Everything You Should Know About Cocktail Families

Beyond your standard beer and wine, there is an entire world of alcoholic beverages known collectively as cocktails. These mixed drinks, which combine various hard liquors with sweet and bitter flavors, come in all shapes and sizes. When it comes to categorizing cocktails, however, it can get much deeper and more complex than simply separating by flavors. That is why becoming a master mixologist requires a considerable amount of time.

Cocktails can drastically change with just a few adjustments, such as whether the drink is shaken or stirred, served on the rocks or neat, topped with a spritzer, served warm or cold ... you get the picture. Because there are so many specificities when it comes to crafting a cocktail, there are quite a few categories or families that the drinks may fall into. Some cocktails fit neatly into one category, while others will be found across several different families, depending on who you ask. And once you are familiar with the basic cocktail families you can learn to make all kinds of classic cocktails yourself, and maybe even create your own variations.

To tell the difference between a punch and any other kind of cocktail, all one typically needs to do is look at how the drink is served. If it comes in a large vessel that is meant to be shared, then you have likely been given some sort of punch (via Amli). Punch cocktails actually have quite the storied history, with Difford's Guide claiming that punch is considered by many to be the original cocktail.

When crafting a punch, it is essentially the maker's choice, though Difford's Guide points out that there are typically a few flavor components you will want to include when making a traditional punch — sweet, sour, spice, and spirit. These days, a good punch can include just about anything you want, but the key here is to make a large quantity of it so it can be shared with your friends. Some examples of punch include rum and brandy-based drinks like the Ferdinand & Isabella's Punch, or red wine-based drinks like the Daniel Webster's Punch (via Punch Drink).

How do you know if you are drinking a cobbler? Traditionally, your drink will be poured over crushed or "cobbled" ice, hence the name (via Punch Drink). Another distinction when it comes to cobbler cocktails is that they come as James Bond would prefer them: shaken, not stirred (via Difford's Guide). A third sign to be on the lookout for when identifying a cobbler is the presence of a straw. In fact, according to Difford's Guide, the straw was introduced originally for drinks such as the cobbler, where the abundance of ice would otherwise chill your lips in an unpleasant way as you drink.

What else besides crushed ice, a straw, and shaken ingredients does it take to make a cobbler? According to Difford's Guide, these cocktails are typically wine-based with an added sweetener, but there are other variations. For example, a traditional bramble is a cobbler cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup, along with blackberry liqueur. (via Punch Drink).

Many cocktail families have long histories, with classics like punches, sours, and highballs going back hundreds of years. Duos and trios, however, are a more modern-day take on mixed drinks. According to Drink Magazine, a duo is deceptively simple. A spirit and liqueur is all you need. Add a dairy element, such as a cream liqueur, and you have a trio. The concept was brought about by the late Gary Regan, who wrote the book "Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft."

Both classic and new-age drinks fit into the duo and trio category, including the traditional gin martini, considered a duo with its two ingredients, gin and vermouth (its iconic olive counts as a garnish). Black Russians are also considered duos, according to Drink Magazine, with vodka and coffee liqueur as the sole ingredients. Add in some cream, and you have the trio that is the White Russian. You may be surprised at how much customization is possible with just two or three ingredients. Try experimenting on your own, mixing different brands of spirits and liqueurs, trying the drinks shaken and stirred, and serving with or without garnishes. 

You will find a lot of classic cocktails in the stirred family, sometimes known as the spirit-forward family of drinks. There are different opinions on which drinks fit into this category, depending on who you ask. But essentially, you won't find many citrus or dairy ingredients for the most part, though there are some exceptions (via Liquor.com). If it has the three basic components of a cocktail (a spirit, sweetener, and bitters, according to Cocktail Party App) and it is stirred instead of shaken, then it arguably fits into this category. 

You can have a ton of variation in this category, but it is where you will likely find most, if not all, of the classic cocktails. With that in mind, some of the tried-and-true cocktails in the stirred or spirit-forward category include the old fashioned, the negroni, the martini, the Manhattan, and the sazerac, just to name a few. Long Island iced teas are also considered part of the stirred family, though they do have the added citrus component (via Liquor.com). 

As the name implies, just about any cocktail that is served warm will fit into the hot drinks category. This also includes toddys, which grew in popularity in the 1800s for supposed health purposes due to the drinks' soothing properties — likely thanks in large part to the heat (via Cocktail Party App). The core components of a toddy are a spirit, a sweetner, and hot water (via Amli). The more commonly known recipe for a  classic hot toddy usually contains whiskey, lemon juice, honey, and a mixture of spices. 

From there, you can make variations of the toddy, including the rusty apple toddy, made with hot apple juice, lemon juice, and whisky (via Cocktail Party App). There are a few buttered versions of a toddy too, including the hot buttered rum, which also falls into this category. This classic and comforting American cocktail is made with melted butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, and aged rum (via Cocktail Party App).

There are also plenty of non-toddy drinks that are served warm as well. Some examples include Irish coffee, which is made with coffee, Irish whisky, and simple syrup (and usually topped with whipped cream), and the bullshot, with a more complex list of ingredients that includes vodka, beef broth, lemon juice, black pepper, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of hot sauce (via Cocktail Party App). 

The tropical family of cocktails includes all of the usual suspects that you would find at your local Tiki Bar. Bahama mamas, grogs, painkillers, and zombies are just some of the flavorful and colorful beverages that make up the tropical category. But what exactly makes a drink tropical? It is usually accompanied by a fruit flavor of some kind, like orange, mango, or pineapple. But don't simply write off tropical cocktails as sugary dessert drinks, because the authentic recipes are actually quite sophisticated (via Cocktail Party App).

Tropical drinks are filled with color, with floral garnishes adding even more vibrancy. Try drinks like the Singapore Sling, made with gin, cherry brandy, herbal liqueur, triple sec, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine, and aromatic bitters. Or, sip on a Blue Hawaiian, made with light rum, pineapple juice, blue curaçao (a common ingredient in tropical drinks) and coconut cream. Tropical drinks can have a wide array of spirit bases and sweeteners, much like we have seen throughout this roundup of cocktail families. But when you're sipping on a tropical cocktail, you might feel a little bit more like you are on vacation.