Today, we’re sharing our best after-dinner drink recipes. These nightcaps are the perfect way to end an evening. We’re sharing a variety of dessert cocktails like the famous Espresso Martini, digestifs such as the Rusty Nail, classic cocktails like The Last Word and coffee-based options like the Irish Coffee. These drinks are perfect to sip after a meal.
Paper Plane Cocktail
The Paper Plane cocktail recipe is a great bourbon drink to add to your home bar skillset. The combination of bourbon, Aperol, amaro and lemon juice is a bright orange cocktail that is citrusy, botanical and warming with the perfect sweet and bitter balance.
French 75
The French 75 is a classic cocktail, and for good reason! With the combination of bubbly champagne, the lightness of fresh lemon, and the botanical juniper notes of gin, this drink has stood the test of time and is a fan favorite at cocktail hours everywhere.
Aviation Cocktail
This bright purple, classic cocktail is made with gin, crème de violette, maraschino liqueur and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It has a sophisticated flavor that is the closest thing to a fancy bar I can create at home.
Last Word Cocktail
Learn to make the classic Last Word Cocktail using gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and fresh lime juice.
White Russian
This drink is perfect for an after-dinner drink. This three ingredient (vodka, Kahlua, and heavy cream) cocktail is easy to master and serve at home.
Classic Hot Toddy
I love a classic hot toddy. This recipe is usually made of just four ingredients: hot water, whiskey, fresh lemon juice, and honey.
El Presidente Cocktail
Learn to mix up the El Presidente cocktail using white rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and grenadine syrup.
Pink Lady
A classic cocktail, the Pink Lady is a drier and more tart taste that the bold pink color may lead you to expect. The combination of dry gin, applejack brandy, lemon, and grenadine is shaken with an egg white for a creamy foamy top that is both delicious and pretty to look at.
Colorado Bulldog
This rich, coffee-flavored recipe starts off with a base similar to the White Russian, calling for Kahlua and vodka. Then the recipe adds a layer of cola—a delightful twist that is unexpected and fun! A Colorado Bulldog tastes like a White Russian with the added flavor, sweetness and fizz of cola. It’s truly delicious!
French Martini
The French Martini is a classy cocktail that only needs three ingredients: vodka, pineapple juice, and raspberry liqueur. The fruity profile is sweet without being overly so, and the pretty color looks fancy in any martini or coupe glass.
Boulevardier Cocktail
Let’s learn the classic recipe for a Boulevardier cocktail. Using Campari, bourbon (or rye whiskey) and sweet vermouth you can mix this stiff, flavorful cocktail.
Espresso Martini
Create this iconic espresso martini with just three ingredients: vodka, espresso and Kahlúa with the optional ingredient of simple syrup. Prep time is only five minutes!
Manhattan Drink
The classic Manhattan cocktail was the most famous drink recipe shortly after its birth at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the 1880s. Made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters, and cherry.
Sazerac
This drink is a cousin to the Old Fashioned and is traditionally mixed with rye whiskey or brandy, bitters, sugar, and absinthe.
Lychee Martini
This fruity and floral flavored martini is made with vodka, orange liqueur, lychee puree, and lychee fruit. It’s magical!
Pink Squirrel Cocktail
Learn to make the Pink Squirrel cocktail using creme de noyaux, white creme de cacao, heavy cream and fresh nutmeg.
Chocolate Martini
This easy recipe is rich and chocolate-y but isn’t cloying, even with the swirl of chocolate syrup and chocolate shavings on top. Made with chocolate liqueur, Irish cream, and vodka.
Appletini
A dessert cocktail made with vodka and sour apple schnapps.
Dirty Martini
There are few drinks more classic than a dirty martini. The simple combination of gin (or vodka!), dry vermouth, and olive brine packs a punch that’s been adorning cocktail tables for decades. And of course, don’t forget the olive garnish!
Negroni Sbagliato
If you love the classic cocktail Negroni, you have to try this lighter, sparking version. This recipe replaces the gin with effervescent Prosecco to create a flavorful cocktail.
Lemon Drop Martini
A Lemon Drop Martini can be made with gin or vodka. We prefer making homemade simple syrup for this cocktail so we can adjust the sweetness, but store-bought works, too. This recipe also includes a mocktail version!
Negroni Cocktail
A Negroni is a classic aperitif, meaning it’s the best cocktail to enjoy before or after a big meal. This drink feels fancy, but it’s really easy to make with gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
Key Lime Martini
How about a Key Lime Martini? It’s everything you love about a classic martini with all the fresh citrus flavor of lime. Made with lime juice, vodka, cream of coconut, and orange liqueur.
Gin Mule Cocktail
A Gin Mule is a delicious twist on the classic Moscow Mule. The vodka is replaced with gin for a fresh, sweet, and zesty cocktail.
Sidecar Cocktail
This Sidecar Cocktail is incredibly refreshing and just the right amount of sweet. Plus, it’s SUPER easy to make with only three ingredients: cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice.
Old Fashioned Cocktail
This drink is sweet, strong and perfectly simple—a true classic! Ingredients include bourbon, Angostura butters, sugar, water, orange twist, and cherries.
Irish Coffee
This is a classic caffeinated cocktail made with coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and whipped cream.
Vieux Carré Cocktail
The Vieux Carre recipe is a not-so-distant cousin to the Old Fashioned. If you’re a fan of sweet whiskey drinks, you will love this recipe! Made with rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine liqueur, bitters, and cherry.
Aperol Spritz
If you’ve never had an Aperol Spritz, it’s a classic Italian cocktail that’s slightly bitter, bubbly, and perfect for spring. This is drink that anyone can make—it only has three ingredients (Prosecco, Aperol, and sparkling water) plus an orange wedge for the garnish.
Snickerdoodle Martini
If you can’t resist a snickerdoodle cookie, imagine there was a martini based on it. This snickerdoodle martini is a fun dessert martini made with vanilla vodka, whipping cream, amaretto, and cinnamon schnapps.
Cosmopolitan Recipe
Given that the cocktail is pink, I thought it would be some version of a very sweet martini. Not so! This cosmopolitan recipe is actually a very balanced drink with just a little sweetness from Cointreau (orange flavored triple sec), vodka, lime juice, and the sweet and sour blend of cranberry juice.
Rusty Nail Cocktail
If you enjoy scotch, you need to try the Rusty Nail cocktail. This drink used to be at the top of every bar menu and has more recently become more of a hidden gem. This simple two ingredient cocktail is a mixture of scotch and scotch-based herbal liqueur Drambuie.
Coffee Martini
Learn to make a classic Coffee Martini using brewed coffee, vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream liqueur.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best drink to have after dinner?
Some classic digestifs include sipping brandy, scotch or herbal liqueurs over ice or neat. Some mixed drinks we love are the Negroni, Hot Toddy, Irish Coffee or Manhattan.
What are after-dinner drinks called?
After-dinner drinks are called digestifs, which comes from the French word for “digestive.” This suggests that an after-dinner drink can aid with digestion, which is an old idea that is based in tradition (not science).
More After-Dinner Drink Ideas
If don’t want to mix cocktails, some popular options for after-dinner bottles to share are champagne, brandy, scotch or Amari. I personally love Fernet Branca as an after-dinner digestif.
Nonalcoholic After-Dinner Drinks
- Affogato – You will love this espresso and ice cream treat.
- Mexican Coffee
- Apple Cider
- Virgin Mojito
Such a great list!