My Top 5 Retro Cocktails Recipes

Writer / Editor – Justin Howard @Jthnomad

“Here’s to alcohol, the rose colored glasses of life.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald

My Top 5 Retro Cocktails Recipes / Black Chalk Magazine

Here are my favorite top 5 retro cocktails for you to mix up at your next party. These delicious, spectacular drinks are full of adventure and atmosphere.

Fluorescent colors, eccentric decor, and exquisite flavors are the staples of my retro cocktail menu. Add a touch of good old fashion nostalgia to your next gathering with these stylish liquid creations. I suggest breaking out the cocktail shaker to discover which of these delightful infusions, be it a classic Aviation or a creamy & minty Grasshopper, is your own personal favorite!

Purple Rain

The blessedly flamboyant saint of pop music, Prince, inspired this drink. Mix up gin, vodka and the secret ingredients, blue curaçao and grenadine. By topping off your drink with soda and grenadine means the red grenadine swirls through the blue to create a cascade of purple, which is visually delicious!

Directions

Pre-chill vodka in freezer. (Recommended: Pre-chill all ingredients instead of using too much ice; which can dilute the drink).

Pre-chill large / 9 ounce wine glass in freezer.

Add about 4-6 ice cubes into the wine glass.

Add vodka, raspberry liqueur, blue curacao, lime cordial, and cranberry cocktail.

Stir or shake gently and serve.

Grasshopper

I’ve been a lover of Grasshoppers ever since I was introduced to them via my favorite movie, Romancing The Stone, starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner. In the film Kathleen Turner’s character, the romance novelist Joan Wilder, can be seen drinking them. And since I always wanted to be a ‘Joan Wilder,’ down to finding my very own Jack T. Colton (Michael Douglas). It is only natural that I fell in love with the Grasshopper.

To me, a Grasshopper is the boozy equivalent of a glass of mint ice cream. This bright green cocktail is made with cooling crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and Half & Half (but if you can’t have anything dairy like me, just use Almond Milk, it works just fine! I promise.)

Directions –

Combine creme de menthe, creme de cacao, cream, and ice in a cocktail shaker.

Cover and shake until chilled.

Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Secret Note : For a blended version, combine 3/4 cup ice, creme de menthe, creme de cacao, and cream in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Long Island Iced Tea

During my house party days, all the kool kids where making this as their staple party drink. Personally speaking I like my Long Island Ice Tea, simply and strong aka direct to the point with cola cola and lime. This delightful infuse is equal parts vodka, gin, tequila, rum and triple sec, with plenty of ice.

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

Pour vodka, rum, gin, tequila, triple sec, and sour mix over ice; cover and shake.

Pour cocktail into a Collins or hurricane glass; top with splash of cola for color.

Garnish with a lemon slice.

Cosmopolitan

This beloved cocktail is the drink of choice for any true lover of Sex and The Cityfor as Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie Bradshaw, makes plain you simply can’t have a party without one!

The Cosmopolitan is simply heaven made manifest with a divine mixture of Vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur and citrus. With this tangy, sweet recipe in your arsenal, you will become the bartender of choice for any of your friend’s parties.

Directions

Combine vodka, lime juice, triple sec, and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker.

Add ice, cover and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lime wedge.

Piña Colada

I always save the best for last! Cause by the time you have finished this little gem, you should be transported to a wondrous sandy beach in your mind.

This tropical blend of coconut cream, white rum and tangy pineapple, is Puerto Rico’s unofficial national cocktail. So serve it up with a little red umbrella and you’ll be experiencing exotic summery vibes in no time.

Directions

Put the ice, frozen pineapple, juice, coconut cream, and the white and dark rums into a blender.

Blend until smooth and frosty.

Pour the drink into 2 glasses and garnish the rim with pineapple slices.