Forget The Sports, These 38 International Cocktails Have Already Won The Olympic Gold In Our Hearts

If you’ve ever been to Brazil, there’s a very good chance you’ve downed at least one ice cold glass of the country’s national cocktail: the Caipirinha. The key ingredient is cachaça, a spirit made from fermented sugar cane juice. The resulting liquor is funky and vegetal, with sharp grassy flavors that are balanced by sugar and fresh lime juice. First-timers: Look for brands with light, fruity flavor profiles. If you dig it, move on to a more strongly flavored cachaça with savory, earthy notes.

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Tart, dry, with a sugary sweet rim, the Sidecar is one classic cocktail you'll want to keep in your back pocket. While it might seem unbelievable that a cognac cocktail could be equal parts rich and refreshing, fruity yet full of depth, we're here to tell you that the Sidecar does just that. Best of all, you really only need three ingredients (brandy, lemon juice, and an orange liqueur) to mix up this cocktail that makes for an excellent after-dinner drink.

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If life won’t give you a Caribbean getaway, make RUM punch. An infinitely versatile summer cocktail in a cheery shade of pinky peach red, this drink will have you feeling like you're on a beach in Jamaica in no time.

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Mixing wine with soft drinks is somewhat of an obsession all over Spain, particularly in the Basque region. One of the most popular iterations is called Kalimotxo, a combo of Coke and red wine. We know it might seem wild, but this combo truly is something special!

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Midori is a neon green, melon-flavored Japanese liqueur that made its way to U.S. popularity in the neon-crazed 1980s. It’s light and a little sweet, with plenty of bubbles to keep each sip interesting. This fizzy, tangy, bright green drink is as refreshing as it is fun to look at—expand your repertoire with this classic cocktail today.

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The sling cocktail has many different variations, but at its core, a sling is just a drink made with a spirit (gin in this case), sugar, water, and nutmeg. This version is named for its place of origin: The Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore at the hands of a bartender named Ngiam Tong Boon. It's admittedly a bit elaborate, but we can guarantee it’s worth the effort. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in creating a balanced drink that doesn’t taste as sweet (or pink) as it looks.

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The Black Russian was created in Brussels in the 1940s by a Belgian hotel bartender for the American ambassador to Luxembourg. Its name comes from the Russian spirit—vodka—and the color the coffee liqueur gives the drink. Sometime in the '60s, people began adding cream to this classic cocktail, turning it into a White Russian (you may remember it from 1998 cult classic film, The Big Lebowski, as the titular Dude's drink of choice 😋).

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While the classic margarita may get all the attention stateside, the paloma (its pink-hued cousin) deserves its fair share of the spotlight. Along with its sweet, citrus-y flavor, the paloma is also perfectly simple to create, making it an ideal low-lift summer cocktail.

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Though the Mai Tai wasn't originally created in Hawaii, it is one of the islands' most well-known drinks. Instead, it was created in Oakland, CA, by a man who went by Trader Vic. He served it to some visiting friends from Tahiti who called it "mai tai-roa aé," or excellent, and the drink was born. Originally a simple cocktail, Trader Vic brought it to the Royal Hawaiian hotel in Hawaii, adding some fruit juices to help it more appeal to the masses. Though the original was overshadowed by this fruitier version for a long time, bartenders today (+ our recipe!) have stripped it down to its original glory.

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Similar to a negroni or an Aperol spritz, an Americano is a simple cocktail featuring Campari, club soda, and the best sweet vermouth you can find. Created in the 1860s, it was originally named the Milano-Torino, after the origins of its main ingredients—Campari from Milan and vermouth from Turi. Today, it's often topped with an orange slice for a bittersweet, super-refreshing summertime beverage.

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There’s nothing more refreshing in the summer than a glass of perfectly sweet iced tea—except one spiked with bourbon. The bourbon adds a warmth to the tea, and the peachy twist makes this an easy and refreshing drink to serve at any casual dinner party or summer BBQ.

Get the Bourbon Peach Iced Tea recipe.

Even if you like piña coladas (and/or getting caught in the rain), you might not know the fruity, coconut-y cocktails originally hail from Puerto Rico, likely having been created by a bartender named Ramón “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton in 1954. It was so popular that, 24 years later, it was named the official cocktail of the islands, and the rest is history.

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When the trade and transport of alcohol was made illegal during Prohibition, this didn’t stop the American desire to party with a couple of cocktails. To make this possible, bootleggers would smuggle cases of kegs and bottles from the Bahamas to Florida speakeasies. This dangerous task was colloquially known as rum-running, which became the namesake for this classic tropical cocktail.

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Somehow reminiscent of restaurant chains, dive bars, and frat basements alike, this drink brings to mind varying memories depending on who you’re talking to.No matter your feelings on the classic cocktail, one thing is for sure: Its ability to hide the combination of 5 alcohols behind a refreshing sweet tea taste is nothing short of incredible.

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Though there is no agreed upon origin story of the mojito, the refreshing cocktail most likely originated in Cuba. It utilizes ingredients native to the island to make the drink, namely sugar cane, lime, and mint. Add in a little rum and soda water, and you’ve got a classic mojito ready to bring the beach vibes. Want even MORE mojito? Try our Key lime mojitos or our blackberry mojitos next.

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A quintessentially British liqueur, Pimm's is made by infusing gin with a secret concoction of botanicals, caramelized orange, and warm spices. Originally blended by James Pimm as an aid to digesting oysters in 1840, Pimm’s was also sent out to soldiers, served at Queen Victoria's lunches, and ended up making its debut at Wimbledon in 1971.

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As the story of this cocktail's invention goes, the oldest son of a spirit merchant crashed his ship into the coral reefs surrounding Bermuda in the early 19th century. He stayed and continued his family’s spirit business on the island, eventually creating their Black Seal rum (so named for the black wax they used to seal the bottles) by the mid 1800s. Bermuda was already a massive producer of British ginger beer, and it didn’t take long for someone to discover how good the blend of the two was. Thus, the Dark & Stormy was born!

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I'm sure you've heard of the saying: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Well, the same applies in Germany. Considered a national drink alongside beer, the spezi is a genericized trademark amongst the German population of all ages. And you’d never guess, but adding Jäger to the drink is the secret ingredient in this cocktail!

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While there are a number of origin stories for the Mint Julep (including as a medicinal tonic from the Middle East and as a mint cocktail for cooling off in the 19th-century heat), they certainly all lead to Kentucky, and more specifically, the Kentucky Derby, where the julep has been the official drink since 1938. Though its popularity at the event is unparalleled (they serve upwards of 150,000 of them every year!), we think it'd be a crying neighing shame if these 3-ingredient cocktails weren't enjoyed year round too.

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If you’re from or have visited Australia, you’ll know that nothing quite cures the heat of a hot summer day like an LLB, aka a lemon, lime, and bitters. The only thing that could improve it? Trust us when we say, it gets even better by turning it into a Tom Collins.

Get the Lemon, Lime, & Bitters Tom Collins recipe.