IBA official cocktails

What the IBA is

The International Bartenders Association (IBA) is an umbrella organisation of national bartender associations. It was founded in 1951 in Torquay, England, and today brings together member associations from many countries. Among its tasks are organising international competitions such as the World Cocktail Championships and maintaining a list of official cocktails.

The official cocktail list

The IBA list defines a set of widely known drinks with a standard recipe, method, glass and garnish. It is used for competitions and bartending education, so that a drink ordered by name is made to the same basic specification anywhere. The list has been revised several times over the years, with drinks added, removed or updated.

The three categories

• The Unforgettables: long-established classics such as the Martini, the Manhattan, the Negroni and the Old Fashioned.
• Contemporary Classics: widely served drinks from later decades, for example the Cosmopolitan, the Mojito and the Margarita.
• New Era Drinks: more recent creations that have become international standards.

How to use this list

The IBA specifications are a useful starting point, not the only correct way to make a drink. Many bars adjust ratios to their own ingredients and guests. On CocktailLexicon we follow the IBA recipe for drinks on the list where it makes sense and point out common variations. Measurements are given in millilitres, and every recipe includes tips on technique and ingredients, so you can make the standard version first and then adapt it to your taste.