From Himalayan negronis to wasabi watermelons: 15+ recipes to help you celebrate World Cocktail Day at home

Every year on May 13, bartenders, enthusiasts, and casual drinkers around the world raise a glass to the art of the cocktail. World Cocktail Day marks the anniversary of the first known definition of the word "cocktail," published first in a New York newspaper in 1806, a moment that, however modest, set off a global obsession with the mixed drink.

Whether you're a seasoned home bartender or just learning your way around a shaker, today is a good excuse to try something new.

From Himalayan spice-laced negronis to competition-winning savoury highballs, here are some of the best recipes to try at home.

The classics, done right

Some cocktails endure because their formulas are simply hard to beat.

1. The Rob Roy, a Scotch-based riff on the Manhattan, is one of them. Dating to the late 19th century, it pairs blended Scotch whisky (60ml) with sweet vermouth (20ml) and two dashes of Angostura bitters, stirred over ice and strained into a chilled coupe. A maraschino cherry finishes it off. Refined, spirit-forward, and built to last.

2. For bourbon lovers, the Maker's Mark Old Fashioned is the gold standard. Add a teaspoon of cane sugar, two dashes of aromatic bitters, and a splash of Maker's Mark (50ml total) to an Old Fashioned glass. Stir to dissolve, fill with ice, and express the oils of an orange peel over the top. Warm caramel and vanilla notes, with just enough citrus lift to keep it lively.

3. If coffee is your starting point for the evening, the Espresso Martini needs no introduction. Shake vodka (45ml), Kahlúa (15ml), a fresh espresso shot (30ml) and sugar syrup (10ml) hard over ice, fine strain into a chilled coupe, and crown with three coffee beans. Frothy, indulgent, and an energy boost you can justify.

India in a glass

Several of this year's most interesting pours draw from the subcontinent's pantry, spices, street food, coastal flavours, and ancient trade routes all making their way into the shaker.

4. The Himalayan Negroni by Nao Spirits & Beverages is a vivid example. Hapusa gin (30ml) meets Campari (15ml) and a Timbur-infused vermouth (15ml), stirred over ice and served straight. The Himalayan Sichuan pepper brings a subtle heat that lingers, a garnish of torched cherry tomato on a spear adds drama. It's a drink that, as Nao puts it, gives you the "Pahadi feel."

5. The companion pour, Sunta-La (meaning "orange" in Sherpa), keeps the Hapusa gin but takes a brighter, more refreshing turn. Two orange wedges are muddled with curry leaf syrup (10ml) and lime juice (5ml) in a highball glass, topped up with grapefruit tonic and stirred gently. The curry leaf adds an unexpected herbaceous depth that turns a simple citrus highball into something genuinely interesting.

6. Khari Baoli by Godawan takes its name and soul from Old Delhi's legendary spice market, Asia's largest. Godawan 01 PX Sherry Cask (40ml) is combined with rose-petal- and coriander-seed-infused vermouth (20ml) and Campari (20ml), stirred until chilled, strained into a coupe, and finished with smoke from wood chips. Complex, layered, and unmistakably Indian.

Street food on the rocks

7.Streets of Ambarsar, created by Anshul Tiwari of The Bagh, Amritsar, and part of this year's Top 21 at World Class India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, reimagines the Whiskey Sour through the lens of Amritsar's street food culture. Johnnie Walker Black Label (50ml) is shaken hard with an aam papad spice mix (20ml), pineapple and kacchi keri cordial (50ml) and two drops of saline, then double-strained over a clear ice sphere into a Japanese glass. An aam papad roll-up finishes it. Tart, spiced, and entirely its own thing.

8. Sweet, Spice & Everything Nice from Tulleeho works a similar street-food energy into bourbon. Two fresh strawberries, a small red chilli and a few mint leaves are muddled with honey (10–15ml) in a shaker before bourbon (50ml) and lime juice (15ml) go in. The rim is a chilli-salt mix. The result is bold and balanced, and an easy crowd-pleaser.

Easy highballs for warm evenings

When you want something refreshing without too much effort, highballs deliver every time.

9. The Toki Highball is simplicity at its best. Suntory Whisky Toki (45ml) over plenty of ice in a chilled highball, topped with premium soda water (150ml) and stirred gently. A grapefruit peel coin on top. Toki was made to mix, and soda water draws out its fresh, crisp notes beautifully.

10. The PIPA Tempestade from Nao Spirits is a jaggery-distilled rum highball built for summer. Pipa rum (45ml) goes into a highball glass with ice, a squeeze of lime (5ml) and 120ml of ginger beer, stirred gently. A lime wheel and cracked black pepper finish it. Fizzy, zesty, and quick to make.

11. Citric Slang by TigerFire keeps things clean and citrus-forward. TigerFire (45ml) and Lillet Blanc (15ml) are built over ice in a highball with a splash of Italian lime juice (5ml), then topped up with tonic (90ml) and stirred gently. An Italian lime wheel with an edible flower goes on top. Bright, floral, and effortlessly crisp, the kind of drink that disappears faster than you expect.

For the adventurous palate

12. The Thar Campfire by Godawan evokes desert embers. Godawan 02 Cherry Cask (50ml) is stirred with coffee decoction (45ml), demerara syrup (7ml) and a muddled cardamom pod, then served in an Old Fashioned glass with an edible flower. Warm, aromatic and deeply satisfying.

13. The Kadubu Spice Marry from Darshan at Geist Brewing Co. draws from coastal Karnataka's halasina kadubu, a festive jackfruit and jaggery delicacy. Coconut milk fat-washed bourbon is mixed with a jackfruit and jaggery reduction, a few dashes of bitters, stirred over ice and served in an Old Fashioned glass with toasted coconut. Nostalgic and indulgent in equal measure.

14. The Laphroaig Penicillin is for those who like their drinks with smoke and backbone. Laphroaig 10 (50ml), ginger juice (15ml), honey (20ml) and lemon juice (30ml) are shaken hard and double-strained over fresh ice. Garnish with ginger candy or lemon peel. Medicinal in the best possible way.

15. If you want something genuinely strange and strangely good, the Watermelon Static by TigerFire is it. TigerFire vodka (60ml) is shaken with watermelon juice (90ml), wasabi (10ml), simple syrup (15ml) and lime juice (10ml), then fine-strained into a highball over ice and topped with soda. A wasabi and cucumber espuma with grated orange zest goes on top. Cool melon up front, sharp heat in the middle, smooth finish, the kind of cocktail that makes you pause mid-sip and reach for another immediately.

16. Heat-seekers, this one's for you. The Picante pairs Camikara's 3YO Aged Rum (50ml) with passionfruit syrup (15ml), jalapeño brine (10ml) and fresh lime juice (30ml) — then muddled coriander stems and jalapeño slices go in before everything is shaken hard and double-strained into a chilled coupe. The result is a cocktail that leads with tropical brightness, builds into a slow, satisfying heat, and finishes clean. A jalapeño slice and coriander sprig on top signal exactly what you're in for.

A toast to the glass itself

World Cocktail Day is less about any single drink and more about the craft, the balance, the sourcing of ingredients, the intent behind a serve. Whether you go for the high theatre of the Corazón de Fuego or the quiet elegance of a Rob Roy, the point is the same: slow down, mix something with care, and enjoy it properly. Cheers.