Crazy cocktails!
If you tend to order simple cocktails because you just don’t know what else is out there, the following ten websites might just put your rum & coke days behind you. You will need to enter your birthdate to show you are 21 years of age or older to enter many of these websites, but once you do the world of cocktails is at your fingertips. Some sites are devoted to one type or brand of liquor, whereas others include everything under the sun. The sites are listed in order by their Alexa traffic count rating.
1. Liquor.com: http://liquor.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 30,636
This site is immensely popular because it offers more than cocktail recipes. It has articles about everything to do with the liquor industry. You’ll find interesting articles and videos. They have over 350,000 subscribers and you get a free recipe book when you subscribe. Use the site to find cocktail recipes, read up on various spirits, watch slideshows and get advice about products. Be sure to check out the bar guide which tells you about the best bars in the world and helps you find one while at home or on vacation.
2. Drinks Mixer: http://www.drinksmixer.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 38,199
This site will be a favorite for professional bartenders, new bartenders and those that just want to be the best bartender at home that they can be. The site includes recipes for cocktails, shots, punches and more. You can search for recipes many different ways including by keyword or a specific ingredient. You can put limits on the results such as max calories or min/max alcohol volume. By using a search like this you can know what to do with what you already have in your bar instead of having to run to the liquor store. The bartender guide is full of information about bar stock, bar equipment, techniques and terminology. The site also includes drinking games.
3. Absolut: http://www.absolutdrinks.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 152,983
Most bars have at least one type of Absolut vodka as this is a well-known brand. You do not have to make your vodka cocktails with Absolut brand to use the recipes shown on this site though, especially since it does not just have vodka cocktail recipes. The site is easy to use for locating a cocktail recipe – simply choose Drink Library and then select based on a variety of criteria including your skill level (beginner, average or advanced), the base spirit to be used (vodka, gin, brandy, whisky, tequila or rum), tastes (berry, herb, bitter, sour, fresh, spicy, fruity, spirits palpable and sweet) and glass type. You can also get quick drink ideas or find drinks based on what you have on hand. Also, the site gives information on all the Absolut products.
4. The Bar: http://www.thebar.com/en/
Global Alexa Rating: 153,655
This is an interesting site in how it combines presenting a slideshow of various liquors with a useful menu of recipes, spirits, brands and party drinks. The site also includes over a dozen interesting articles including setting up a home bar and how to prepare edible adornments and garnishes. There are also 30+ videos about such topics as the best way to muddle, how to use bitters, how to rim a glass and more.
5. The Webtender: http://www.webtender.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 317,415
The Webtender is a no-frills website that gets the job done as your on-line bartender. You can browse drink recipes, search for drinks in various ways, enter what you have in your bar and get a list of drinks you can make, ask for a random drink from the database, read various statistics, learn about bar tools & supplies, enjoy forums about drinks and bartending and read their bartender’s handbook. A nice feature of the site is information about making some homemade liquors – select Browse Drink Recipes, by Category, then Homemade Liqueur.
6. Malibu: http://www.maliburumdrinks.com/us/
Global Alexa Rating: 330,411
Malibu is a well-known rum brand and their site will give you plenty of inspiration for using their rum products. In searching you can select by Malibu product, mixer, color and simplicity. You can sort your results by popular, name and latest. The news section will keep you up to date on new products they have released as well as other news about the company. Each recipe page includes the recipe ingredients, directions for mixing it and a video to show you how as well. Be sure to watch at least one video – they are very cute and unique! You’ll probably end up watching them all once you get started.
7. Jerry Morgenthaler: http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 369,362
Jeffrey Morgenthaler is a weekly columnist for Playboy (link included on the site) that has somehow managed to not only put together a pretty unique website but also has written a book (link to purchase at Amazon included on site). The website is full of articles and product reviews, along with recipes. There are some great tools for bartenders and bar owners as well, including an article about how to take inventory and calculate pour cost. This could be a useful tool for the home bartender as well that wants to keep an eye on their liquor budget.
8. Drinknation: http://www.drinknation.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 547,040
This site has a simple layout and a wealth of content. You can browse drinks by name, ingredient, theme, class, collection or multi-browse. The main page includes the top 20 drink recipes and a list of the most popular drink recipes. Users can also submit recipes to them and if they like it after they review it, they may add it to the site. A nice feature of this site is the ability to set up ‘your bar’ by adding all the alcohols and other ingredients you have so that at any time you can search for all the drinks you can make with those ingredients. You can login with Facebook or set up an account with them. With an account you can also save recipes to your favorites folder. The site also includes games, an ingredient glossary and more fun stuff. In case you are concerned, each recipe lists the nutritional information.
9. Kindred Cocktails: http://www.kindredcocktails.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 998,775
You can do so many things with this site – as it notes on the heading, you can craft, collect, concoct, categorize and community. This means you can craft cocktails, collect recipes shared by others to build your own cocktail book, concoct your own recipes, keeping track of what works and what doesn’t, categorize recipes for easy searching, grouping & printing and connect with other “kindred spirits” in the community. This is a great tool for keeping a record of your personal favorites that you pick up from the recipe section or concoct on your own.
10. Taste Tequila: http://tastetequila.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 1,945,732
If your favorite liquor is tequila, this is going to be a favorite website for you. It is packed with tequila cocktail recipes, tequila reviews and information about tequila tasting events. They also have a free app for iPhone and Android, called Tequila Matchmaker. The blog section includes tequila news & events, tequila travel & tours and more. They also have videos on the site. The cocktails section is arranged by margaritas, classics, specialty cocktails, tequila + beer cocktails and chasers. Be sure to check out their pure margarita recipe!
With any luck you have found at least a few new cocktail favorites, or are now able to have a new drink every time if you choose. Use the sites to stock your home bar or to better enjoy your evening out with friends – just be sure to always drink responsibly!
