17 Strongest Cocktails of All Time

If you’re the kind of person who likes a little kick in your drink, then strong cocktails are right up your alley. These potent libations are not for the faint of heart, packing a punch with their robust flavors and high alcohol content. Whether you’re a seasoned cocktail connoisseur or simply enjoy the thrill of a bold libation, strong cocktails are sure to tantalize your taste buds and elevate your drinking experience.

From the classic favorites to innovative concoctions, our collection of strong cocktail recipes is perfect for those who appreciate the intensity and complexity of a well-crafted drink. So, grab your shaker and get ready to mix up some potent potions that are guaranteed to impress even the most discerning of palates.

Zombie Cocktail

The Zombie is a potent cocktail featuring a whole bunch of rum. It includes three types of rum, lime, grapefruit, bitters, Pernod, and grenadine, meaning it has a rich and unapologetic flavor. With over four ounces of hard alcohol, this drink is not for the faint of heart but has a fruity and juicy taste that masks the rum well.
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Death in the Afternoon

Don’t worry, this drink won’t actually kill you, probably. This is one of the easiest and strongest cocktails you can make at the end of a tough day. It features absinthe and champagne, so you can fix yourself one in seconds. It has a bubbly and syrupy mouthfeel with an herby and pungent flavor that is fascinating.
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Negroni

Negronis are one of the most iconic and strongest cocktails. Every bartender knows how to make this drink, as it only requires three ingredients. The flavor is bitter and fragrant, with a sharp, biting taste that is captivating and rich.
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Dry Martini

A classic and sophisticated cocktail, a dry martini is an iconic drink with gin, vermouth, and bitters. The garnish is traditionally an olive, but it can also be a lemon or orange twist for something sweeter.
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Long Island Iced Tea

One of the most well-known strong cocktails is the Long Island Iced Tea. It uses four different types of hard liquor with one liqueur. The taste can be unbearably strong for some and balanced and delicious for others.
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Jungle Juice

Jungle Juice is perfect in large batches, so it’s a brilliant cocktail for a celebratory get-together! The recipe creates a juicy and delicious drink for a large crowd. With four types of juice and three kinds of alcohol, it’s a strong and flavorful drink for parties.
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Aunt Roberta

This drink isn’t your mother’s cocktail, but maybe it’s your crazy aunt’s! It’s packed with hard liquor resulting in a robust and heavy flavor that lingers on the palate. The cocktail requires five ingredients, all of which contain alcohol.
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Sazerac

Sazerac is a classic cocktail featuring rye whiskey and absinthe. It has a savory and herbal flavor, different from the sweetness of many cocktails. With a single sugar cube and lemon twist, it’s a well-rounded drink with the warm burn of whiskey and the fragrant flavor of licorice.
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Baltimore Zoo

The Baltimore Zoo cocktail has three kinds of hard liquor, three different liqueurs, and a splash of beer. This cocktail is relatively new and delivers a funky and distinct flavor that isn’t for everyone. The taste is a bit chaotic, with the sweet syrupy taste of liqueurs, the sharpness of hard liquor, and the malty taste of beer.
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Adios Motherfucker

This cocktail is similar to a Long Island Iced Tea because of the insane combination of liquors, including tequila, vodka, rum, and gin. The hard liquors mix with blue curacao, sour mix, and lemon or lime soda to create a bold but balanced drink that is surprisingly easy to sip!
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Manhattan

The Manhattan is a classic cocktail that’s been around since the 1800s, and it packs a real punch. Made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters, and a cocktail cherry, this drink is mostly alcohol. It’s stirred with ice but is typically served straight up, so it’s usually around 30% ABV or 60 proof. That being said, it’s a classic for good reason: the whiskey is balanced perfectly by the sweet vermouth and the addition of bitters rounds out a flavorful whiskey cocktail.
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Nicolaschka

The Nicolaschka cocktail is not strong because it uses several liquors, but it’s strong because of its simplicity. It’s mostly a type of cognac with sugar, lemon, and coffee grounds. It’s an unmistakable drink that delivers a satisfying burn with bottom notes of sweetness and warmth.
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Corpse Reviver No 2

This cocktail is called a Corpse Reviver for good reason – it’s so strong it could wake the dead! This pre-prohibition drink is made with an absinthe rinse, gin, lillet blanc, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. It’s shaken and served straight up with an orange twist. This is a great drink for anyone who likes an herbal and citrus flavor in their cocktails, but the sweet taste still packs a punch in terms of alcohol content.
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Rusty Nail

The Rusty Nail is an old school drink from the 1960s. It’s a simple drink, made with only Scotch whiskey and Drambuie, a Scotch liqueur that’s made with Scotch whiskey, honey, herbs, and spices. With a base made of mostly Scotch served on ice, this drink is not for the faint hearted.
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Dirty Martini

The Dirty Martini is a sophisticated choice, but keep in mind that this is a strong cocktail. The original was made with gin, but many people today prefer their dirty martini with vodka. After the base of gin or vodka, you add some dry vermouth and olive juice and garnish with olives. The result is a savory, salty cocktail thanks to the olive brine. If you like it extra salty, you can ask for it “extra dirty”.
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Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned may be the most popular cocktail of all time, and it’s also one of the strongest. It’s made with bourbon or another whiskey of your choice, flavored with a bit of sugar and bitters, and that’s it. Since the only real liquid in the glass is whiskey, this is a high alcohol cocktail that’s best when it’s sipped and savored.
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Vesper Martini

The Vesper is similar to a dry martini, and it’s famously James Bond’s cocktail of choice – shaken, not stirred, of course. The Vesper is made with gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc and is garnished with a lemon twist. Since it’s made with just liquor and liqueur with no non-alcoholic mixers, it’s a strong cocktail.
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