Cheers! This Is the #1 Cocktail in America in 2022—& It's Not an Espresso Martini
What'll ya have?
If Google Trends data is any indication, you're ordering an Aperol spritz. The popular aperitif of northeastern Italy is reportedly the No. 1 trending cocktail that was searched on Google in 2022, according to VinePair.
As drinkers tire of session beers or find those 10% ABV triple IPAs just too heavy for people who have to go to work in the morning, folks hit up Google search for libation ideas for seasonal parties or whenever their whistles need wetting.
The list below, courtesy of VinePair, is the result of Google's ranking of top trending booze-related searches. There's still time to bar crawl your way through this tally of top tipples, starting at the bottom's up.
Piña Colada
If you like piña coladas… you're probably a fan of one-hit wonder, Jimmy Buffet-adjacent karaoke tunes; 22-year-old Phi Beta Hangover pledge; or someone with high blood sugar. This way-too-sugary Margaritaville staple packs upwards of 600 calories and 80 grams of sugar in just 12 fl oz (not counting the pineapple slice). If you're gonna make one of these, and just one is advised, use a good Puerto Rican rum that has depth and character like Don Q Rum Gran Reserva Anejo XO.
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Mai Tai
Made right, this is tart and strong and one of the most beautiful-looking rum drinks in the tiki lounge. It's made with white and dark rum, orange curaçao, and orgeat syrup, a nonalcoholic sweetener made from almonds and orange flower water. Make sure your bartender doesn't mix both rums in the shaker. The dark rum should be floated generously on top after the shaker contents are poured into a highball glass.
Lemon Drop Martini
The Lemon Drop Martini is essentially a Sidecar with vodka replacing the Cognac. Originated at the original "fern bar" Henry Africa's in San Francisco in the 1960s, it ushered in a new wave of bars catering more toward women and young men than cigar-chomping businessmen. It gets its name from the taste, reminiscent of the classic candy from our childhood or a lemonade, but with a kick.
Hot Toddy
For après-ski or après anything you do in the cold (even catching the common cold), there's nothing like the bear hug of a hot toddy for warm your bones. Recipes call for whisky or bourbon but try a single-malt scotch as your spirit or Irish whisky, or even dark rum. The rest doesn't change: hot water, honey, lemon juice, lemon wedge, cinnamon stick, and maybe a few cloves. It's just what the doctor ordered when you've got a scratchy throat and the chills.
Dirty Martini
In search of the ultimate dirty martini, Punchdrink.com recently invited top bartenders to submit their best recipes for a blind tasting. The winner was a recipe from Brooklyn's famed Gage & Tollner restaurant. Most of us have had a dirty martini that was way too salty with olive brine—not this one. The bar makes its own brine with water, salt, and lactic acid. They use a half-ounce of the brine, a 2-to-1 blend of fino sherry and dry vermouth, two and a half ounces of either gin or vodka, and an olive.
Negroni
With bitter, sweet, herbal, and fruity flavors, this classic Italian cocktail is a perfect partner to a charcuterie and cheese board with tasty meats and mature, salty cheeses like Pecorino, Parmesan, and blue cheese. It's simple to make: You need 1-ounce dry gin, 1-ounce Campari and 1-ounce sweet vermouth. Combine in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice, stir, and add a twist of orange peel.
Cosmopolitan
Amazing! This sour, pinkish, pretty little cocktail still ranks this high on Google searches. To refresh your memory, the Cosmo is made with Absolut Citron vodka, Cointreau, Ocean Spray cranberry juice cocktail, fresh lime juice, and a lemon twist. It's almost always served in a martini glass.
Dirty Shirley
The darling drink of TikTok fame is nothing more than a grown-up Shirley Temple. Just add vodka to the ginger ale, grenadine, and neon red maraschino cherries.
Espresso Martini
The second most-searched cocktail on Google is a sweet, rich, smooth, and terribly addictive coffee cocktail designed as an after-dinner drink. And if you dine late enough, it could ruin your sleep. Add 2 ounces of vodka, a half ounce of Kahlúa, 1 ounce fresh-brewed espresso, and ½ ounce simple syrup to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with coffee beans.
Aperol Spritz
This reddish-orange, bubbly drink so trendy at summer parties and weddings has crossed over as a year 'round cocktail of choice for the crowd looking for something lighter and "healthier," something fun and delicious without the baggage of a Manhattan or a martini. Make it with 3 parts sparkling Prosecco or champagne, two parts Aperol, and one part club soda. Serve your spritz in a wine glass or goblet and enjoy the No. 1 most popular cocktail in America, ranked according to Google search via VinePair.
