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10 Cocktails for the Car Enthusiast in Your Life

The car community is a thoughtful, detail-oriented bunch. They know every part of an automobile and can identify a specific model by its headlights or the sound the engine makes. 

If you’re planning to surprise the car enthusiast in your life with a new drink for a special occasion, you need a cocktail they’ll find appealing. You need a strong drink packed with flavor that’s also quick and easy to make. 

Here are 10 of the best car-themed cocktails.

The Sidecar

The dry Sidecar hails from the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris and has several recipe variations, but we recommend the classic:

  • 1.5 ounces of cognac
  • 1.5 ounces of Cointreau
  • 1.5 ounces of fresh lemon juice
  • Ice

Mix the ingredients well in a cocktail shaker, then pour into a glass. You can also coat the rim with lemon juice and your choice of sugar or salt, depending on your preference.

Silver Mercedes

Named after the high-class Mercedes Benz brand car enthusiasts adore, the Silver Mercedes adds a hint of luxury to the classic vodka cran.

  • 2 ounces of vodka
  • 1 ounce of cranberry juice
  • Champagne floater

Chill the vodka and cranberry juice, stir with ice and top it off with as much champagne as you want.

BMW Cocktail

Car enthusiasts often debate between Mercedes Benz and BMW, so if the simple and sweet Silver Mercedes did not satisfy, then the more potent BMW cocktail will do the trick. Here’s what you need:

  • ¾ ounces of Bailey’s
  • ¾ ounces of coconut rum
  • ¾ ounces of rye whiskey

Pour these ingredients on the rocks, stir lightly and enjoy while your car-loving friends fight over the best German car brand.

Red Corvette Cocktail

After they’re done bickering over Mercedes and BMW, car enthusiasts come together and share their love for the classics. Everyone has their favorite, but all agree that the Corvette is among the best vehicles ever made. This cocktail perfectly embodies the flavor and spirit of a cherry red Corvette.

  • ½ ounces hazelnut liqueur
  • 1 ounce of melon liqueur
  • Four strawberries
  • Sugar
  • Ice

Use a blender to thoroughly mix the ingredients into a colorful strawberry lemonade cocktail, and top the rim of your glass with a sugar garnish to bring the sweet flavors home.

Bentley Cocktail

The Bentley cocktail pays tribute to the British auto manufacturer with a simple yet elegant drink that people have enjoyed since the early days of the famous Savoy Hotel in London. 

  • 1½ ounces of Calvados
  • 1½ ounces of Dubonnet Rouge
  • Three dashes of orange bitters

Gently stir the ingredients, then pour into a chilled glass. If the car enthusiast you know is looking for a strong and satisfying drink to mull over, the Bentley cocktail is the choice for them.

Irish Car Bomb

You might have seen this drink in moves and other media, and for good reason: the Irish Car Bomb/Irish Slammer is a fun, flavor-packed drink that’s easy to make. Here’s all you need:

  • ½ ounce Irish whiskey
  • ½ ounce Baileys Irish cream
  • A cold glass of Guinness beer

Once you have the ingredients, pour the Baileys and whiskey into a shot glass, promptly drop it into the Guinness and drink up before the cream curdles.

This drink is named after a dark time in Irish history known as the Troubles, when car bombings were common. Impress your car-loving friends with this historical fact when you pour them an Irish Car Bomb.

Rolls-Royce Cocktail

The Rolls-Royce cocktail provides a gin-infused twist to the original Sidecar, so if the auto enthusiast you know is more of a gin person, this is the cocktail for them. You’ll need:

  • 2 ounces of gin
  • ½ ounce of dry vermouth
  • ½ ounce of Benedictine or sweet vermouth

Mix the ingredients with ice, then pour the drink into a chilled martini glass for the final touch. Sweet vermouth was the original ingredient, but Benedictine has overtaken the classic version in popularity.

Ferrari Cocktail

This cocktail honors its namesake by being super fast to make, but exploding in flavor from an equal blend of two unique spirits:

  • 1.5 ounces of Fernet Branca
  • 1.5 ounces of Campari

Shake with ice, pour on the rocks and savor this colorful cocktail while fantasizing with your car-loving friends about driving a real Ferrari.

Harley-Davidson

As the name suggests, this drink has the look, feel and taste that a motorcycle enthusiast can appreciate. Here are the ingredients:

  • ½ ounce of Baileys
  • ½ ounce of Midori liqueur 
  • Jagermeister floater

Mix the first two ingredients with ice, pour onto the rocks and top it off with a shot or two of Jagermeister. The Harley-Davidson is one of the stronger drinks on the list, but motorcycle lovers wouldn’t have it any other way.

Pink Cadillac

Tequila finally appears on the list with the Pink Cadillac, a blend of top-shelf liquors and sweet mixers to create a beverage that pays homage to the classic Cadillac Eldorado. Get these ingredients:

  • 1¼ ounces of gold tequila
  • ¾ ounce of Grand Marnier orange liqueur
  • ½ ounce of cranberry juice
  • ½ lime, cut into wedges
  • Salt

Use a cocktail shaker to blend the ingredients, then pour into a chilled glass. Add a salt garnish to the rim plus a lime wedge, and you’re good to go. Most orange liqueurs are an adequate substitute if you can’t get your hands on Grand Marnier. However, as the name suggests, you want to use high-quality spirits for this drink.

Push the Boundaries

If the rapid evolution of cars and auto manufacturers has taught us anything, we discover the best ideas by pushing the boundaries. 

These 10 car-themed cocktails honor great names and traditions in the automotive industry, but in the spirit of Henry Ford, Ferdinand Porsche, Karl Benz and other auto pioneers, treat the ingredients as guidelines rather than actual rules. 

If you think the car enthusiast in your life will appreciate a variation of one of these cocktails, then give it a shot. After all, no great drink or car was invented by following the rules.

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