Around the World in 8 Cocktails: Best Drinks to Try on Every Continent

Ready to sip your way across the globe? From zesty classics to exotic concoctions, cocktails are more than just drinks—they’re cultural experiences served in a glass. So, buckle up, and let’s take a boozy, flavor-packed journey through eight cocktails from every continent (yes, even Antarctica).

If you’re saying, “Oh, but I don’t know my alcohol.” Well, balderdash, or as they say in Europe’s finest wine country, Italy, basta. Because you’re soon not only going to know your alcohol the best, but also know more about the country or region it’s served best. In that way, you could plan your trip according to your cocktail preferences. Just read on to find your favorite cocktail.

1. North America: Margarita – Mexico

If you’ve never had a margarita, are you even living? This tequila-based icon is the life of the party, whether served classic with lime or jazzed up with flavors like mango or jalapeño. A mix of tequila, lime juice, and triple sec, this drink embodies Mexico’s vibrant energy. And if you’re more of a straight up kind of person, then you can’t go wrong with the symbol of Mexico’s culture and national pride, i.e., tequila.

Where to try: Head to Playa del Carmen, kick back on a beach lounger, and let a frozen margarita transport you straight to paradise.

2. South America: Caipirinha – Brazil’s national drink

Brazil, where you go for Rio’s ocean waves, and stay for its charm…ing drink, i.e., our very own Brazilian bombshell of drinks, Caipirinha. Made with cachaça (a sugarcane spirit), lime, and sugar, the caipirinha is sweet, tangy, and packs just the right punch. Have you ever had an alcoholic beverage as medicine? The Brazilians sure have, considering Caipirinha was first concocted to treat the Spanish flu in Brazil.

Where to try: Enjoy this cocktail at a bustling boteco (local bar) in São Paulo or sip one while samba dancers set the stage in Rio. Either way, it’s pure carnival in a glass.

3. Europe: Aperol Spritz – Italy

Italy is not only known for great wine, but also for its aperitif drinks, especially their Aperol Sprintz.

(Know your alcohol: Aperitif is an alcoholic beverage drunk before a meal to stimulate the appetite and prepare the palate.)

The Aperol Spritz is Europe’s answer to the instagram drinking culture. With its signature orange hue, it’s light, fizzy, and dangerously drinkable. A mix of Aperol, prosecco (Italians really can’t stay away from wine), and soda water, it’s the ultimate summer sundowner. The drink is now a staple in Italian gatherings and a quintessential part of the Italian aperitivo culture.

Where to try: Perch yourself at a café in Venice or Florence, order an Aperol Spritz with a side of cicchetti, which are Venetian snacks.

4. Africa: Dawa – Kenya

Dawa, which means “medicine in Swahili, is Kenya’s version of a cure-all in a very alcoholic package. This vodka, lime, white sugar and crushed ice concoction is stirred with a special “dawa stick” dipped in honey. It’s a drink based on Brazil’s Caipirinha, and has similar healing properties, owing to the honey you put in it.

Where to try: Order one at a safari lodge overlooking the Maasai Mara.

5. Asia: Singapore Sling – Singapore

Created in 1915 at the Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar, the Singapore Sling is Asia’s most famous cocktail. A fruity mix of gin, cherry brandy, lime juice, and pineapple juice, grenadine, triple sec, and Bénédictine, making it the perfect bittersweet concoction that’s both well-balanced and boozy at the same time. 

Where to try: You will be glad to know that they still sell it at the Long Bar at Raffles, and although it might not have retained its flavor after the original recipe was lost in 1930, it will still knock you off your feet (literally if it’s not had in moderation).

6. Australia: Espresso Martini – Australia

Australia is obsessed with coffee, so it’s no surprise they’ve perfected the Espresso Martini. A heady mix of vodka, coffee liqueur, hot espresso, and ice, this cocktail will become your go-to at fancy cocktail bars to rave clubs. Just know this though, the espresso martini is infamous for its stimulant effect.

Where to try: Melbourne’s hipster bar scene serves up the best espresso martinis, especially since the city’s coffee scene is an ever-evolving affair.

7. Antarctica: Whiskey on Ice

It’s exactly as it sounds: whiskey on literal glacier ice. Antarctica isn’t exactly cocktail central, but what it lacks in mixology, it makes up for in the coolest (literally) drinking experience. It’s a tradition, a classic BYOW, or, Bring your own whiskey and use 1,000-year-old glacier ice to chill your drink. It’s ✨minimalism✨ with an epic backdrop.

Where to try: Raise a glass on a guided expedition, surrounded by penguins and icebergs. Cheers to bucket-list moments.

8. Oceania: Mai Tai – Polynesia

Invented in the Pacific Islands, the Mai Tai is the quintessential tropical cocktail, blending rum, lime, orgeat syrup, and orange liqueur for a sweet, tangy escape in a glass. Perfect for sipping in paradise, i.e., Polynesia, where fresh local rums and stunning beach settings elevate the experience. To put it simply, it’s a drink that feels like a vacation.

Where to try: Sip a Mai Tai at a tiki bar in Bora Bora or Fiji, preferably with your toes in the sand and a ukulele strumming in the background.