Guide tab
Cocktail family
Martinis
Cold, direct classics and modern offshoots for drinkers who like precision in a glass.
Explore the guideCocktail families
Cocktail families
Start with a family when the spirit, mood, or service style is the first decision, then move into recipes, guide notes, and bottle context.
- 10 guides
Shelf logic
How to use a family guide
- Start with the family’s practical point of view.
- Choose a live recipe that matches the build style.
- Follow bottle context when the spirit matters more than the format.
Start here
A quick way into the guide
Begin with a family that matches the drink you have in mind, then keep the recipe and spirit paths close at hand.
MartinisCold, direct classics and modern offshoots for drinkers who like precision in a glass.WhiskeyClassic whiskey cocktails, spirit-forward standards, and sour builds worth repeating.TequilaTequila-led drinks built around citrus, refreshment, and agave character.RumRum classics from clean sours to tropical staples with a little more personality.
Drink families
All cocktail family guides
Each guide keeps recipes, method cues, and related spirit routes connected instead of stranded in a generic taxonomy grid.
Guide tab
Cocktail family
Whiskey
Classic whiskey cocktails, spirit-forward standards, and sour builds worth repeating.
Explore the guideGuide tab
Cocktail family
Tequila
Tequila-led drinks built around citrus, refreshment, and agave character.
Explore the guideGuide tab
Cocktail family
Rum
Rum classics from clean sours to tropical staples with a little more personality.
Explore the guideGuide tab
Cocktail family
Vodka
Vodka drinks that stay balanced instead of disappearing into generic sweet mixer territory.
Explore the guideGuide tab
Cocktail family
Gin
Juniper-led highballs and classics that reward cold glassware and sharp citrus.
Explore the guideGuide tab
Cocktail family
Aperitivo
Bittersweet stirred cocktails built around Italian aperitifs and vermouth.
Explore the guideGuide tab
Cocktail family
Brandy
Brandy and Cognac standards with classic sour structure and richer aromatics.
Explore the guideGuide tab
Cocktail family
Agave and Cane
Sugarcane-driven and agave-adjacent drinks that lean rustic, fresh, and direct.
Explore the guideGuide tab
Cocktail family
Coffee Cocktails
Espresso-forward serves for late nights, post-dinner orders, and caffeinated dessert energy.
Explore the guideHouse method
How to use the family guide
Start with the family when the style is clear but the drink is not. Use the recipe archive for a known spec, then follow a spirit route when the bottle becomes the next decision.
Questions
Answered before you choose a family
What is a cocktail family?
A cocktail family groups drinks by a useful shared point of view, such as base spirit, service style, or a classic format. Each guide keeps those connections close to the recipes.
Should I start with a family or a recipe?
Start with a family when you know the spirit, mood, or style you want. Start with the recipe archive when you already know the drink you want to make.
Where do bottle recommendations fit?
Use the Spirits hub when the bottle is the next decision. The family guides provide recipe and style context before you move into a dedicated spirit route.
Related pathways
Move from family to shelf or room
Use the cocktail guide as the middle shelf: start with a family, then follow the bottle, spec, or venue path that makes the next decision clearer.
Next spec
Choose the family, then make the drink.
The family guide keeps style, method, recipe, and shelf context together so the archive feels like one guide.
- By
- Bar Guru editorial
- Updated
- August 3, 2026
- Method
- Family guides connect style, recipes, and spirit context.