Everyone likes things that are retro. From a timeless band t-shirt to a Polaroid camera or a dusty old turntable, we love things that are old (sometimes older than us). The same goes for cocktails. Some of the most popular mixed drinks in the contemporary cocktail world are from the Prohibition (and pre-Prohibition) era of the US. But, while the Old Fashioned, French 75, and Southside are great, we can also show a little love for a newer retro drink. We’re talking about the vibrant, unique era of 1970s cocktails.
In my years of writing about alcohol (with an emphasis on cocktail culture), I’ve had a chance to try many classic cocktails. I’ve found that very few decades were as wild and creative as the 1970s. While some have been forgotten over the years, many of these disco-era drinks have stood the test of time.
What was the cocktail culture of the 1970s?
You might not realize it, but we just went through a cocktail renaissance that began in the late 1990s and ended a few years ago. This boom in mixology led to renewed interest in classic drinks, a glut of creative cocktails, and cocktail bars scattered across the country. But it wasn’t always like this.
The 70s and 80s were a much different cocktail era altogether. It might have been flashy and filled with bold, sometimes overly sweet flavors. It also might not be for everyone. That said, the decade did popularize some great cocktails.
The 1970s were all about over-the-top flavors, bright, sometimes neon colors, and, in some cases, a creamy mouthfeel. It was truly the wild west of cocktail decades, with drinks like the Tequila Sunrise, Harvey Wallbanger, and the boozy Long Island Iced Tea being created. It was also a decade where
The best cocktails of the 1970s
Now that you’ve learned a little about the appeal of the cocktails of the flashy, flamboyant 1970s, it’s time to find a few to add to your home mixology repertoire. Below, you’ll find our favorites from an often overlooked era in cocktailing. Keep scrolling to see them in all their fruity, vibrant, nostalgic glory. As a bonus, we included background information on each, an ingredient list, and step-by-step instructions.
Tequila Sunrise
The Tequila Sunrise was first created in the 1930s by a bartender named Gene Sulit at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. It was made with tequila, crème de cassis, lime juice, and soda water. The much more well-known 1970s version featuring tequila, orange juice, and grenadine was created by bartenders Bobby Lazoff and Billy Rice at The Trident in Sausalito, California. Its popularity really took off when it became the cocktail of choice during the Rolling Stones’ 1972 US tour.
Ingredients:
2 ounces blanco tequila
4 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 ounce grenadine syrup
Cocktail cherry garnish
Preparation: Fill a Highball or pint glass with ice. Pour in the tequila and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Stir gently to combine. Pour the grenadine over a bar spoon into the glass so it looks like a sunrise. Don’t stir. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Harvey Wallbanger
The origin story of the Harvey Wallbanger might be more of an advertising campaign than fact, but we still find it fascinating. As the story goes, in the late 1950s, a bartender named Donato “Duke” Antone created the cocktail of vodka, Galliano, and orange juice to pay homage to a popular surfer named Tom Harvey, who was well-known for running headfirst into walls (hence the name). It gained in popularity in the 60s but truly gained prominence in the 70s. Whether or not the story of its genesis is true, that doesn’t change the fact that this sometimes forgotten drink should immediately join your home mixology rotation.
Ingredients:
2 ounces vodka
3 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
.5 ounces Galliano L’Autentico float
Orange wheel and cocktail cherry garnish
Preparation: Add ice to a Highball or pint glass. Pour in the vodka and freshly squeezed orange juice. Stir gently to combine and chill. Pour the Galliano L’Autentico float on the back of a bar spoon. Garnish with an orange wheel and a cocktail cherry.
White Russian
Before this was the drink of choice of Jeffrey Lebowski, the creamy, boozy White Russian was popular in the 70s. Featuring vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream, the White Russian was created in the late 1940s at Hotel Metropole in Brussels, Belgium, by bartender Gustave Tops. While it remained popular for decades after its creation, it gained popularity in the 1970s in the vibrant disco scene.
Ingredients:
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce coffee liqueur
1 ounce heavy cream
Preparation: Add crushed ice a rocks or Old Fashioned glass. Pour in the vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream. Stir gently to combine and chill.
