52 Weeks of Cocktails Challenge

The 52 weeks of cocktails challenge continues for its fifth year! This cocktail challenge was suggested as I wrapped up the 2021 reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge with my chocolate peppermint spritz cookies.

I dabbled in cocktails in 2021. However, it wasn’t until I started making cocktails at home every week that I Iearned all about classic cocktails and bartending basics.

old fashioned cocktail with cube ice, orange twist, and coffee beans.

Making a new cocktail every week helped me to understand what I liked and how easy it was to create a great, well-balanced cocktail. In 2024, I started formalizing my cocktail education with a Level 1 Certification in Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

Join the cocktail challenge for a great all-around cocktail education and to expand your home cocktail bar. Or join just to play more with your favorite mixed drink and see how it changes when you use different simple syrup recipes. You can join at any time and for any number of weeks. But please join us!

Jump to:

How does the cocktail challenge work?
Cocktail of the week
Cocktail FAQs
What’s next
💬 Comments

How does the cocktail challenge work?

Below is the list of cocktail challenges for 2026. It’s intended to be broad to get exposure to a variety of common spirits and styles of cocktails. It’s similar to the last few years, with some additional attention paid to amari and bitters.

Are there things missing? Absolutely. But, for example, if you really love a Sazerac, you should be able to find several weeks where you can have your Sazerac.

pale green cocktail in a coupe on a silver tray.

I should apologize in advance to any readers who are in the Southern hemisphere. That’s because the list has icy cocktails in summer for those of us in the Northern hemisphere. Feel free to adjust the list to your seasons.

And I feel compelled to say, “Please drink responsibly.”

Cocktail of the week

1	January 2	Martini
2	January 9	Amaro
3	January 16	Garnish
4	January 23	Mocktail
5	January 30	Clarified Cocktail
6	February 6	Tropical
7	February 13	Champagne Flute
8	February 20	Grapefruit
9	February 27	Fortified Wine
10	March 6	Non-Martini “Martini”
11	March 13	Baileys Irish Cream
12	March 20	TV or Movie-Inspired
13	March 27	Coffee or Tea
14	April 3	Old Fashioned
15	April 10	Brandy
16	April 17	Lowball (Rocks) Glass
17	April 24	Margarita
18	May 1	Mint Julep
19	May 8	Spritz
20	May 15	Gin
21	May 22	Use the Blender
22	May 29	Simple Syrups
23	June 5	Vodka
24	June 12	Punch
25	June 19	Layers and Floats
26	June 26	Mojito
27	July 3	Jello
28	July 10	Spicy
29	July 17	Wine
30	July 24	Frozen
31	July 31	Sour
32	August 7	Highball Glass
33	August 14	Rum
34	August 21	Summer Fruit
35	August 28	Purple
36	September 4	Tequila
37	September 11	Apple or Pear
38	September 18	Negroni
39	September 25	Martini Glass
40	October 2	Manhattan
41	October 9	Liqueur
42	October 16	Pumpkin
43	October 23	Whisk(e)y
44	October 30	Spooky
45	November 6	Infusion
46	November 13	Creamy
47	November 20	Cranberry
48	November 27	Bitters
49	December 4	Absinthe
50	December 11	Fire!
51	December 18	Red
52	December 25	Bubbly

a red cocktail and large ice cube in a lowball glass with a sugar rim and garnished with cranberries surrounded by more cranberries.

Cocktail FAQs

Where and when will you post?

I will try to post the cocktail of the week on Instagram and my Facebook group every Friday of this 52 weeks of cocktails challenge. If you join, please feel free to share at any time. Just tag me @uglyducklingbakery and use the hashtag #52weeksofcocktails, so I see it!

Do you have a cocktail recipe book you can recommend?

I have the Cocktail Codex, which is fabulous, as well as a few others. Online, I recommend the Difford’s Guide as a resource. But mostly I would recommend learning what it is that you like in a cocktail and playing around with proportions and ingredients. That’s what this cocktail challenge is all about.

I don’t know where to start. Help!

For example – with the martini in week 1, if you don’t know whether you prefer a gin or vodka martini, make both and compare. Or compare gins to see how different they can taste. Or change the proportions and make a dry martini with a ratio of 5 parts gin to 1 part vermouth, and compare it with a wet martini and see which you like best.

Each week, I’ll try to share some of thoughts and suggestions for the following week.

What bartending tools do I need?

What bartending equipment you need will depend on what cocktails you like to make at home. Here is my list of essential bar tools for home cocktails.