National Cocktail Day 2026 Is Here, Check Out The Drinks

National Cocktail Day (March 24) is here, and we’ve got another roundup packed with options and featuring brands we love and brands we’re getting to know. In this National Cocktail Day roundup, we’ve got an array of drinks, including some canned ready-to-drink options, along with a creation from D.L. Chandler.

National Cocktail Day’s origins are hard to nail down, and as I said last year, I began the Spirit.Ed column because of my love for cocktails, their history, and learning how to create my own. This year, I was cramming for ideas, and I think I stumbled into a drink that will really have its moment to shine as the warmer months come into view.

The working name for the cocktail I created is the Spicy Siren, inspired in part by my late mother and my late grandmother. The women couldn’t have been more different in their attitudes and temperament, but their love and devotion to me, my siblings, and all who knew them was undeniable. I thought of my mother’s fiery, firm, but loyal nature, and my Nana’s sweet, patient, and guiding hand. I miss them both dearly.

The Spicy Siren (Or should I call it Siren’s Sting?) is a tequila-based shaken cocktail meant to be served in a martini or coupe glass over ice. I used 21 Seeds’ cucumber and jalapeno-infused tequila, Chinola passion fruit liqueur, pineapple juice, and a touch of demerara rich simple syrup. The recipe is below.

The Spicy Siren (or Siren’s Sting)

Ingredients:
2 oz 21 Seeds Cucumber Jalapeno Tequila
1 oz Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 bar spoon or 1/4 of rich simple syrup (optional)

Method:
Place all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Chill a martini or coupe glass with ice and water as you prepare the drink. Mix the ingredients in the covered shaker for 10-15 seconds. Toss the ice and water from the chilled glass and fill with a bit of ice, then pour the shaken cocktail. Garnish with a couple of de-seeded jalapenos.

Now, I think this drink doesn’t exactly need the simple, but I find it helps tamp down some of the cucumber notes. If I were to make this drink again, I’d try to find some Ghost Tequila for a spicier kick, but as it stands, this drink wins for me.

Check out the rest of our National Cocktail Day offerings below. I’ll be updating this post until 6 PM ET.

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Photo: Getty/D.L. Chandler

Aromatic K

Ingredients
2 oz KHEE Soju 22
.5 oz Ylang Ylang Cordial*
.25 oz lime juice
KHEE Ylang Ylang Edible Fragrance

Method: In a shaker, mix ingredients, garnish with a spritz of Ylang Ylang Edible Fragrance, and serve in a wine or martini glass.

*Ylang Ylang Cordial Instructions
Simmer 2 bags green tea in 550ml hot water. Add 1000g pure cane sugar. Let simmer then add 60g citric acid. Let it cool and add in 7-8 drops Ylang Ylang oil. Once all mixed in, continue to let it cool then strain out tea. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Blanco Blueberry Ranch Water

Ingredients:
2 oz Dulce Vida Organic Blanco Tequila
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
6 oz Topo Chico
Muddled Blueberries
Muddled Lime

Directions: Run a lime wedge around the edges of a preferred glass, immediately followed by dipping into salt. Place four to five blueberries and one to two lime wedges at the bottom of the glass and muddle. Then add ice, lime juice and tequila. Top with Topo Chico and garnish with a blueberry skewer.

Bramble

Ingredients:
2 oz Devil’s Grin Texas Gin
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
0.5 oz Blackberry Liqueur (Crème de Mûre)
Garnish: Lemon Wheel & Fresh Blackberry

Method: Shake the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Slowly pour the blackberry liqueur over the top so it “bleeds” through the ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a blackberry.

Daiquiri

Ingredients
1.5 oz Crown Royal Marquis
1 oz Pineapple Juice
0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
Garnish: Dehydrated lime wheel
Glassware: Coupe

Method: Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.

Espresso Martini

Ingredients
1.5oz Baileys Original Irish Cream
1oz of espresso
1oz of vodka
Glassware: Martini Glass
Garnish: Three Espresso Beans

Method: Add Baileys Original Irish Cream, Espresso, and Vodka to a cocktail shaker. Shake and fine strain into a martini glass. Garnish with espresso beans and enjoy.

Firecracker

Ingredients:
0.85oz Dubliner Fiery Irish
0.35oz Crème de Fraise
0.5oz Aperol
3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Top-up 3oz Ginger Beer
Garnish: Fresh strawberry slices

Method:
Build it all in a rocks glass over ice — no shaking, no fuss. Add sliced strawberries on top — the fresher, the better. Let the layers mix, but don’t rush it — it’s got attitude.

French 75

Ingredients
1 oz DELEÓN Reposado
0.5 oz Agave Syrup
0.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz Champagne or Prosecco
Garnish: Lemon, Mint, and Green Grape
Glassware: Wine glass

Method: Add all ingredients into a shaker except the Champagne, fill completely with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a wine glass and top off with Champagne, give a gentle stir and garnish.

Golden Hour

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Brown-Butter & Apple Washed OYO American Character Vodka
0.75 oz Fino Sherry
0.5 oz Honey Simple Syrup
0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
3 dashes Toasted Pecan Bitters
1 oz Aquafaba

Directions:
Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice, then double strain into a chilled double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a thin fan of green apple slices on a cocktail pick.

Highland Park Penicillin

Ingredients:
2 oz Highland Park Whisky 12YO
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz honey syrup (2:1 honey  to water)
½ oz ginger syrup
Garnish: candied ginger

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake until well-chilled. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish.

Island Water

Calls For:
1.5 fl oz of Captain Morgan White Rum
3 fl oz of Vita Coco Original Coconut Water
Lime wheel for garnish

Preparation:
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add Captain Morgan and top with Vita Coco. Garnish with a lime wedge. Spice it Up: Turn up the tropical fun and serve this drink in a coconut instead of a glass. Fill with your favorite fruits, like watermelon or chunks of coconut

Margarita

Ingredients:
1.5oz Tequila Don Julio Blanco
0.75oz Fresh Lime Juice
0.75oz Simple Syrup or Agave Nectar
1 Lime Wedge
Glass: Rocks Glass

Method: Combine Tequila Don Julio Blanco, fresh lime juice, simple syrup/agave nectar into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Malibu Pink Lemonade

Ingredients
One part Malibu Pink
Two Parts Lemonade
Lemon wedge for garnish

Method
Pour in a glass over ice, garnish with a lemon slice & enjoy!

Negroni

Ingredients:
1 oz Fords Gin
1 oz Sweet Red Vermouth
1 oz Bitter Aperitif
Glassware: Double Rocks Glass
Garnish: Orange Twist

Method: Stir all ingredients over ice, then strain into a double rocks glass over new ice.

Non-Alcoholic Cosmopolitan

Ingredients:
2 oz Seedlip Grove 42
1 oz Cranberry Juice
½ oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
Garnish: Lemon Peel
Glassware: Coupe

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake & strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Old Fashioned

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
0.75 oz. Simple Syrup
3 dashes aromatic bitters
Garnish: orange swath
Glassware: Rocks glass

Method: Combine Bulleit bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters in a stirring glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with an orange swath.

Old Fashioned Port of Entry

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Cask
0.25 oz rich honey syrup (4:1 honey to water)
1 dash almond bitters
1 dash orange bitters
Garnish: Orange peel
Glassware: Rocks

Method: Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass over ice and stir. Garnish with an orange peel.

Pink Pineapple Fizz

Ingredients:
4 oz pineapple juice
1-2 tsp pink pitaya powder
1.5 oz Kōloa Kaua’i White Rum
Dash of soda water
Pineapple wedge for garnish

Directions:
In a cocktail shaker, dissolve the pink pitaya powder in the pineapple juice by stirring vigorously. Add the rum and ice, then shake well. Double-strain into a tall, narrow serving glass filled with ice, making sure to remove any pink pitaya clumps. Top with a dash of soda water and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Pomengranate Paloma

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz CAZADORES Blanco
1/2 oz ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur
2 oz pomegranate juice
top with grapefruit soda
2 oz lime juice
pinch of salt

Instructions:
Dip your Collins glass into lime juice and rim with salt. In a Collins glass, combine CAZADORES, pomegranate juice and lime juice, and stir. Top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with a grapefruit.

Sagamore Spirit Orange Crush

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Sagamore Spirit Small Batch Rye Whiskey
3 oz Fresh Orange Juice
0.25 oz Orange Liqueur
Lemon-lime soda
Orange wheel for garnish

Directions:
Juice a fresh orange and combine with whiskey and liqueur in a shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice. Top with lemon-lime soda and garnish with an orange wheel.

Smoked Rosemary Whiskey Sour

1.5 oz Stranahan’s Blue Peak
1 oz smoked rosemary simply syrup
1 oz sour mix

Directions:
Pour ingredients into Boston shaker. Shake vigorously until visible foam appears. Strain into coup glass and garnish.

Spicy Paloma

1 Part Ancho Reyes Original
1 Part Espolòn Tequila Blanco
1/2 Part lime juice
3 Parts grapefruit soda
Pinch of sea salt

Put all ingredients into a highball glass on the rocks and top with grapefruit soda and garnish with a grapefruit wheel.

Spicy Strawberry Rosé Smash

INGREDIENTS:  
1 750 mL Bottle Hampton Water Rosé
1 Jalapeño, Chopped
1 Cup Strawberries, Chopped
¼ Cup Lime Juice
4 oz Simple Syrup
1 Cup Club Soda
Garnish: Strawberries & Lime
 
DIRECTIONS:  
Add jalapeños and strawberries to a pitcher and gently muddle. Add Hampton Water rosé, lime juice, simple syrup and ice. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Top with club soda and stir. Strain into glasses with fresh ice. Garnish with fresh strawberries and lime wheel. 

St-Germain Spritz

1 1/2oz. St-Germain
2 oz. MARTINI Prosecco
2 oz. Soda Water
8 Mint Leaves

Garnish: Lime Wedge and Mint Sprig

Method: Pour St‑Germain over ice in a glass. Add mint and top with sparkling wine and soda. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime wedge.

Tierra y Fuego

Ingredients:
2 oz Ozama Añejo rum
2 oz beet juice
0.5 oz Chinola® passion fruit liqueur
1.5 oz honey
1 oz lemon juice
3 dashes of Angostura® bitters
Dried lemon or lime for garnish

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.Strain and serve in a rocks glass with a Tajín® rim. Garnish with a slice of dried lemon or lime.

The Ranch Water Variety Pack (Lone River)

Lone River Beverage Company has made moves within the fast-growing ready-to-drink (RTD) category, and the brand is continuing to expand. I’ve had the brand’s Lemonade Splash variety pack, and now, I’m putting a focus on Lone River’s Ranch Water variety pack. The Ranch Water is a West Texas classic cocktail perfect for a warm spring day. I can’t wait to try some myself.

Learn more here.

The Ultimate Dirty Martini

Ingredients:
2 oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin
.25 oz Olive Brine
3 drops Graza Olive Oil
.5 oz Dry Vermouth
3 Olives muddled
Glassware: Martini Glass
Garnish: Olives

Method: Muddle olives at the bottom of a shaker, add Tanqueray London Dry Gin, olive brine, Graza olive oil, and dry vermouth. Shake, fine strain into a martini glass, and garnish with skewered olives.