Chefs' Favorite Cocktails

By Food & Wine
Updated May 09, 2019
Star chefs reveal their favorite cocktails, from the perfect Old Fashioned to a gin and house-made tonic.
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1 of 10

Pisco Sour

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David Guas, Bayou Bakery (Arlington, VA)
"I like things that are high acid but with a balance of sweetness, so I love a Pisco Sour. I love the tartness, the bitterness, the egg whites, the multiple textures and layers of flavor—everything."

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2 of 10

Sazerac

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Bryan Voltaggio, Volt (Frederick, MD)
“I like a Sazerac. I enjoy those caramelly flavors of the whiskey with the punch of the citrus. It’s always just a great, well-balanced drink.”

3 of 10

Old Fashioned

Credit: PHOTO © DAVE LAURIDSEN
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Casey Lane, The Tasting Kitchen (Los Angeles)
“If you are going to call yourself a bartender, you have to understand how to make and Old Fashioned properly. People commit so many sins against them: Garnishing them with giant orange halves, adding cherries, using a cheap spirit, there are too many to count.”

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4 of 10

Gin and Tonic

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Ryan Poli, Tavernita (Chicago)
“A gin and tonic will really get me going for the night. There are all these great new tonics out there right now that are really flavorful. At Tavernita we make our own.”

5 of 10

Aperol Spritz

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Matt Molina, Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles)
“An Aperol spritz is super refreshing. The ingredients are so simple. All you need is ice, Aperol, prosecco and a slice of orange. It pleases everybody.”

6 of 10

Negroni

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Ana Sortun, Oleana (Cambridge, MA)
“Negronis have a wonderful tartness and bitterness to stimulate your palate.”

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7 of 10

Manhattan

Credit: © Wendell T. Webber
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Thomas McNaughton, Central Kitchen (San Francisco)
“A good Manhattan. In this age of mixologists trying all these different cocktails, I love the creativity but the Manhattan is my standby. It’s so simple, but so good.”

8 of 10

Martini

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Vitaly Paley, Imperial (Portland, OR)
“For cocktails, I’m a purist. I like a Tanqueray Ten gin martini straight up.”

9 of 10

Blood and Sand

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Landon Schoenefeld, Haute Dish (Minneapolis)
“I am a brown liquor guy, so I do appreciate if someone can make a good Blood and Sand.”

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10 of 10

Cuba Libre

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Jose Mendin, Pubbelly (Miami)
“I’m a huge rum drinker, so I like a rum and Coke. It has to be DonQ silver rum—that’s what everybody drinks in Puerto Rico.”

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