Stop Ordering the Same Drink. 7 Cocktails to Try Based on What You Already Love.

You have a go to drink. We all do, but stop ordering the same drink, try something new but similar.

Maybe it’s an Old Fashioned because you like your bourbon dressed up but not wearing a tuxedo. Maybe it’s a Margarita because lime plus tequila equals a tiny vacation. Maybe it’s a Martini because you enjoy looking mysterious while holding something dangerously clear.

No judgment. The classics are classics for a reason. They’re familiar, balanced, and reliable. But every now and then, your glass deserves a plot twist.

So instead of telling you to abandon your favorite cocktail, let’s upgrade the usual order. This guide is built around a simple idea:

If you like this → try this.

You’ll get seven cocktail recommendations based on popular cocktails you already know, plus flavor notes, a little trivia, and easy cocktail recipes you can make at home without owning a velvet smoking jacket or saying “mouthfeel” out loud.

The easiest way to find your next favorite drink is to start with what you already love.

Stop ordering the same drink. If you like an Old Fashioned, try a Boulevardier

The Old Fashioned is the dependable friend of bourbon cocktails. Spirit, sugar, bitters, citrus peel. Simple. Strong. No nonsense.

If that’s your lane, meet the Boulevardier, which is basically what happens when a Negroni spends a weekend in Kentucky and comes back with better stories.

Why you’ll probably like it

The Boulevardier keeps the whiskey backbone you love, but adds two big flavor moves:

• Sweet vermouth brings dark fruit and herbal warmth.

• Campari adds bitter orange and a grown-up edge.

  
  

It’s richer than a Negroni, bolder than an Old Fashioned, and excellent for nights when dinner is on the grill, friends are in the kitchen, and somebody is pretending they “don’t really snack” while destroying the cheese board.

A little cocktail trivia

The Boulevardier appeared in print in the 1920s and is often linked to American expatriates in Paris. The name roughly means a fashionable city wanderer. In other words, it’s a cocktail wearing a scarf it definitely bought on purpose.

Easy Boulevardier recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz bourbon or rye

• 1 oz Campari

• 1 oz sweet vermouth

• Orange peel

  
  

How to make it

Add bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Express the orange peel over the drink, then drop it in.

B&B move

Serve it in a heavy rocks glass. A good glass makes a strong drink feel like an event, even if the event is “Thursday survived.”

For more whiskey-friendly inspiration, this is a natural place to explore Bourbon & Boxers bourbon cocktail recipes and Old Fashioned variations.

If you like a Margarita, try a Oaxaca Old Fashioned

A Margarita is bright, salty, tart, and impossible to hold without thinking, “Maybe tacos should happen.”

If you love that tequila snap but want something deeper, try the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. It’s smoky, citrusy, gently sweet, and dangerously smooth.

Why you’ll probably like it

This drink trades the Margarita’s lime-and-orange sparkle for a slow, smoky sip. You still get agave flavor from tequila, but mezcal adds roasted depth.

The result tastes like:

• Tequila

• Campfire smoke

• Orange peel

• A wink from somebody who knows where the good salsa is

  
  

It’s one of the best cocktails to try if you want to move from refreshing tequila drinks into spirit-forward territory.

A little cocktail trivia

The Oaxaca Old Fashioned helped introduce many cocktail drinkers to mezcal in the modern bar scene. It follows the Old Fashioned template, but swaps whiskey for agave spirits. Same structure, totally different mood.

Easy Oaxaca Old Fashioned recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz reposado tequila

• 1/2 oz mezcal

• 1 tsp agave nectar

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• Orange peel

  
  

How to make it

Stir tequila, mezcal, agave, and bitters with ice. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

B&B move

Pair it with grilled steak, charred vegetables, or nachos that stopped being “just a snack” three toppings ago.

Smoky agave cocktails are perfect for relaxed nights with big flavor.

If you like a Martini, try a Martinez

The Martini is crisp, cold, and iconic. It also has strong “I know exactly what I’m doing” energy, even when you absolutely do not.

If you like the Martini but want something with more sweetness and history, try the Martinez.

Why you’ll probably like it

The Martinez sits somewhere between a Martini and a Manhattan. It uses gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters.

Compared with a dry Martini, it’s:

• Softer

• Slightly sweeter

• More herbal

• Less likely to make you question your life after one sip

  
  

If the Martini is a tailored black suit, the Martinez is vintage velvet. Still classy, just more fun at parties.

A little cocktail trivia

The Martinez is often considered one of the ancestors of the Martini. Its exact origin is debated, because cocktail history loves a bar fight, but recipes appeared in the late 1800s. It’s a true classic cocktail that still feels under-ordered.

Easy Martinez recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz gin

• 1 1/2 oz sweet vermouth

• 1/4 oz maraschino liqueur

• 2 dashes orange bitters

• Lemon twist or cherry

  
  

How to make it

Stir all ingredients with ice until cold. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist or cherry.

B&B move

This is a great “before dinner” drink. Pour it when friends arrive, put out something salty, and let the night start properly.

If you like a Moscow Mule, try a Kentucky Buck

The Moscow Mule is beloved because it’s fizzy, gingery, limey, and served in a copper mug that makes everyone feel 17 percent more festive.

If that’s your drink, try the Kentucky Buck. It has ginger beer, citrus, bourbon, and strawberry. Yes, strawberry. Stay with us.

Why you’ll probably like it

The Kentucky Buck keeps the Mule’s refreshing ginger-lime personality, but bourbon adds warmth and vanilla. Strawberry gives it a fresh fruit lift without turning it into a beach resort blender situation.

It’s one of those drinks to make at home when you want something easy, crowd-friendly, and a little unexpected.

A little cocktail trivia

The “buck” is a family of cocktails made with spirit, citrus, and ginger beer or ginger ale. The Moscow Mule is technically a buck, though it became famous under its own name. Kentucky Buck just brings bourbon to the party, which is usually a good decision.

Easy Kentucky Buck recipe

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon

• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 oz simple syrup

• 1 strawberry

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• Ginger beer

• Lemon wheel or strawberry

  
  

How to make it

Muddle the strawberry with lemon juice and simple syrup in a shaker. Add bourbon, bitters, and ice. Shake, then strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with lemon or strawberry.

B&B move

Serve these when friends come over for burgers, barbecue, or board games that get weirdly competitive.

If you like a Manhattan, try a Vieux Carré

The Manhattan is smooth, strong, and elegant. Whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters. It’s the cocktail equivalent of a good leather jacket.

If you love it, try the Vieux Carré, a New Orleans classic with rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and bitters.

Why you’ll probably like it

The Vieux Carré has the whiskey-vermouth structure of a Manhattan, but with more layers. Cognac brings fruit and softness. Benedictine adds honeyed herbal notes. Two kinds of bitters keep everything balanced.

Flavor-wise, expect:

• Rye spice

• Dark fruit

• Warm herbs

• A little sweetness

• Big “jazz playing in the other room” energy

  
  

A little cocktail trivia

Vieux Carré means “old square” in French and refers to the French Quarter in New Orleans. The drink is strongly tied to the city’s grand hotel bar tradition, which explains why it tastes like it should arrive on a silver tray.

Easy Vieux Carré recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz rye whiskey

• 3/4 oz cognac

• 3/4 oz sweet vermouth

• 1/4 oz Benedictine

• 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• Lemon twist or cherry

  
  

How to make it

Stir everything with ice until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over ice or into a chilled coupe. Garnish with lemon or cherry.

B&B move

Save this for a slow night with good music, better food, and glassware that makes you sit up a little straighter.

A layered whiskey cocktail turns an ordinary night into something worth remembering.

If you like a Daiquiri, try a Hemingway Daiquiri

A real Daiquiri is not a frozen neon sugar avalanche. It’s rum, lime, and sugar, shaken cold. Clean. Bright. Perfect.

If you already love a classic Daiquiri, try the Hemingway Daiquiri, also called a Papa Doble in some circles.

Why you’ll probably like it

This version keeps the rum and lime but adds grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur. It’s drier, more citrusy, and a little more complex than the original.

The grapefruit cuts the sweetness. The maraschino adds a subtle cherry-almond note. It’s refreshing but not flimsy.

A little cocktail trivia

The drink is linked to Ernest Hemingway and his time in Cuba. The classic story says he preferred a less sweet version with more rum. Modern versions usually bring back a little balance, because most of us are not trying to arm-wrestle a marlin after happy hour.

Easy Hemingway Daiquiri recipe

Ingredients

• 2 oz white rum

• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice

• 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice

• 1/2 oz maraschino liqueur

• 1/4 oz simple syrup, optional

  
  

How to make it

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel if you’re feeling fancy.

B&B move

This one loves seafood, spicy appetizers, and hot evenings when the porch becomes the best room in the house.

If you like a Negroni, try a Paper Plane

The Negroni is bitter, bold, and beautifully simple. Gin, Campari, sweet vermouth. Equal parts. Equal opinions. People either love it or look like they just licked a pine cone.

If you’re a Negroni fan, try a Paper Plane. It’s bitter and citrusy, but bourbon gives it a friendlier landing.

Why you’ll probably like it

The Paper Plane uses bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice in equal parts. It has the bitter-orange appeal of a Negroni, but it’s brighter and less intense.

It’s also a great bridge cocktail. Negroni lovers get complexity. Whiskey lovers get bourbon. Lemon lovers get to feel seen.

A little cocktail trivia

The Paper Plane is a modern classic created during the cocktail revival era and named after the M.I.A. song “Paper Planes.” Yes, a great drink can have a playlist.

Easy Paper Plane recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz bourbon

• 3/4 oz Aperol

• 3/4 oz Amaro Nonino

• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

  
  

How to make it

Shake everything with ice. Strain into a coupe. No garnish needed, which is nice because sometimes the lemon has done enough.

B&B move

This is an excellent “I brought something better than wine” bottle-party cocktail. Batch the equal parts ahead, then shake with lemon when guests arrive.

A quick cheat sheet for your next cocktail night

If you usually order	Try this next	Why it works
Old Fashioned	Boulevardier	Whiskey depth with bittersweet Italian flair
Margarita	Oaxaca Old Fashioned	Agave flavor with smoke and citrus oils
Martini	Martinez	Gin elegance with a softer vintage feel
Moscow Mule	Kentucky Buck	Ginger refreshment with bourbon and fruit
Manhattan	Vieux Carré	Whiskey richness with New Orleans complexity
Daiquiri	Hemingway Daiquiri	Rum and lime with grapefruit bite
Negroni	Paper Plane	Bitter balance with bourbon and lemon

How to make cocktail night feel less like homework

Great cocktails do not require a thousand-dollar bar cart. Start with a few basics and build slowly.

Keep these on hand:

• A bottle of bourbon or rye

• Gin, rum, tequila, or whatever you actually drink

• Sweet vermouth, stored in the fridge

• Bitters

• Fresh citrus

• Simple syrup

• One bitter liqueur, like Campari or Aperol

• Decent ice

  
  

Then add the good stuff that makes the night feel intentional. Real glasses. A clean cutting board for citrus. A shirt that says “I came prepared” without actually saying it. That’s the Bourbon & Boxers sweet spot: good drinks, good food, good friends, and ordinary nights made better.

Need a gift for the person who already owns too many bottles but somehow never has the right glass? Drinkware, apparel, and cocktail-friendly gifts are always safer than pretending you know their vermouth preferences.

The best cocktail is usually the one shared with good company.

Your next favorite drink is probably one step away

You don’t have to retire your go-to order. The Old Fashioned, Margarita, Martini, Moscow Mule, Manhattan, Daiquiri, and Negroni have earned their spots. But if you already know what you like, choosing your next drink gets easier.

Start close to home. Like bourbon? Try the Boulevardier or Paper Plane. Love tequila? Make the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. Want something refreshing? The Kentucky Buck or Hemingway Daiquiri is calling.

Then tell us what happened. Did you find a new favorite? Did the Vieux Carré make you speak in a New Orleans accent for no reason? Did someone at your house declare themselves “a Martinez person” after one sip?

Drop a comment, share this with your cocktail crew, and keep experimenting.

For more classic cocktails, bourbon cocktails, easy cocktail recipes, entertaining ideas, drinkware, apparel, and gifts that make happy hour feel like an actual event, visit Bourbon & Boxers at www.bourbonandboxers.net.