When you have a special lady friend over to your house, isn’t nice to be able to offer her a drink?
Of course, you could give her a beer if that’s what she likes. Or maybe a glass of wine.
But I think it’s even better if you can offer her a nice cocktail.
There’s something more special—maybe “classy” is the right word—about the care and attention of crafting a more sophisticated drink for her. You know, rather than just saying “ok, here’s your Chardonnay.”
So in this post, I’m going to show you how to make 3 classic cocktails that women love.
Watch the video below, or keep reading.
What Makes a Good Ladies’ Drink?
The stereotype, of course, is that women just like sweet “girly drinks.” No real dimension of flavor—just a bunch of sugar to drown out the booze.
Well, I think women are a little more complicated than that.
What women really appreciate is when a drink is, to use a technical term, “fancy.”
And what do I mean by that?
First, all 3 of these drinks taste amazing. That’s really the price of entry, right?
Second, and more importantly, they all allow for some showmanship when you make them—which adds to the fun…and the fanciness.
And finally—and this is where the magic is—they all engage multiple senses…beyond just taste.
Now that we’re clear on all that, let’s make some cocktails.
1. Mojito
The first drink that I think is a real crowd-pleaser with women is the Mojito.
A close cousin to the Daiquiri, this drink originated in Cuba, and it’s a great hot-weather drink. But whether it’s Summer or Winter, it’s just super refreshing and fun to drink. Ladies love it because it’s festive but in a laid-back way.
Ingredients:
- 1-1⁄2 oz rum
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 3 mint leaves
- 3⁄4 oz lime juice
- 4 oz of soda water
- Lime wedge and/or mint leaves for garnish
Instructions:
- Add mint to the bottom of a highball glass.
- Add in simple syrup and muddle with the mint.
- The key here is that you want to extract the essential oils from the mint without completely tearing it up. Your lady friend is going to be upset if she looks like she was eating grass after she drinks the cocktail.
- Add the rum, lime juice, and the ice, and then stir.
- Top it all off with some soda water and garnish with a lime wedge, and maybe an extra sprig of mint.
Again, what’s nice about this drink is that it tastes great, and you get the visual appeal and the herbaceous aroma of the fresh mint.
2. French 75
I’ve got a real soft spot for this drink—I’ve written about it before. It’s probably one of the most elegant drinks you can make for a lady friend. Partly because it contains that magic elixir that women love, Champagne, or sparkling wine.
But beware, this drink can pack a punch. In fact, it was named after the 75-millimeter artillery the French used during World War I. The saying was, this drink hits you so hard that it’s “like getting hit with a French 75.”
Ingredients:
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 3⁄4 oz lemon juice
- 4-5 oz champagne
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions:
- Add gin, simple syrup and lemon juice to a shaker filled with ice
- Shake for about 10-15 seconds.
- Strain into a highball glass.
- Top off the whole mixture with Champagne.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
By the way, if you want a step by step video on how to make a twist, you can watch this.
Now you’ll notice, you’re supposed to shake the other ingredients and THEN add the champagne. If you miss that part and throw everything into the shaker, you’ll have a mess on your hands.
This drink is great because the combination of the citrus with the gin and the sparkling wine is such a refined and pleasing flavor.
But also, I think anytime you bust out a bottle of Champagne, it becomes an event. You’re automatically in “fancy” territory. I think women appreciate the gesture because it makes the moment even more special.
3. Cosmopolitan
The final drink that women love, of course, is the Cosmo or Cosmopolitan.
How could I not include this one?
Personally, I like that it has become a cliche that women drink Cosmos; it’s another fun part of making this drink.
But the truth is—and the real reason I’ve included it—is that it’s a solid drink. It has a really nice balance of flavors, it looks pretty, and it feels really elegant and fun to drink. Especially if you add the flamed orange peel at the end.
Ingredients:
- 1-1⁄2 oz vodka
- 1⁄2 oz Cointreau
- 1⁄2 oz cranberry juice
- 1⁄2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- Flamed orange peel for garnish
Instructions:
- Add vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice and lime juice to a shaker full of ice.
- Shake vigorously for about 10-15 seconds.
- Strain into the cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a flamed orange peel.
If you want a step by step tutorial on how to do the flamed orange peel garnish, you can refer back that video I mentioned earlier.
Again, the flavor and color of this drink are great. Also, if you ever doubted that it is a “real cocktail,” it actually follows the same basic ratio as a Margarita or a Sidecar, so it is definitely a legit cocktail.
By the way, if you’re interested in learning more about cocktails, I wrote a short book called The Distilled Man Cocktail Guide: A Simple Introduction to Classic Drink Recipes and Techniques. You can pick it up for less than the price of one fancy cocktail.
Let me know what you think of the recipes in the comments. Any other drinks you’d recommend making for a lady friend?
