Celebrating International Women’s Day with friends? We’ve got 7 easy-to-make cocktails to help you raise a glass to the incredible women in your life.

Hanky Panky

The Hanky Panky was born in the early 1900s, crafted by Ada Coleman at a time when women were rarely seen in bars – never mind serving behind the counter. She started bartending at 24, and just four years later, she took the helm as head bartender at London’s prestigious Savoy American Bar. It was there that she created this iconic cocktail, cementing her place in mixology history.

If you love a classic Negroni or a Martinez, this will be right up your street!

What you’ll need:

• 45ml dry gin – I’d recommend the award-winning The Botanist Dry Gin

• 45ml sweet vermouth

• 2 dashes of Fernet-Branca

• Orange peel for garnish

How to make it:

• Fill a mixing glass with ice.

• Add gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca.

• Stir well until chilled (about 30 seconds).

• Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.

• Garnish with an orange twist, expressing its oils over the drink before dropping it in.

Little Italy

Audrey Saunders crafted the Little Italy in 2005, naming it after the iconic New York neighbourhood. A bold twist on the much-loved Manhattan, this modern classic swaps in Cynar, an Italian artichoke amaro, for a rich, bittersweet edge.

What you’ll need:

• 55ml rye whiskey – try this deliciously-mellow Oxford Rye Whisky for size

• 15ml Cynar

• 20ml sweet vermouth

• 2 Maraschino cherries for garnish

How to make it:

• Chill your cocktail glass.

• Fill a mixing glass with ice.

• Add the rye whiskey, Cynar and sweet vermouth.

• Stir well until thoroughly chilled.

• Strain into your chilled cocktail glass.

• Garnish with the two Maraschino cherries.

Exit Strategy

You won’t find this on your standard cocktail list – but it’s now a staple in my cocktail rotation. Natasha David, co-owner and head bartender of NYC’s Nitecap, created the Exit Strategy as a rich, luscious, caramel-like take on an Old Fashioned – blending bartenders’ favourite ingredients into one indulgent sip.

This is sure to make your guests ‘oooh’ and ‘aah’ at your cocktail know-how.

What you’ll need:

• 55ml Amaro Nonino

• 20ml Germain-Robin Craft-Method Brandy

• 7.5ml Amaro Meletti

• Pinch of rock salt

• Orange twist for garnish

How to make it:

• Chill a coupe or cocktail glass.

• In a mixing glass filled with ice, add the Amaro Nonino, Germain-Robin Craft-Method Brandy, Amaro Meletti and a pinch of rock salt.

• Stir well until the mixture is thoroughly chilled.

• Strain into your chilled glass.

• Express an orange twist over the drink, then use it as garnish.

Margarita

Finishing with an absolute icon – and my all-time favourite classic cocktail – the famous Margarita! The exact origin of the Margarita remains a topic of debate. One popular story credits socialite Margarita Sames, who is said to have invented the drink in 1948 at her Acapulco home.

However, other accounts attribute its creation to various bartenders in Mexico during the 1930s or 1940s. But for the sake of including this wonderful cocktail on my list, let's credit it to Margarita Sames.

What you’ll need:

• 60ml tequila – I'd recommend Ocho Tequila Blanco

• 30ml triple sec (or another orange liqueur)

• 30ml freshly squeezed lime juice

• Salt for rimming the glass

• Lime wedge for garnish

How to make it:

• Rub a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in salt.

• In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, triple sec and lime juice. Add ice and shake until well chilled.

• Strain into your prepared glass over fresh ice or serve straight up if preferred.

• Add a lime wedge for garnish.