Currently interning at a MF, and as I turned 21 over the summer, I never know what to order at happy hours. Any suggestions for "cultured" cocktails, as opposed to the kind of stuff you'd expect college students to drink?
Edit: thanks for the suggestions everyone!
| +35 | ADHD ! | 19 | 20h | |
| +33 | Non-Competes Banned | 43 | 23h | |
| +30 | Being Christian in investment banking | 14 | 5d | |
| +20 | Moelis has the cutest Analysts? | 4 | 4d | |
| How do I become Sigma | 15 | 3d | ||
| +19 | What does the richest self-made woman you know do for a living? | 20 | 8s | |
| +16 | Can someone justify why is million written mm or MM? | 15 | 11h | |
| +16 | Underage intern, drinking? | 7 | 5d | |
| +16 | Secretive vs Universal Prestige? | 8 | 18h | |
| +10 | Anyone on Finasteride? | 10 | 16h |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
Can't go wrong with an old fashioned - screams I work in finance and don't really know cocktails, but the safe choice and you don't want to stand out as the intern ordering crazy stuff at the bar. If you want to elevate beyond that, would suggest a Manhattan (Old Fashioned minus the sugar water plus vermouth and bitters) or Negroni (campari + gin + vermouth).
Whiskey sours are a great one that isn’t too strong. I’m a whiskey guy so I like those and an old fashioned.
Paper Plane - this is the way.
100%
Gin and tonic always plays
Generally, nobody cares what you order. The caveat being if it is a cocktail (instead of like a glass of wine or a beer), try to stick to 2 ingredients (unless something well known like an Old Fashioned as another poster mentioned)....Vodka Soda, Gin & Tonic, Whiskey Coke, etc. Cocktails snobs will throw MS at me for this, but it's an easy, non-fussy order, and won't take away from the conversation. Additionally, if you're at a place that serves cocktails, chances are they have a decent red blend (wine) or white that will probably suffice as well.
A drink with two ingredients is a mixed drink, which... is exactly what I'd expect to see college kids making, so not what OP wants. A cocktail has 3 or more ingredients.
FWIW, it's not being a snob - I love ordering a gin and tonic or a tequila soda when I'm out. But OP specifically asked what cocktails to order, rather than a mixed drink, so suggesting a litany of mixed drinks that a college kid would be downing is not giving a helpful answer.
OP, the answer depends on what you'll enjoy drinking. A negroni is safe and tough to screw up if you like gin. A martini if you like vodka (or gin). A margarita or mezcal margarita is safe. So on and so forth.
Good thing we know you're interning at a MF, answer would have totally been different if you were at a MM
Just as a way of introduction lol
So when you meet people does it go like:
Person: Hi nice to meet you my names Ashley, what's yours?
You: I work at KKR
hahahahahaha
Macallan 18, neat. That'll show em who's boss
Make sure it’s on the company tab too and you make it known you’re drinking an 18
Gin tonic, the only way
- Vodka tonic with lime
- Long Island Iced Tea
- Greyhound
- Jack or Makers and Coke
OP please don't order a long island iced tea.
Definitely recommend Gin & Tonic! A classic cocktail known for its simplicity and refreshing taste. It's like a stylish kimono meets a snazzy bowtie. The gin's botanical blend dances on your taste buds like a graceful dragon, while the tonic bubbles add an effervescent twist. Give it a try!
Blood & Sand if you wanna be cool and mysterious.
Margarita if you wanna be fun.
Corpse Reviver #2
A fellow man of culture. Replace gin with mezcal for a twist
Negroni is a no-brainer
I agree that Negroni is a no brainer but then it depends if you like this “heavy” cocktail (it is one of my favorite, but still it is gin, Campari and Martini, be sure you can handle that…)
Other cocktails to order/try:
London Mule (Gin and Ginger beer)
Moscow Mule (Vodka and Ginger beer)
Hugo (Spritz with Saint Germain, hibiscus flower liquor)
Boulevardier (a Negroni with whisky instead of gin)
And of course Martini Dry (Martini and White Vermouth)
Negroni Sbagliato (- gin + prosecco) is a nice lighter alternative to a trad Negroni
I agree but I prefer Prosecco either just a glass or in Campari Spritz
But it’s true that Negroni Sbagliato is a good alternative
Good suggestions all around, hard to go wrong with gin/vodka tonics/sodas. I mostly prefer whiskey drinks but a few of my favorites not mentioned here are:
Sazerac - Similar to an old fashion but with rye whiskey instead of bourbon. Typically if I order either I opt for Bulleit Rye if they have it.
Gold Rush - Names may vary, but this is a variation on the Bees Knees (Gin, lemon, honey), but with whiskey instead.
Penicillin - Scotch-based with lemon and honey syrup. Crisp and refreshing.
Tom Collins - A great summer cocktail and good alternative to a GnT. Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda.
Vodka soda or tequila soda because they're less caloric and more macro-friendly than most drinks.
dirty martini
old fashioned or Manhattan.
Back in the day I'd see financiers ordering drinks shaken, not stirred, among other top shelf single malts.
Now I see financiers ordering White Claw and Smirnoff Ice. And it's sad.
Negroni or an old fashioned
whiskey sour, old fashioned or sazerac, a highball of some kind in the summer or a mojito in a rocks glass, maybe a mint julep
Usually a negroni or boulevardier depending on whether I’m feeling gin or whiskey. You can also never go wrong with an old fashioned. Have also been enjoying a bensonhurst in recent weeks.
If you're a hard-core alcoholic, it's either an Olde English 800 or Mad Dog 20/20.
Title: “cocktails to order at bars”
Sorry! I created a new thread: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/off-topic/alcoholic-beverages-to-…
Can’t go wrong with either tequila or whiskey on the rocks.
Dirty vodka martini with blue cheese stuffed olives or GTFO
Whatever you end up ordering, be a little careful, especially if you are at a "fancy" cocktail place. Which I imagine is the only sort of place an MF would hold happy hours at.
Cocktails can have a lot of flavours masking the alcohol, making it easier to have bit more than you thought you did. And fancy cocktail places tend to put more flavours in, plus are more likely to give you drinks that actually have a decent amount of booze in them as opposed to dives that stingily measure out each ounce of liquor.
Moscow Mules are good if you like vodka
Negronis are safe
Not a fan of whiskey so those are usually the two I default to.
If you’re a high test male, straight whiskey
otherwise feel free to dilute with cheap soda/coke
I'm sorry, but where do you work? You said "interning at a MF" but I'm trying to figure out what MF stands for. Given that your bio says AM, I'd almost want to say Mutual Fund, but nobody says they work at a mutual fund. It's common to say that you work at a fund shop, or you work for an Asset Manager, but I've never heard the phrasing that you used.
Anyway, to answer your question: Anything that would be reasonable at a country club would be reasonable at a happy hour in AM. A G&T or Aperol Spritz are easy lighter summer options. In colder months or after a bad day an old fashioned or Manhattan are also pretty good, but be careful, those are all booze and can knock you on your ass pretty quickly. You're also fine with a martini (Gin or vodka, none of these sweet things) and a cosmo is borderline OK, but under no circumstances order a long island iced tea. or a rum/jack and coke.
Also, an even bigger rule: if it's a happy hour don't get drunk. There are certain circumstances like the Christmas party where it's OK, but a happy hour isn't one of them. (and oh man, do I have Xmas party stories--There was this one year when one wholesaler socked another in the face--They both agreed that nothing had happened the following morning, because neither wanted to lose their jobs, but the guy had a shiner for almost two weeks)
MF: megafund, think KKR/APO/BX/ etc. These companies are all alternative asset managers so that explains my profile.
I'd probably say HF, "MegaFund" sounds a bit like marketing, but it makes more sense now. I'm 99% in public funds despite occasionally working on actual market neutral long/short strategies from time to time, so this isn't the core of my knowledge.
Vesper Martini
Seriously, that’s what you get.
Vodka water without ice. This is what the upper class really drinks.
Gin Rickey if you want a break from a G&T. Super refreshing and bright with citrus and mint being the primary flavors
Gin and Tonic or Vodka with Sprite Zero.
Simply and to the point.
Scotch on the rocks.
It's the historical standard for bankers, what everyone ordered when out, and what many offered in the office. For generations. Simple and classic.
Reprehenderit recusandae neque pariatur error. Odit voluptatem nihil qui libero odio ut. Explicabo et amet ad aut. Ab commodi omnis tempora distinctio est voluptates voluptas.
Quia ipsum fugiat aut voluptas. Aut voluptatem facilis maiores. Est dolorem dicta voluptatem est maxime debitis rerum.
Eos unde eaque nostrum et. Nam rerum ab qui iusto. Magni facilis neque deleniti ipsa. Dicta rerum aut itaque fugit voluptas dolor. Inventore reiciendis facere laboriosam voluptatem. Assumenda autem corrupti quae placeat. Quia sint nesciunt autem nesciunt veritatis ullam.
Sit laboriosam nam architecto aut est. Distinctio earum ea sunt et eos quia sequi. Iure rerum tenetur mollitia quas provident ex. Commodi doloremque qui fugit laborum.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Voluptates quia blanditiis est aut harum. Fugit reiciendis vero aut corporis.
Non cupiditate placeat dolor ut enim. Nobis at sed sit incidunt natus. Dolores consequuntur odit sed enim doloremque ut alias. Sunt atque eos et eaque.