Recipes Drinks Cocktails Our 15 Most Popular Cocktail Recipes of 2022 Come for the frozen drinks, stay for the cocktails that went viral on social media. By Oset Babür-Winter Oset Babür-Winter Instagram Twitter Title: Senior Drinks Editor, Food & WineLocation: New York CityExperience: Oset Babür-Winter has completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust's (WSET) Level 3 Award in wines and was previously the magazine's associate culture editor, where she edited Obsessions. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 8, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon If you've so much as glanced at a cocktail menu in 2022, you likely encountered miniature cocktails, low-ABV spirits hitting center stage, and Martini madness. But when we weren't heading out to restaurants and bars to have someone make us a perfectly crafted drink (the post-pandemic shine hasn't worn off, and likely never will), we were whipping up drinks inspired by those trends at home, from a dirty pasta water Martini, to a party-ready Spaghett. And then, of course, there were the drinks made viral by the Internet, like the Negroni Sbagliato and the Dirty Shirley. Whether you're feeling a little nostalgic for the year past, or want to give something new a try, read on for our 15 most-read cocktail recipes of 2022. 01 of 15 Frozen Salted Espresso Martinis Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood If you're an espresso martini fan, you'll love this frosty twist. First, brewed espresso is frozen in an ice cube tray; once the cubes are solid, they're processed with coffee liqueur, vodka, and simple syrup in a blender until smooth. The resulting martinis are well-balanced, with notes of caramel and vanilla. The liqueur and syrup give them subtle sweetness, the vodka adds a smooth element, and the espresso brings earthy bitterness. An elegant sprinkle of flaky sea salt finishes the drinks off, and balances the espresso's bitterness. Make sure to chill the glasses before serving and enjoy right away. Get the Recipe 02 of 15 Frozen Aperol Spritzes Sarah Boisjoli The Aperol Spritz — a simple combination of Aperol, Prosecco, and club soda — is easily one of the most celebrated summer cocktails. This recipe is a frozen twist on the classic, and includes orange liqueur for even more orange flavor. Food & Wine's Justin Chapple originally developed a version of the recipe for Pepe's Wharf in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and streamlined it here so it's easy to make in a home blender. For the best results, allow the Aperol cubes to freeze overnight. Get the Recipe 03 of 15 Dirty Shirley Photo by Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis Remember drinking Shirley Temples when you were a kid? The cocktail for children has made a comeback, albeit one suitable for adults only. A shot of vodka added to the mixture of ginger ale and grenadine gives it a slight edge, but the maraschino cherry on top keeps things whimsical. Feel free to cut the ginger ale with sparkling water to cut the sweetness, or to swap in lemon-lime soda for the ginger ale if you prefer. Get the Recipe 04 of 15 The Monarch Cocktail Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Pamplemousse liqueur lends mellow citrus flavor that highlights the grapefruit notes in Lillet Rosé in The Monarch cocktail, a martini-style drink from Shannon Tebay. Get the Recipe 05 of 15 Campari Spritz Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Campari is the slightly bitter cousin of Aperol, an Italian aperitif known as the star ingredient of the popular Aperol Spritz. Here, we swap out the slightly sweeter Aperol with Campari, and mix in a little blood orange juice, Prosecco, and grapefruit flavored sparkling water for an altogether refreshing cocktail. Make on a hot summer day, sit back, and dream of sitting in a café on the Italian Riviera. Get the Recipe Get the Recipe 06 of 15 Mudslide Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Created in the 1970s at Grand Cayman's Wreck Bar at Rum Point, this potent blend of vodka, Kahlúa, and Baileys Original Irish Cream might taste like a milkshake, but it can't be ordered virgin because all you'd get is a cup of crushed ice! The trio of alcohol blends into a smooth and velvety cocktail just sweet and chocolaty enough without being cloying. A generous drizzle of chocolate syrup and a bright red maraschino cherry with a dusting of ground cinnamon top off each glass. Get the Recipe 07 of 15 Dirty Pasta Water Martini Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen In place of a drier, juniper-forward London Dry Gin, the Dirty Pasta Water Martini features a herbaceous gin (Vetri prefers Revivalist's Equinox Expression), which adds a subtle, floral quality to this cocktail and delivers a round gentle sweetness that plays off the salty and starchy pasta water. (If you prefer a vodka-based martini, Vetri recommends another local Pennsylvania-favorite, Boardroom Spirits, a distillery making artisanal vodka in Landsdale, PA.) Get the Recipe 08 of 15 Halo-Halo Cocktail Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver The name of this striking cocktail created by Justin Ang, lead bartender at The Baldwin Bar in Woburn, Massachusetts, is Tagalog for "mix-mix." Ang, a native of the Philippines, named it for the icy dessert that layers shaved ice and condensed milk with fruit, jellies, and sweet beans. For this cocktail, Ang blends silver rum, cacaçha, lime juice, and pineapple juice, with ube milk, which gives this concoction its vivid purple hue. He tops the drink with an array of garnishes that echo its namesake dessert, including mint sprigs, dehydrated mango, dehydrated pineapple, and unsweetened flaked coconut. Get the Recipe 09 of 15 Aruba Ariba Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell The best place to sip this classic rum punch is overlooking the sandy swath of Palm Beach at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, where bartender Juan "Jocky" Tromp invented it 59 years ago. Fresh pineapple and orange juices paired with sweet, syrupy grenadine tint this vibrant Aruban cocktail a stunning deep orange-red. Despite a blend of vodka, white rum, and crème de banana, this drink does not have a strongly alcoholic bite but rather stays fruity and mellow. Get the Recipe 10 of 15 Painkiller Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Although the exact original recipe is known only to a lucky few, Daphne Henderson's rum punch with cream of coconut — born at Jost Van Dyke's Soggy Dollar beach bar — has eased the pain of many who have imbibed it. Silky cream of coconut and a sweet-tart blend of fresh orange and pineapple juices get a delicious hit of rich vanilla and molasses notes from rum in this famously soothing cocktail. A garnish of freshly grated nutmeg lends a spicy aroma to each sip. Get the Recipe 11 of 15 Negroni Sbagliato Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon HBO's House of the Dragon star Emma D'Arcy brought the Negroni Sbagliato in the spotlight, and we can't stop drinking them. Get the Recipe 12 of 15 Ranch Rosé Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Chandra Ram Ranch Water, a refreshing concoction of tequila, fresh lime juice, and sparkling water, is a tequila highball said to have been created by cattle ranchers in West Texas in the early 1960s. Ranch Water has become more popular in recent years as people seek out cocktails that are low in alcohol. It's light and citrusy, making it especially drinkable when temperatures climb towards triple digits on a sticky summer afternoon. The components of a traditional Ranch Water cocktail are simple, so use the best ones you can find; a quality tequila and fresh lime juice are essential here. You can use an aged tequila, mezcal, or sotol if you prefer, although the classic version of this drink calls for blanco tequila. The type of sparkling water is also key to this drink's appeal; you need one that is sharp and extra bubbly. At the Houston bar Eight Row Flint, guests can enjoy several different flavorful takes on Ranch Water, including this colorful version made with blood orange syrup and Lillet Rosé. Eight Row Flint partner and bar director Morgan Weber and his team make large batches of clarified lime juice with lime juice, water and agar to use as a citrus component in this and other cocktails. If you want to keep things simple, just straining freshly squeezed lime juice is enough. The addition of a splash of the French aperitif Lillet Rosé to this cocktail lends it gentle floral flavor notes and a pink hue, while the blood orange syrup adds more sweetness and tart citrus notes, not to mention a striking boost of color. The pinch of dried rose petals on top emphasizes the rose connection, but is optional — this drink is refreshing on a hot summer afternoon or evening with or without the garnish. Get the recipe 13 of 15 Boozy Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall Famed pastry chef Claudia Fleming's Boozy Frozen Strawberry Lemonade is sweet, zippy, and irresistibly delicious — exactly the kind of drink you want on a hot summer afternoon. The frozen cocktail is made with lemon vodka, Prosecco, basil, limoncello, strawberries, and lemon sorbet, and can also double as a dessert. Once frozen and blended, make sure to serve the lemonade right away so it doesn't melt. Get the Recipe 14 of 15 Spaghett Photo by Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis Want an easy drink with the spirit of a Negroni but the ease of a beer? Try a Spaghett, an easy-drinking hybrid of the two. This refreshing spiked beer is a popular shift drink in restaurants and bars, and an easy choice on a hot afternoon. You can add a squeeze of lemon if you like, but the light beer and bitter aperitif complement each other nicely on their own. Get the Recipe 15 of 15 Miami Vice Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Frozen canned pineapple and bitters-infused strawberries take this daiquiri-pina colada mash-up to the next level. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit