Your Favorite Sour Cocktails Likely Belong To The 'Daisy' Family

Ever ordered a Daisy? It isn't a drink you've heard thrown around as commonly as you might have heard of a Negroni Sbagliato or a dirty martini. It's an old timer and a yummy one at that! The Sipsmith describes this 1860s cocktail as "spritzy and refreshing" and is made in a multitude of various ways using gin, brandy, whiskey, and other spirits. 

This variety makes the Daisy drink more of a cocktail category than it does a tried and true recipe. But The Spruce Eats says that even though there are more than a few ways to mix this beverage, the principles remain the same. Using your preferred choice of base spirit, add simple syrup, liqueur, lemon juice, and soda water, and boom! you have your very own Daisy drink. But as you can probably see this recipe leaves a lot of room for experimentation, and can vary in power and flavor depending on what kind of liquor and syrup you choose.

Now, you're probably looking at the outline of that Daisy cocktail recipe and thinking to yourself, "Hey, I've had something like that before!" And you're not wrong. Some of our favorite mixed drinks to order at the bar fall under the "Daisy" family umbrella (via Cocktail Monkey). The key to any classic Daisy cocktail is that it is full of fizz and has a sour note, but otherwise you can have fun with it! Use lime juice instead of lemon juice, whip up some creamy egg whites, or even add some fruit juice. 

According to Food & Wine, the Daisy family includes classic Margaritas – which involve a mix of tequila, lime juice, agave syrup, and Cointreau. Another Daisy mix is the Sidecar, in which you need cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. The key to a Daisy cocktail is the base, some acidity, and a touch of sweetness. As with many an old-timey cocktail, the Daisy has evolved along with modern tastes and is no longer solely the brandy-based drink that was popular in the 19th century.