making a Ramos gin fizz, and it is sort of a douche move to order one unless it's on the menu.
Cynar

What it is: An Italian liqueur made using a blend of aromatics and herbs, most notably artichoke. The flavor is not that of the mild and prickly green, but rather bitter, robust, and slightly medicinal. How it's served: This Italian liqueur, or digestive, is typically served neat or on the rocks. However, the dark and bitter drink can also be mixed with club soda or substituted for Campari in a Negroni.
Pisco

What it is: A South American grape brandy either originating from Peru or Chile, depending on who you ask (be careful before jumping into the fray—the argument's been going on for nearly 400 years). How it's served: The spirit is most commonly associated with the pisco sour, a cocktail made with lemon juice, egg whites, and sugar in addition to the brandy. The drink is shaken and served up with a dash of Angostura bitters in the egg-white foam. Pisco punch was also a popular drink in San Francisco through the 1800s, but lost its following during Prohibition. It is said that the true recipe no longer exists, though most pisco punches contain pineapple (sometimes soaked in gum syrup or the brandy itself), lemon or lime juice, and distilled water.
Daiquiri

What it is: This class of cocktails is made with rum, lime juice, and sugar. During the 1940s, when whisky and vodka were harder to come by, trade with Latin America made rum more accessible and the daiquiri became a popular cocktail. How it's served: Today, people often associate daiquiris with a spinning frozen-drinks machine. But more classic forms of the drink that are not pre-made are often served on the rocks, with shaved ice, or up in a martini glass. The Hemingway Daiquiri (named for the author himself) has a story attached to it about Hemingway's diabetes and his inability to consume sugar. Ingredient's for the writer's tipple include white rum, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and maraschino liqueur.
Pimm's No. 1

What it is: A fruit liqueur that uses English dry gin as its base, and also includes various citrus juices and spices. There are seven Pimm's in all, though only a limited number are in production. Pimm's No. 1 is the most common among Brits, and it's a staple of high-society drinking at events such as garden parties and regattas. How it's served: All Pimm's are referred to as "fruit cups," but when you see a Pimm's Cup on a cocktail menu, it most commonly uses the No. 1 variety. The summer drink can be made simply with Pimm's No. 1, lemonade, a lemon soda, or ginger ale, and a cucumber garnish, served in a tall glass over ice. There's room for all sorts of additions, such as rhubarb, cucumber juice, lovage syrup, and celery water. At the end of the day, it tastes a little like a boozy Arnold Palmer.
Sazerac

What it is: A classic New Orleans cocktail that riffs on an old fashioned; it's named after the Sazerac brandy that was originally used. How it's served: Though it's a relatively simple cocktail, the sazerac may be one the on of the toughest drinks to execute properly behind a bar because balance, technique, and proper ingredients are critical. A chilled glass is washed with an absinthe rinse and set aside or placed into a refrigerator. (Many times Pernod or another anisette are used in place of absinthe). In another Old Fashioned glass, Peychaud's and Angostura bitters are muddled with sugar, then stirred with rye whiskey. The whiskey is then strained and served neat with a lemon twist in the absinthe-washed glass.
Chartreuse

What it is: This is a closely guarded secret. This French liqueur has been around since the 18th century, when Carthusian monks began making the stuff. No more than three monks ever know the recipe at any time, which contains 130 herbs and flowers. The liqueur gets its green hue from spinach. How it's served: The herbaceous stuff it often tipped back as a shot all on its own and is also used to give depth to various cocktails. Due to its history, it is a coveted product for drinkers interested in the exploration of vintage spirits.
Mezcal

What it is: Just like tequila, this spirit is distilled from the heart, or piña, of the agave plant. These piñas are roasted over pits of hot rocks, giving mezcal its signature smokiness. In addition to being smoked, mezcal is distinct from tequila because it uses very specific agave plants and must be made in designated Mexican regions—as a result, it tends to be produced by very small, artisan producers, so expect prices to be a bit higher. In broad terms, mezcal is smokier, saltier, and less sweet than tequila. How it's served: Like tequila, mezcal can be shot or served neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails. It has become very popular at some of the country's best cocktail bars, where it will often replace tequila in margaritas. The Mezcal Mule at NYC's PDT is a modern classic.
Mead

What it is: While it's not technically a cocktail or spirit, we decided that mead deserved a spot on this list of obscure tipples. Mead is an ancient fermented drink make of water, honey, malt, and yeast. Since it uses honey where grapes would be used in regular wine, it's often referred to as "honey wine." How it's served: While it's associated in the history books with everyone from ancient Etruscans to vikings (shout out to Vik!), mead is having a small renaissance these days, with all sorts of small-batch producers popping up around the country. It can be served chilled in a wine or beer glass, and the flavors range from sweet to floral to citrusy, depending on who makes it and what type of honey is used.
Calvados and Armagnac

What it is: Calvados is an apple-flavored brandy from Normandy that is distilled from cider. Armagnac is a French brandy distilled twice from white wine grapes, then aged in casks (usually black oak). How it's served: Both are traditionally served neat in big snifters for sipping, but actually Calvados is better suited for a wine glass, and Armagnac a flute. Both of these are a bit strong for mixing in cocktails, but sometimes you'll see bartenders playing with them. Applejack—a sweeter American variant of apple brandy—is better for mixing.
The cocktail revolution is an exciting and mainly awesome phenomenon. These days, drinking at a good bar is like the education you never got in college—one where you're supposed to get drunk while learning about antique cocktail recipes, obscure spirits, and funky house-made syrups. However, it can also be mentally exhausting, and sometimes you'd rather just order a whiskey neat than figure out what the hell Demerara is, and what it's going to do to your Old-Fashioned. (Don't worry, it's just fancy sugar.) With the cocktail scene becoming increasingly competitive, bar programs continue to find new ways to stand out—from shock-and-awe theatrics to often unrecognizable ingredients and booze. Often, you don't feel like asking for someone to decode the menu for you, especially when the bartender is already dealing with a packed house (or, worse still, appears to be a douche). Consider this your handy cheat sheet—20 mixed drinks, spirits, and cocktails ingredients that you might vaguely recognize when you see them at the bar, but kind of need a refresher to remind yourself what they really are. Study up, then order with confidence rather than just blindly asking for a cobbler and wondering what's going to show up in front of you. See also: 20 Foods You Secretly Can't Explain

20 Spirits and Cocktails You Secretly Can't Explain

Orgeat

Reviver

Shandy

Flip

Pulque

Sloe Gin

Zombie

Fernet-Branca

Sweet and Dry Vermouth

Cobbler

Fizz

Cynar

Pisco

Daiquiri

Pimm's No. 1

Sazerac

Chartreuse

Mezcal

Mead

Calvados and Armagnac

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