10 Top Cocktail Recipes of 2017

Story: Emma Janzen

December 22, 2017

greenriver cocktail — Time Release. | Photo by Emma Janzen.

The Scorpion Reef. | Photo by Sam Bennett.

tequila honey bee — The Tequila Honey Bee. | Photo by Karie Foster.

Polish Holiday Punch. | Photo by Lara Ferroni.

black mesa — Grand Army Black Mesa. | Photo by Eric Medsker.

vodka cocktail — Indian Paintbrush. | Photo by Julie Cope Photography.

gin & juice recipe — Gin and Juice. | Photo by Michael Tulipan.

surf liner cocktail — Surf Liner. | Photo by Gabe Fonseca.

From boozy winter warmers to refreshing summer sips, 2017 brought plenty of big, bold cocktail flavors. And from our measurements, those of you making drinks at home got pretty adventurous with your mixing throughout the year. Here are 2017’s 10 most popular cocktail recipes from imbibemagazine.com.

Time Release
From GreenRiver in Chicago, this cocktail mixes a juniper-forward gin with yellow Chartreuse, sloe gin and white port.

Scorpion Reef
Inspired by a smoked pineapple flan dessert, this tiki drink blends mezcal, rum, pineapple, lemon, orgeat and chocolate and Angostura bitters.

Tequila Honey Bee
Anchored by a base of mezcal and aged tequila, this refresher from NYC’s Egg Shop also features cardamom-honey syrup, lemon juice and Angostura bitters.

Polish Holiday Punch
This variation on the Penicillin cocktail combines fruit-infused vodka with lemon juice and ginger-cardamom syrup.

Smoking Pistol
The Dawson’s bar manager Aaron Pollack crossed two boozy classics–a Rob Roy and a Vieux Carre–to create this delicious winter warmer.

Black Mesa
Two kinds of rum flavor this cocktail from Grand Army, with PX sherry, orange juice and Angostura bitters tying it all together.

Indian Paintbrush
Vodka, grapefruit, rosemary, lime and Peychaud’s compose this beautifully balanced number from Garage bar in Austin.

Gin and Juice
Analogue’s play on the popular “Gin and Juice,” adds maraschino liqueur and a duo of bitters to the mix.

Oaxacan Dead
The classic Zombie gets an earthy update with the addition of aged tequila.

Surf Liner
Rye whiskey meets pineapple, lemon and orgeat in this tropical mix from Polite Provisions in San Diego.

Emma Janzen

Emma Janzen is an award-winning book author and journalist who reports on global drinking cultures for outlets including The New York Times, PUNCH, The World’s 50 Best Bars, and more. The recipient of two James Beard Foundation awards and two Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, she co-authored The Way of the Cocktail with Julia Momosé, The Bartender’s Manifesto with Toby Maloney, and The Bartender’s Pantry with Jim Meehan; authored Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World’s Ultimate Artisanal Spirit; and has contributed and consulted on other texts including The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails by David Wondrich and Signature Cocktails by Amanda Schuster. She currently serves as the Midwest Academy Chair for The World’s 50 Best Bars and has been included in the Drinks International Bar World 100, an annual list of the industry’s most influential people, since 2023.