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There are many popular cocktails drinks that people order at bars or restaurants without even seeing the menu or checking the call drinks. From summer cocktails to winter cocktails and some great cocktails in between, there are some true classics you need to offer for sure.
When curating the beverage menu for your bar or restaurant you will probably start from the famous cocktails or the latest cocktail trends. And that’s a smart thing to do. Who doesn’t love a nice Cosmopolitan or a Negroni?
Another good thing to consider when building your beverage program and inventory is the creation of signature drinks. A cocktail expert can help you make unique cocktails that will match the concept of your bar or restaurant.
But what about all the unpopular cocktails that already exist but maybe need some freshening up? Even just changing the regular glassware or the cocktail garnish that’s been used can make unpopular cocktails the most ordered drinks from your menu!
8 Unpopular Cocktails to Add to Your Menu
Unpopular cocktails still deserve a chance, just like common cocktails do. A new life even. What you can do is take them and tweak them to improve their taste or change their color. Or you can take them as they are and analyze the customer behavior.
Below, we have listed eight different options that you can try and see whether they will work for your bar and restaurant or not. Don’t forget about drink and food pairings and choose ones that will go with the cuisine of your restaurant, too!
Key Takeaway: Unpopular cocktails deserve a chance. Bar and restaurant owners can take some of these recipes and add a twist to them so the drinks can fit better into their beverage menu. You can be surprised by how well customers will receive many of these drinks!
Embarcadero Cocktail
This unpopular cocktail originated in San Francisco and combines rye, amaro, and vermouth with a lemon twist. The flavor is similar to that of the Negroni and the Boulevardier. However, some people say that the Embarcadero is more delicious and drinkable, but for some reason has remained unknown.
Bring this cocktail back by including it in your special offers! See how your customers are going to react before you decide to make it a permanent menu item. This drink pairs well with light appetizers, charcuterie boards, and salads. Mediterranean and Asian dishes, as well as different types of pasta go perfectly with it, too.
20th Century Cocktail
Although Tom Collins and the classic dry martini are some of the best cocktails from past decades, there’s another drink that needs recognition too. The 20th Century cocktail is made of creme de cacao, Lillet blanc, and tart lemon juice. It’s a refreshing drink that deserves a spot on your seasonal menu, if not the permanent one.
Coming from the unpopular cocktails list, you will be surprised to know it goes well with seafood dishes, sushi, and charcuterie boards, as well as salads, chicken dishes, duck, and fruit base desserts. Light pasta dishes, chocolate, and citrus desserts are great options as well. 20th Century cocktail will enrich your restaurant’s menu for sure!
Left Hand Cocktail
Another one from the unpopular cocktails list that doesn’t get the attention it deserves is the Left Hand cocktail. It’s a fabulous blend of bourbon, sweet vermouth, Campari, and chocolate bitters. The garnish is a brandied cherry.
There are many other variations of this great cocktail, most commonly using other types of bitters. Mole bitter and orange bitter are some of the options that you can find people using. Try the different versions out and see which one will fit best in your beverage menu.
Jungle Bird Cocktail
The story says that Jungle Bird was a drink created over 50 years ago as a welcome drink and was served to visitors of the Kuala Lumpur Hilton. Although at first, it was mostly popular in Malaysia, at some point, you could find it in any good Tiki cocktail list in the United States.
Jungle Bird is made with pineapple juice, Campari, freshly squeezed lime juice, rum, and simple syrup. This flavorful combination goes well with spicy Indonesian and Thai dishes, tropical fruit salsa, coconut shrimp, as well as various tropical desserts.
Pink Lady
Even though it sounds like a girly cocktail because of its name, this cocktail is something males should experience too. The pink color comes from the two dashes of grenadine, but the Pink Lady is a blend of dry gin and apple jack with some lemon juice and egg white.
The grenadine gives a sweet note to the beautiful cocktail while the lemon adds some freshness. This drink is a great companion for appetizers and canapés, light seafood dishes, as well as chicken salads and pork dishes. Dessert and cheese pairings are also great with this cocktail.
Warday’s Cocktail
This is yet another great drink that ended up among the unpopular cocktails. People forgot about it after the Prohibition period. This cocktail is for people who love more herbaceous booze. It’s a mixture of gin, calvados, and some sweet vermouth that’s finished off with Yellow Chartreuse. The Warday’s Cocktail is a great transitional drink from summer to fall cocktails.
All kinds of foods go well with this drink, too. From nuts and pretzels, cheese platters, and smoked salmon to desserts with nuts, dark chocolate, grilled meats, and sausages - you can offer your customers so many different options.
Corpse Reviver Number 1
You may have heard of the Corpse Reviver cocktail but you probably hear more about the number 2. Number 2 is made of gin, Cointreau, and some absinthe. However, the original recipe of Corpse Reviver Number 1 is an excellent cocktail that more people need to try. It has a strong cognac base, mixed with a little bit of apple brandy (calvados), and some sweet vermouth.
The Corpse Reviver Number 1 is a simple cocktail that goes perfectly with a wide range of foods, too. You can pair it with duck dishes, cheeses, nuts, and fig-based dishes. Pâté is also a great dish to have alongside this cocktail.
Horsefeather
This cocktail is famous for being the cocktail with whiskey that people who don’t like whiskey will enjoy. It’s typically made with rye or bourbon, ginger beer, and a dash of bitters. It’s poured over ice and garnished with a wedge of lime. It’s an easy and refreshing drink that deserves more attention as it can be had all year round.
Combine the Horsefeather with fried chicken, tacos, barbeque, sushi, and spicy Asian dishes. It also goes perfectly with burgers and sliders, Mexican cuisine, miso-glazed salmon, and potato dishes. It’s a wonderful drink that will help you increase customer satisfaction!
Frequently Asked Questions about Unpopular Cocktails
Need to know more unpopular facts about flavorful unpopular cocktails? Read the following section!
Can I Customize an Unpopular Cocktail to Suit My Taste and Business Concept?
One of the best things you can do as a business owner is to revive unpopular cocktails by adding a twist to them. Experiment or ask a mixologist for their help to create the perfect drinks that will fit the concept of your business and will be according to your taste. Have a classic gin and tonic recipe on hand as well.
Do Unpopular Cocktails Have Lower Alcohol Content?
There’s no clear connection between the ABV (alcohol by volume) of the cocktail and its popularity. It all depends on the recipe of the cocktail and the variation the bartender is creating. The popularity of the drink, however, is not affected by this.
Are Unpopular Cocktails Cheaper Than Popular Ones?
Unpopular cocktails are typically not priced by popularity but based on what ingredients are used to create them. Some bars and restaurants serve unpopular cocktails that sell well and they price them according to the money that went into making them, the location of their bar or restaurant, and with the other items on the menu in mind.