Currently interning at a MF, and as I turned 21 over the summer, I never know what to order at happy hours. Any suggestions for "cultured" cocktails, as opposed to the kind of stuff you'd expect college students to drink?
Edit: thanks for the suggestions everyone!
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Comments (39)
Can't go wrong with an old fashioned - screams I work in finance and don't really know cocktails, but the safe choice and you don't want to stand out as the intern ordering crazy stuff at the bar. If you want to elevate beyond that, would suggest a Manhattan (Old Fashioned minus the sugar water plus vermouth and bitters) or Negroni (campari + gin + vermouth).
Paper Plane - this is the way.
100%
Gin and tonic always plays
Generally, nobody cares what you order. The caveat being if it is a cocktail (instead of like a glass of wine or a beer), try to stick to 2 ingredients (unless something well known like an Old Fashioned as another poster mentioned)....Vodka Soda, Gin & Tonic, Whiskey Coke, etc. Cocktails snobs will throw MS at me for this, but it's an easy, non-fussy order, and won't take away from the conversation. Additionally, if you're at a place that serves cocktails, chances are they have a decent red blend (wine) or white that will probably suffice as well.
A drink with two ingredients is a mixed drink, which... is exactly what I'd expect to see college kids making, so not what OP wants. A cocktail has 3 or more ingredients.
FWIW, it's not being a snob - I love ordering a gin and tonic or a tequila soda when I'm out. But OP specifically asked what cocktails to order, rather than a mixed drink, so suggesting a litany of mixed drinks that a college kid would be downing is not giving a helpful answer.
OP, the answer depends on what you'll enjoy drinking. A negroni is safe and tough to screw up if you like gin. A martini if you like vodka (or gin). A margarita or mezcal margarita is safe. So on and so forth.
Good thing we know you're interning at a MF, answer would have totally been different if you were at a MM
Just as a way of introduction lol
So when you meet people does it go like:
Person: Hi nice to meet you my names Ashley, what's yours?
You: I work at KKR
hahahahahaha
Macallan 18, neat. That'll show em who's boss
Make sure it's on the company tab too and you make it known you're drinking an 18
Gin tonic, the only way
- Vodka tonic with lime
- Long Island Iced Tea
- Greyhound
- Jack or Makers and Coke
"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
OP please don't order a long island iced tea.
Definitely recommend Gin & Tonic! A classic cocktail known for its simplicity and refreshing taste. It's like a stylish kimono meets a snazzy bowtie. The gin's botanical blend dances on your taste buds like a graceful dragon, while the tonic bubbles add an effervescent twist. Give it a try!
Blood & Sand if you wanna be cool and mysterious.
Margarita if you wanna be fun.
Corpse Reviver #2
A fellow man of culture. Replace gin with mezcal for a twist
Negroni is a no-brainer
I agree that Negroni is a no brainer but then it depends if you like this "heavy" cocktail (it is one of my favorite, but still it is gin, Campari and Martini, be sure you can handle that…)
Other cocktails to order/try:
London Mule (Gin and Ginger beer)
Moscow Mule (Vodka and Ginger beer)
Hugo (Spritz with Saint Germain, hibiscus flower liquor)
Boulevardier (a Negroni with whisky instead of gin)
And of course Martini Dry (Martini and White Vermouth)
Negroni Sbagliato (- gin + prosecco) is a nice lighter alternative to a trad Negroni
Good suggestions all around, hard to go wrong with gin/vodka tonics/sodas. I mostly prefer whiskey drinks but a few of my favorites not mentioned here are:
Sazerac - Similar to an old fashion but with rye whiskey instead of bourbon. Typically if I order either I opt for Bulleit Rye if they have it.
Gold Rush - Names may vary, but this is a variation on the Bees Knees (Gin, lemon, honey), but with whiskey instead.
Penicillin - Scotch-based with lemon and honey syrup. Crisp and refreshing.
Tom Collins - A great summer cocktail and good alternative to a GnT. Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda.
Vodka soda or tequila soda because they're less caloric and more macro-friendly than most drinks.
"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."
dirty martini
old fashioned or Manhattan.
Back in the day I'd see financiers ordering drinks shaken, not stirred, among other top shelf single malts.
Now I see financiers ordering White Claw and Smirnoff Ice. And it's sad.
Array
Negroni or an old fashioned
whiskey sour, old fashioned or sazerac, a highball of some kind in the summer or a mojito in a rocks glass, maybe a mint julep
Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
Usually a negroni or boulevardier depending on whether I'm feeling gin or whiskey. You can also never go wrong with an old fashioned. Have also been enjoying a bensonhurst in recent weeks.
If you're a hard-core alcoholic, it's either an Olde English 800 or Mad Dog 20/20.
Title: "cocktails to order at bars"
"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
Can't go wrong with either tequila or whiskey on the rocks.
Dirty vodka martini with blue cheese stuffed olives or GTFO
Whatever you end up ordering, be a little careful, especially if you are at a "fancy" cocktail place. Which I imagine is the only sort of place an MF would hold happy hours at.
Cocktails can have a lot of flavours masking the alcohol, making it easier to have bit more than you thought you did. And fancy cocktail places tend to put more flavours in, plus are more likely to give you drinks that actually have a decent amount of booze in them as opposed to dives that stingily measure out each ounce of liquor.
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