Did you know there is a theory that there have only ever been 5 uniquely created cocktails and that every other cocktail is simply a derivation of one of these 5? Well, this is partially correct as the actual number of mother cocktails is a matter of great debate within the community, purists argue that there are 5, while some modernists argue that there are 7.
Regardless of the number of mother cocktails, an indisputable fact is that they are foundational knowledge for every bartender and have inspired thousands of other cocktails since
The 5 original mother cocktails are:
The Daiquiri
The Daisy
The Old Fashioned
The Martini
The Highball
While the 2 argued by modernists to be included are:
The Negroni
The Last Word
The Negroni is arguably derived from the Martini. In contrast, the Last Word is arguably derived from the Daisy, but to truly understand the issue, and to have an opinion on it, we must learn about these a little bit more deeply.
THE DAIQUIRI
The combination of rum, lime, and sugar being delicious is no secret, and is a cocktail that predates cocktail history itself. However, when we look at the Daiquiri through the lens of the Mother Cocktail Theory, we are not considering it as a stand-alone cocktail, but rather as a template for the sour cocktail consisting of:
Spirit | Citrus | Sweetening Syrup
When we look at this from this perspective and allow for modifications and additions instantly a couple of drinks come to mind; the Whisky Sour, is a great example! Whisky of choice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and optional addition of egg white or other vegan foamers fit within this bill perfectly.
Essentially, any cocktail that has a spirit base, an acidifying citrus component, and a syrup to sweeten it falls within this category, but when we look at possible additions, things start to look a little bit murky. Would you believe that the Pina Colada falls into the Daiquiri family tree?
Rum | Lime Juice | Cream of Coconut | Pineapple Juice
Spirit | Citrus | Sweetening Syrup | Additional Ingredient
It takes a bit of an understanding of what goes in each cocktail, but once you have that nailed down, realising which mother cocktail each drink comes from becomes a lot easier. Here are some other classic cocktails that stem from the Daiquiri mother cocktail
Caiprinha
Cachaca | Lime | Sugar
Mojito
Rum | Lime | Sugar | Mint
Bees Knees
Gin | Lemon | Honey
The Business
Gin | Lime | Honey
THE DAISY
Within the bar community, there is heated debate on which cocktail was the original in the Daisy format - The Margarita, or the Sidecar? Both are drinks that predate cocktail history and there is no clear correct answer. However, many people - including myself - are of the school of thought that it is the Margarita, as it is the Spanish word for Daisy.
Margarita
Tequila | Triple Sec | Lime
Sidecar
Brandy | Triple Sec | Lemon
The key difference between a Daisy variant and a Daiquiri variant is the kind of sweetener used in the drink. If it is made using syrup as a sweetener, it falls under the Daiquiri family tree, if it uses a liqueur as a sweetener, it falls under the Daisy family tree. Therefore, a Daisy-style cocktail will read as:
Spirit | Sweetening Liqueur | Citrus
This allows for even more customisability than drinks from the Daiquiri family tree, as the combination of spirits and liqueurs becomes endless, and once you incorporate possible additions into the mix, even more so!
There is a vast range of drinks under the Daisy family tree; some of them are cult classics, some are lesser known, and all of them are delicious. Some of my personal favourites are:
Cosmopolitan
Citron Vodka | Triple Sec | Lime | Cranberry Juice
White Lady
Gin | Triple Sec | Lemon | Egg White OR Vegan Foamer
Trader Vic’s Mai Tai
Aged Rum | White Rum | Triple Sec | Lime | Orgeat
Between The Sheets
Brandy | White Rum | Triple Sec
THE OLD FASHIONED
While some people believe that an Old Fashioned has to be made with Bourbon, Angostura Bitters, and a sugar cube, the original recipe of an Old Fashioned is stated as:
Spirit | Bitters | Sugar
This opens up a whole realm of possibilities, not only are Rye, Scotch, Irish, and other world whiskies viable options, but as to are spirits such as Rum, Tequila, Mezcal, and even Gin!
As long as it contains the 3 fundamental ingredients and no citrus juice, it falls within the family of the Old Fashioned. This is a family of spirit-forward, generally stirred down drinks, which make these great for batching, and as viable freezer door cocktails!
For the sugar component of an Old Fashioned Style cocktail, unlike the difference between a Daiquiri variant and a Daisy variant, can be syrup or liqueur. This means that drinks such as the Revolver, and the Stinger, fall into the Old Fashioned family.
Examples of Old Fashioned variations are:
Sazerac
Rye OR Cognac OR Both | Peychauds Bitters | Sugar | Absinthe
Oaxacan Old Fashioned
Tequila | Mezcal | Orange Bitters | Chocolate Bitters | Agave Nectar
Revolver
Bourbon | Orange Bitters | Coffee Liqueur
Classic Champagne Cocktail
Cognac | Brown Sugar Cube | Angostura Bitters | Champagne
THE MARTINI
The Martini, arguably the most iconic cocktail ever made, consists of:
Spirit | Fortified Wine | Bitters
This is a style of drink that is oh-so-easy to get right, owing to its simplicity in preparation. But this simplicity in preparation, makes it ever so difficult to perfect, as there are no flashy bartending techniques, or eye-catching glassware or garnishes to hide behind. The technique of preparation from your bartender makes or breaks this drink!
Simplicity in preparation also leads to simplicity in variations. All Martini variations are spirit-forward drinks with a minimal ingredients list, and any potent ingredients are added in sparing amounts. For more information on the Martini, and its variations, make sure to check out our Martini Variations Article!
Much like the Old Fashioned family, these drinks are great prebatched and poured straight from the freezer! Some of our favourite variations are:
Manhattan
Rye Whiskey | Sweet Vermouth | Angostura Bitters | Orange Bitters
Alaska
London Dry Gin | Yellow Chartreuse | Orange Bitters | Absinthe | Salt | Orange Zest
Tequilatini
Reposado Tequila | Dry Vermouth | Orange Bitters
Martinez
London Dry Gin | Sweet Vermouth | Orange Bitters
THE HIGHBALL
If the Martini is the most iconic cocktail to ever be made, the highball is the most used format in the bartending world. 2 ingredients, in a highball over ice, seem like your standard spirit & mixer drink that you would order in a late-night bar, and it is exactly that. Your Highball style cocktail will always read as:
Spirit | Mixer | Optional Additions
Some of the most well-known drinks are highballs that have been drunk so many times over it would be impossible to keep count! Aside from your usual highballs like the Gin & Tonic, the Rum & Coke, and the Whisky Soda, there is a whole world of Highball style drinks out there, for more in-depth information, check out our 2 Ingredient Highball article!
The versatility in this cocktail family knows no bounds, with an almost infinite selection of spirits and mixers to choose from, the world if your oyster! Here are some of our favourites!
Paloma
Tequila | Grapefruit Soda | Lime Juice
Americano
Red Italian Bitter | Sweet Vermouth | Soda
Mizuwari
Japanese Whisky | Still Water
Fernet & Coke
Fernet Branca | Coca Cola (Duh!)
THE NEGRONI
Whether the Negroni is a family of drinks on its own, or a subsect of the Martini or Old Fashioned families is up for debate, and there are convincing arguments for each. I, however, am of firm belief that the Negroni is unique enough within itself and has had an appropriate number of variations made in its form to warrant its own branch of the family tree, with a format of:
Spirit | Fortified Wine | Bitter Aperitif
Traditionally done in equal parts, but not all combinations of spirit, wine, and aperitif will achieve the desired balance in equal parts, so some tinkering with ratios will be required.
This family of cocktails, much like its 2 potential parents, are spirit-forward serves that are great prebatched and poured straight from the freezer.
Here are some of our favourite bittersweet libations:
Boulevardier
Bourbon | Sweet Vermouth | Red Bitter Aperitif
Old Pal
Rye Whiskey | Dry Vermouth | Red Bitter Aperitif
Right Hand
Aged Rum | Sweet Vermouth | Red Bitter Aperitif | Chocolate Bitters
Hanky Panky
London Dry Gin | Sweet Vermouth | Fernet Branca
For more Negroni Variations, check out our 7 Aperitifs to use in a Negroni article!
THE LAST WORD
The Last Word is no new cocktail, but in the realm of Mother Cocktails, it is the youngest member of the family by some distance. The earliest record of it came from Detroit Athletic Club’s members' magazine for July-August 1916, but only really stepped into the realm of being a mother cocktail in the late 1990s to early 2000s as bartenders across the globe started to adopt the template of equal parts cocktails. The original recipe reads as:
London Dry Gin | Green Chartreuse | Maraschino | Lime Juice
(All in equal parts)
However, as the bartending scene, and this drink alongside it, have evolved, the format has changed over the years from:
Spirit | Liqueur | Liqueur | Citrus
All in equal parts
To:
Spirit | Liqueur | Liqueur | Citrus | Optional Additions
(Ratios may vary)
This makes riffs of the Last Word in modern bartending to be the hardest to spot.
There is also a convincing argument that drinks from the Last Word family tree should be a subsection of the Daisy category as they get their sweetness from liqueurs as opposed to sweetening syrups. While this is true and a viable argument, I believe that the Last Word was unique enough in its execution, and had enough cultural impact to spur a whole array of drinks riffing on it, that it deserves its own branch on this family tree of tipples.
These drinks are booze-forward, generally on the more acidic side of balanced, and, more often than not, have at least 1 polarising ingredient. Some of our favourite variations are:
Naked & Famous
Mezcal | Italian Red Aperitivo | Yellow Chartreuse | Lime
Final Ward
Rye Whiskey | Green Charteuse | Maraschino | Lemon
Division Bell
Mezcal | Italian Red Aperitivo | Maraschino | Lime
Paper Plane
Bourbon Whiskey | Italian Red Aperitivo | Amaro Nonino | Lemon
By Fowwaz Ansari
