10 Retro Cocktails That Definitely Deserve a Comeback

Sidecar

Invented after WWI and purportedly named after the motorcycle vehicle, this drink made with Cognac, Cointreau, lemon and sugar is a sour, boozy delight.

Gin Rickey

For an ultra-refreshing sip, you can’t beat this gin, lime and soda water combo. No wonder F. Scott Fitzgerald was so fond of it. (Cheers, old sport.)

Old Fashioned

This whisky cocktail may be Don Draper’s drink of choice, but its origins go back way before the Mad Men era—all the way to the 1880s.

The Gimlet

Apparently this gin and lime cocktail came about in the 19th century after a naval doctor recommended sailors drink it to ward off scurvy. To your health!

Amaretto Sour

This '70s classic gets a bad rap, but ditch the sour mix for simple syrup (it’s easy to make) and you’ve got a perfect mix of sweet and tart.

French 75

Word to the wise—this Prohibition-era Champagne cocktail is more dangerous than it looks. (Hey, there’s a reason it’s named after the French 75mm gun.)

Grasshopper 

Crème de menthe gives this cocktail its green hue, while crème de cacao and cream make it taste like dessert. A 1920s boozy milkshake? Yes please.

Tom Collins

Retro cocktails don’t come much better than this refreshingly sweet gin drink that dates back to 1876. Who was Tom Collins, you ask? Nobody knows.

White Lady

This dry gin cocktail with Cointreau was first enjoyed in 1930s London, but we think it would make a perfect modern-day signature wedding drink.

Brandy Alexander

When you can’t decide between dessert and a drink, give John Lennon’s favorite concoction of brandy, crème de cacao and cream a try. Yum.