Making classic cocktails for entertaining guests is not as easy as you think. Unless you happen to be a bartender by profession, there is very little chance that you will remember the contents of a classic cocktail. This is why before considering making cocktails for your guests, you should make it a point to read up on what is a classic cocktail and what you must have at home to prepare one if needed.

The main idea behind making classic cocktails for entertaining guests is using the art of mixing flavors in a simple and complementary fashion. For instance, you could try and mix dry vermouth, gin, and lemons or salty olives to create a Martini or shake up a mix of water, bourbon, sugar, and bitters for fans of the old-fashioned cocktails. Here are the recipes for 5 classic cocktails that can be great for entertaining guests:

1. Tangerine Collins
You can give the classic Tom Collins a neat twist by using tangerine instead of lemon juice. This can be a perfect summer cocktail when you have guests over. You mix the gin, tangerine juice, and simple syrup to make this cocktail mix. You must then refrigerate this for an hour, at the least, until it is completely chilled. You can then cover this tightly and shake it hard, and then pour the mix into a pitcher filled with ice. This mix must then be strained into rock glasses or ice-filled collins and finally, stirred with chilled club soda.

2. Cameron’s cooler
This is a classic Scotch-based cocktail that can be very refreshing, yet bold. You will need dry white wine, blended Scotch, fresh lemon juice, Simple Syrup, ice, and chilled ginger ale, and Angostura bitters to garnish this. The syrup, lemon juice, white wine, and Scotch must be first blended and kept in a container for an hour. You must then cover the mix tightly and shake it before pouring it into ice-filled glasses. The ginger ale has to be stirred into it then and the bitters used for garnishing.

3. Sparkling pomegranate punch
It can be a deliciously refreshing summer cocktail that is easy to cook up. You need to dissolve sugar on pomegranate juice inside a punch bowl and then stir this mix vigorously. You should add sparkling wine, orange slices, pomegranate seeds, and diced pineapples. The punch must be served over ice cubes. This classic cocktail can be your go-to recipe for daytime parties.

4. Blood orange margarita
The blood orange can convert a traditional margarita into a summertime favorite cocktail or even a winter to-go. The blood orange adds a sweet taste to your margarita, and this cocktail is easy to prepare. You simply blend blood orange juice with lime juice, silver tequila, and Cointreau. The mix must then be refrigerated for half-an-hour. You can then spread a little bit of salt on a plate, moisten the rims of glasses with orange wedges and dip these rims onto the salt to give them a light coating. It’s important that you remember to add ice cubes to the pitcher and then stir this well before pouring it into prepared glasses.

5. Classic rum punch
This is a perfect recipe that you can keep increasing as the number of guests keeps growing. All you have to do is make sure that there is always a large batch completely ready and chilled and does not become watery at any cost. You are going to need mint leaves, light run, aged run, fresh orange juice, mango nectar and pineapple juice for this cocktail. You must combine all the ingredients in this punch except pineapple wedges and ice. The mix must be refrigerated until it becomes chilled. It should then be poured into red wine glasses over ice cubes. For garnishing, you can use the pineapple wedges.

These classic cocktails are ideal for entertaining guests at home and enjoying some delectable drinks at a party.