Wondering what a gentleman can order out, these 25 top picks for the best drinks to order at a bar for a man are an excellent option. With hundreds of drink options available, it can sometimes be difficult to pick a good choice.
So, having an idea for classic drinks made for gentlemen goes a long way.
Top 25 Drinks To Order At A Bar For A Man
After months of research, I’ve put together a lineup of 25 top bartender-rated drinks for gentlemen to order in a bar – Enjoy!
1. Whiskey on the Rocks
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Whiskey is a classic gentleman’s drink with a myriad of options you can’t grow wrong with. Whether Tennessee whiskey, Kentucky bourbon, or Scotch, you can find a variety of options to suit your palate.
For the best experience, choose a top-shelf sipper to explore the sophistication of flavor crafting.
Adding a few ice rocks to the drink is a great way to wake up its flavors. Ideally, you want to go for premium quality bourbon with a complex flavor profile to really excite your taste buds. Pick something that builds up the character from the smell to the taste and lingering finish.
Also check: 25 Strongest Drinks At A Bar
2. Old Fashioned
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What better way to enjoy whiskey than with a sophisticated Old Fashioned? Served in a whiskey glass, this regal cocktail befits a man of class and style.
A classic old-fashioned is made by muddling sugar cubes in an old-fashioned glass with two dashes of Angostura bitters and a dash of plain water.
A few ice cubes are added to the glass and topped with whiskey. An orange slice and cocktail cherry garnish the rim of the glass to complete the drink. If you want to turn the drink into a sparkling one, replace the plain water with a splash of ice-cold cherry soda.
3. The Godfather
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As you may have guessed, The Godfather cocktail gets its name from the renowned, timeless movie, The Godfather. The movie features three dominant drinks, i.e. scotch, red wine, and white wine, each with a distinctive role.
While scotch is a manly drink, red wine, and white wine are a family drink and party drink, respectively.
Now, the Godfather cocktail employs a smart and creative way to bring out the complex flavors of scotch whiskey. Adding amaretto imparts a sweet nutty flavor that blends well with the spiciness of the whiskey. Scotch and amaretto are poured into an old-fashioned glass filled with glass.
4. Jack and Coke
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Jack and coke is a classic manly drink, popular with bartenders. This 2-ingredient cocktail is pretty simple to make but produces beautiful flavors. The bubbly and refreshing drink develops a crisp sweet taste as the coke mellows the harshness of the whiskey.
With every sip, you get smooth, charcoal mellowed and vanilla whiskey notes with heavy caramel coke notes for a pleasant flavor explosion. Plus the drink is known to add some bass to your voice.
5. Whiskey Sour
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The list of the best drinks to order at a bar for a man wouldn’t be complete without whiskey sour. A beginner’s favorite, whiskey sour is best enjoyed during the summer as its refreshing flavors add bass to your voice.
The cocktail is made from bourbon, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup, and angostura bitters to create one of the smoothest and most intriguing drinks. The drink develops a mix of contrasting characteristics, boasting a smooth, sweet, and tart flavor profile.
6. Irish Coffee
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If you find yourself in a refined setting, order Irish coffee for you and the lady for a classy decadent digestif. The caffeinated drink is made by heating coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, but, make sure you don’t boil it.
Once hot, pour it into a mug, top it with loosely whipped cream, and serve hot in a mug or Irish coffee glass. This cozy cocktail is best enjoyed on cooler days.
7. Manhattan
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Bourbon, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and angostura bitters turn this bittersweet masterpiece into an eclectic bar favorite. The cocktail is served in a cocktail glass and garnished with a cherry.
The best part about Manhattan is it allows you to play with the whiskey – giving you a chance to show off your booze knowledge.
While rye whiskey is the traditional Manhattan base, you can also replace it with Canadian, bourbon, blended, or Tennessee whiskey.
Gin Based Drinks
8. Tim Collins
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If your go-to liquor is gin, tom Collins is your friend. This long gin-based drink features simple yet, complex and refreshing flavors – two words that describe a classy gentleman.
The cocktail brings out everything fun that should be in a drink. The cocktail gives you herbal notes from gin, the fizzy soda, and balanced sweetness and tartness from the lemon juice and sugar.
The Tom Collins is made using gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water – it’s that simple! Simply mix the gin, juice, and sugar in a Tom Collins glass with ice, top with carbonated water or soda water, and garnish with a lemon slice and maraschino cherry.
9. Dry Martini
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Martini exudes style and sophistication – even, master spy James Bond cannot resist it. For a more manly signature flavor, ditch a sweet martini for a dry one.
Like you would expect with anything regal and classy, a dry martini calls for only two ingredients – 1 part dry vermouth and 6 parts gin, garnished with a lemon twist and olive.
You can enjoy the cocktail prepared in any of the two methods. Shaken, like how James Bond likes it – with ingredients added to a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, shaken and strained into a chilled martini cocktail glass.
Or, you can simply stir the mixture in a cocktail shaker. For a classic finish, squeeze the lemon peel oils into the drink before garnishing.
Flaunt some liquor lingo as you order, giving the waiter the name of your gin of choice – pick Gordon’s London Dry gin or a Tanqueray No. Ten. Bombay Sapphire isn’t a bad idea, either.
Tip: Turn your martini into an authentic James Bond Vesper Martini by halving the dry vermouth measure for vodka and using the Kina Lillet vermouth brand.
10. Gibson
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Classic gin cocktails are all about the detail. So, while a dry martini and Gibson appear to be the same to the untrained eye and palate, they are pretty different. The difference lies in the garnish, but, this modern incarnation of the dry martini is still quite distinctive.
The cocktail replaces the lemon peel and olive with pickled onions that do an incredible job of complementing the herbal gin notes and dry vermouth. It’s a great cocktail to showcase your worldliness and cultured palate.
11. Negroni
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If you want to try out sweeter gin-based cocktail flavors, the Negroni is a good option. While exposing you to sweeter flavors, the drink still maintains a bold and dark profile.
A popular aperitif, the Italian cocktail is made using equal parts of gin, sweet red vermouth (vermouth russo), and Campari. The ingredients are stirred into an old-fashioned glass with ice and garnished with orange slices.
12. Greyhound
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Complicated sweet cocktails can sometimes be a lot for beginners. If you are one of them, the Greyhound will not disappoint. While maintaining a familiar and refreshing taste, this cosmopolitan cocktail is still befitting for a gentleman.
The drink features a simple formulation by mixing gin and grapefruit and serving them over ice in an old-fashioned glass.
13. Gin & Tonic
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If you want to keep it simple, a refreshing highball drink of 1 part gin and 3 parts tonic water is an excellent option. A popular nightclub bar favorite, the smaller booze ratio keeps you on your toes while the fizzy drink refreshes you all night long.
Vodka Based Drinks
14. Bloody Mary
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This list wouldn’t be complete with my personal favorite vodka-based picks. What better option to begin with than the Bloody Mary?
The drink’s heavy savory makeup gives it an incredible kick –whether recovering from a hangover or looking for something more savory and umami-rich to build an appetite.
The drink commands a complex mix of ingredients including vodka, lemon juice, tomato juice, pepper, salt, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and celery salt. However, you can add even more ingredients based on your preferences.
15. Black Russian
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The Black Russian is a simple but, really badass cocktail. Made with only two ingredients, it boasts bold and dark flavors, but, keeps you wanting more throughout the night.
To make this cocktail, Pour 5 parts vodka and 2 parts coffee liqueur into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice cubes and stir gently.
16. White Russian
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If the Black Russian is too intense for you, you can still look like a bad ice even with a slightly mellower White Russian. This cocktail variation boasts similar ingredients as the Black Russian. However, it is finished with fresh cream stirred in at the end.
Rum Based Drinks
17. Mojito
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Reminiscent of the summer warmth and sandy tropical beaches, rum-based drinks are popular among gentlemen, too. If you want something traditional and refreshing, a mojito can save the day. The cocktail contains five key ingredients.
Mint sprigs are muddled with sugar and lime juice in a Collins glass then, white rum is added and topped with soda water. Extra mint leaf springs are used for garnishing to give this refreshing drink a unique citrusy, herbaceous, and sweet flavor.
Cachaca Based Drink
18. Caipirinha
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If you want a true party drink for the summer, the Caipirinha is an excellent selection. While it’s comparable to the mojito, the two have completely different flavor profiles and ingredients.
Unlike the mojito, the Brazilian national cocktail is made using the local sugarcane liquor, cachaca. The drink is made by muddling lime and cane sugar in an old-fashioned glass. Crushed ice is then added and topped with cachaca.
Tequila Based Drinks
19. Margarita
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Tequila is known to blend incredibly in many cocktails curated for men. the margarita is just one of them.
Made using tequila, triple sec, and lime juice, the cocktail tones down the harshness of the liquor. Yet, it still highlights its keynotes and is complemented pretty well by the citrus companions.
20. Paloma
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If you want to explore something new, the Paloma is a good pick. While it’s a national Mexican cocktail, this light and refreshing cocktail aren’t so popular. But, it highlights perfect summer flavors, mixing tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice.
21. Cantarito
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If the harshness of tequila isn’t your particular cup of tea, how about you go for Paloma’s cousin, the Cantarito? While it boasts similar flavors and ingredients to the Paloma, Cantarito packs up on the citrus a bit more.
In addition to tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice, it also has orange juice, lemon juice, and salt. If you have access to a traditional clay cup, you will enjoy it even better as you sip on the cool concoction running out of the cold clay cup.
22. El Diablo
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For the ultimate, “el senor and el caballero” drink, the El Diablo is an exquisite choice. The cocktail combines incredibly bold, fruity, berry, ginger, and spicy notes while highlighting your choice of tequila.
This cocktail is a particularly excellent selection for lovers of Reposado. To make the drink, you’ll need tequila Reposado, crème de cassis, lime juice, and ginger beer.
23. Bloody Maria
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If you want to keep it more traditional, ditch vodka for tequila to create this Mexican spin on the Bloody Mary. The tequila does an incredible job of complementing the savory drink, thanks to the extra tang and spice.
Beer Based Drinks
24. Irish Bomb
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Just because you are a beer lover, it doesn’t mean you can find something more sophisticated without ditching your favorite drink. An Irish car bomb is one way to enjoy a beer in an ultra unique but, manly way.
Also known as an Irish slammer, this cocktail is made by dropping a bomb shot of Irish cream and whiskey into a larger pub glass of Irish stout. The flavor explosion you get from the drink is to die for – pun intended!
Tip: You want to drink this cocktail as soon as it is made to prevent the cream from making it curdle.
25. Snake Bite
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If stout is too dark and bold for you, go for Snake bit with a lighter beer (lager). This popular bar shot is made using equal parts beer and cider.
Bonus: French 75
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If you are feeling particularly celebratory, French 75 is the ultimate celebratory drink for a gentleman. The drink combines a mix of crisp, citrusy, and effervescent finish with just the right balanced sweetness. While your lady embraces their mimosa or Bellini, the French 75 is a better option for you.
The cocktail is made by combining gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice and shaken vigorously. Strain the mixture into an iced champagne flute, top with champagne, and enjoy garnished with a lemon twist.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Are Manly Drinks To Order At A Bar?
You can find a variety of manly drinks to order at a bar. It all depends on your choice of alcohol. Popular options include whiskey on the rocks, old-fashioned, and the Godfather.
Which Alcohol Is Best For Men?
Some of the best alcohols for men include whiskey, gin, vodka, and tequila. However, beer and rum are also popular options.
What Does A Gentleman Order At A Bar?
What a gentleman orders at a bar is entirely dependent on their preference for alcohol. However, popular options include a dry martini, old-fashioned, and Jack and coke.
What Is Considered A Gentleman Drink?
Whiskey is typically considered a gentleman drink. In particular, bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, and scotch are popular whiskey varieties. However, other alcohol varieties like tequila and vodka are also excellent gentleman drink options.
How To Order Drinks At A Bar Like A Man?
To order drinks at a bar like a man, you should first know your drinks well. When ordering a particular drink, communicate like you truly understand your liquor. For example, when choosing a cocktail, ask for the type, brand, and mixers you would like. For example, “I would like a Gin and Tonic”, or “Two Hendricks and sodas “.
Conclusion
There is an endless array of the best drinks to order at a bar for a man. What you pick entirely depends on your preference and palate. While some men prefer dark and bold flavors, others may have an affinity for light crisp, and refreshing or sweeter and decadent.
My personal favorites are the all-time, all popular, Old Fashioned, and dry Martini. But, on a beautiful summer afternoon, I switch it up with Caipirinha or Paloma. You can
