Top 26 Californian Alcoholic Mixed Drinks

Mai Tai is a popular rum-based cocktail originating from Oakland in 1944. Its name means good in Tahitian. In addition to rum, which can be both spiced and coconut flavored, the cocktail contains lime juice, orgeat syrup, and orange liqueur, typically curaçao, but in some versions it can include grapefruit juice, bitters, or grenadine. All ingredients should be vigorously shaken with ice for a few minutes before the cocktail is strained into an old-fashioned glass. Before serving, Mai Tai is traditionally garnished with fruits such as pineapple, orange, and cherries. It became a trendy cocktail in the 1950s, when Elvis Presley promoted it in his movie, and since then it is heavily associated with Tiki culture and Polynesian-style settings.Expand

Shirley Temple is a non-alcoholic cocktail made with grenadine and equal parts ginger ale and lemon-lime soda. Grenadine is first poured into a glass filled with ice cubes, and it is then topped with ginger ale and lemon-lime soda before getting stirred and garnished with a cherry. The lemon-lime soda adds a nice citrus flavor, while ginger ale brings sweet, slightly spicy notes to the drink. Shirley Temple cocktail is often served to children because it does not contain any alcohol, but it can be easily modified into the alcoholic version, known as Dirty Shirley, by adding vodka or rum. Although the cocktail was named after the famous actress, she was not a fan of the beverage and thought it was too sweet. It is believed that the first Shirley Temple was prepared by a bartender at a Beverly Hills restaurant called Chasen’s.Expand

Tequila Sunrise is a classic cocktail that evokes a summer sunrise in a glass. It is made with three basic ingredients: tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup. The cocktail was invented around 1930 with a base of tequila and lime juice, soda water, and crème de cassis, but the modern version originated in the 1970s in Sausalito, California, when the cocktail gained a huge leap in popularity because Mick Jagger named the Rolling Stones' tour after it. A traditional way to serve Tequila Sunrise is on the rocks, unmixed, in a tall collins glass, but when presented in a highball glass, the color of its combined ingredients (with grenadine poured slowly through the glass) resembles a sunrise even better.Expand

This refreshing cocktail is made with a combination of vodka (preferably of the Citron variety), triple sec, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. To prepare Lemon Drop Martini, all ingredients are shaken and strained into a chilled cocktail glass. The glass should be rimmed with sugar and garnished with a lemon slice. It is believed that the cocktail was invented in the 1970s by Norman Jay Hobday in San Francisco. Originally, it consisted only of vodka, sugar, and lemon juice, and it was inspired by the lemon drop candy. In the 1990s, Lemon Drop Martini was typically served in a shot glass. Today, there are variations of the cocktail made with blueberry-flavored vodka and raspberry-flavored vodka.Expand

Zombie is a Tiki cocktail that was invented in the late 1930s in Los Angeles by Donn Beach. The cocktail is named Zombie after the way it affects the drinkers. The drink is made with demerara rum, golden rum, dark rum, 151 proof Lemon Hart, falernum, lime juice, grenadine, Pernod, Angostura bitters, and Don's mix. However, some variations include absinthe or triple sec, which makes the cocktail even stronger. This high-powered cocktail is prepared by shaking all the ingredients together, except for the 151 proof rum, which is added on top of the drink and can even can be ignited at this point. Zombie is typically served on the rocks in a tiki mug or a hurricane glass, garnished with a cherry, an orange slice, and a pineapple slice. If it is served heated, the cocktail is named Hot Zombie.Expand

This Prohibition-era cocktail is made with a combination of gin, lemon juice, and honey. In order to prepare it, all ingredients should be shaken with ice, then strained into a cocktail glass. The cocktail is typically garnished with a lemon peel. The name Bees Knees is a Prohibition-era slang, meaning the best. Originally, the drink was prepared with lemon and honey in order to mask the unpleasant smell of bathtub gin. The first written recipe can be traced back to 1930 in San Francisco, where it appeared in bartender Bill Boothby’s compendium called World Drinks and How to Mix Them.Expand

Appletini consists of vodka and one or more of these beverages: apple juice, apple cider, apple liqueur, or apple brandy such as Calvados. This modern cocktail was invented in Los Angeles in 1996, and it is also known as Apple Martini or Adam's Apple Martini. Vodka may be substituted with gin, and in some variations, vermouth can be included in the combination. One of the most popular variations is known as Rumpletini, made with light rum instead of vodka. Appletini continues to gain fame through pop culture, with frequent mentions in famous TV shows such as Scrubs, Two and a Half Men, Mr. Robot, and How I Met Your Mother, and after the release of the movie Social Network, Mark Zuckerberg declared Appletini Facebook’s official drink. Typically, the drink is served shaken in a chilled cocktail glass, garnished with a cherry or an apple slice.Expand

Harvey Wallbanger is a simple cocktail made with vodka, orange juice, and a sweet herbal liqueur known as Galliano. To prepare it, vodka and orange juice are poured into a glass over ice, while Galliano is added on top by pouring it over the back of a bar spoon. The cocktail is garnished with an orange slice and a cherry. Although it is believed that the cocktail was invented in 1952 by Donato Antone, it gained popularity in the 1970s.Expand

Cable Car is a modern cocktail invented in 1996 in San Francisco by Tony Abou-Ganim. Although the recipes can vary, it is typically prepared with a combination of spiced rum, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and sugar syrup. In order to prepare it, all ingredients should be shaken with ice, then strained into a chilled cocktail glass. If desired, the rim of the glass can be garnished with sugar and cinnamon.Expand

Tommy’s Margarita is a cocktail made with a combination of tequila, lime juice, and agave nectar. In order to prepare it, all ingredients should simply be shaken, then strained into a chilled cocktail glass. The cocktail was invented in the 1990s by Julio Bermejo at his family’s Mexican restaurant and bar in San Francisco, called Tommy’s, hence the name. In the restaurant, Tommy’s Margarita is traditionally served with tortillas and salsa on the side.Expand