Top 5 Cocktails That Are Almost Impossible to Order Wrong

Safe bets for unfamiliar bars, first dates and any moment when the menu is a laminated mystery.

1. 1

   Negroni

   Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth means even a distracted bartender lands it, and the bitterness tells people you've got opinions.

2. 2

   Old Fashioned

   Whiskey, sugar, bitters and an orange peel is so simple that a bad one takes real effort, and you look like you belong in a leather booth.

3. 3

   Margarita

   Every bar on Earth has the ingredients, and even a mediocre one still tastes like the start of a vacation.

4. 4

   Daiquiri

   The real one is rum, lime and sugar, not a slushie, and ordering it is a quiet test of whether the bar knows what it's doing.

5. 5

   Gin and Tonic

   It's the ultimate fallback, since it's hard to ruin and cold in seconds, and a good lime wedge is enough to make it feel like a choice.