14 ’70s Drinks Everyone Tried Once And Never Saw Again
The 1970s were a wild time for cocktails, full of colorful concoctions that seemed to disappear as quickly as disco.
From neon-bright mixers to creamy liqueurs, bartenders got creative with flavors that feel totally foreign today.
These drinks were the life of every party, ordered once for the novelty, then quietly forgotten as tastes evolved and trends shifted toward simpler sips.
1. Harvey Wallbanger
Legend says a California surfer named Harvey stumbled into walls after drinking too many of these vodka-orange juice beauties topped with Galliano. The drink became a ’70s icon practically overnight.
Galliano, that tall yellow bottle gathering dust on bar shelves, was the secret ingredient that made this screwdriver’s fancy cousin.
Once the novelty wore thin, so did Harvey’s popularity, leaving him banging into obscurity.
2. Brandy Alexander
John Lennon reportedly drank these during his infamous “lost weekend,” which tells you everything about this creamy cognac concoction.
Brandy, crème de cacao, and cream made for a drink that tasted like boozy chocolate milk.
Sophisticated types ordered it after steaks and lobster tails at dimly lit supper clubs. The Brandy Alexander was classy until suddenly it wasn’t, vanishing faster than leisure suits from America’s closets.
3. White Russian
Before The Big Lebowski made it cool again in the ’90s, the White Russian was pure ’70s excess. Vodka, Kahlúa, and cream combined into something that felt more like dessert than a proper drink.
The Dude may have abided with this beverage, but most ’70s drinkers moved on quickly to less cloying options.
Its cousin, the Black Russian, skipped the cream and also skipped lasting popularity beyond the disco era.
4. Singapore Sling
Invented at Singapore’s Raffles Hotel way back in 1915, this gin-based tropical number got a serious ’70s makeover.
By the disco decade, it had morphed into a fruity, pink confusion of ingredients that varied wildly by bartender.
Ordering one made you feel worldly and exotic, even if you’d never left Ohio. The original recipe remains a mystery, but the ’70s version definitely involved too much grenadine and pineapple juice.
5. Golden Cadillac
Named after the ultimate symbol of ’70s luxury, this drink sparkled with Galliano’s golden hue mixed with white crème de cacao and cream. It tasted like vanilla pudding decided to get fancy and expensive.
Poor, California, claims to be its birthplace, proving even small towns had big cocktail dreams.
The Golden Cadillac drove straight into obscurity once people realized drinking liquid gold didn’t actually make them rich or cool.
6. Stinger
Cognac and white crème de menthe made this deceptively simple drink a favorite nightcap for the country club set. James Bond sipped one in the novels, which gave it serious cool points during the ’70s.
The Stinger went down smooth and minty, perfect for settling rich dinners or pretending you were sophisticated.
Like many ’70s staples, it stung briefly then faded away, leaving only faint memories and dusty bottles of crème de menthe.
7. Tom Collins
Actually invented in the 1800s, the Tom Collins found new life as the ’70s go-to refresher for people who wanted something “not too strong.” Gin, lemon juice, sugar, and soda water made for a fizzy, citrusy sipper.
Every dad at every backyard barbecue probably mixed one of these up while manning the grill. Simple and sessionable, it disappeared not from being bad, but from being boring compared to flashier newcomers.
8. Rusty Nail
Scotch and Drambuie combined to create this deceptively strong cocktail that tasted smoother than it had any right to.
The Rat Pack supposedly loved these, which made them mandatory for anyone trying to channel mid-century swagger in the ’70s.
The name came from the rusty nail used as a swizzle stick in some versions, because apparently ’70s bartenders loved gimmicks. Once Drambuie sales tanked, so did this drink’s availability.
9. Sloe Gin Fizz
Despite its name, sloe gin isn’t actually gin but a liqueur made from sloe berries that tastes vaguely like cough syrup. Mixed with lemon juice, sugar, and soda, it became a fizzy pink drink that screamed 1970s.
Ordering one at a disco made you feel fancy and fun, even though you were basically drinking alcoholic fruit punch. Sloe gin vanished from most bars once people realized there were better ways to get tipsy.
10. Whiskey Sour
Whiskey, lemon juice, sugar, and sometimes egg white created this tangy classic that never quite went away but definitely peaked in the ’70s. The egg white gave it a frothy top that looked impressive but tasted like regular foam.
Your uncle probably ordered these while complaining about gas prices and kids these days.
The Whiskey Sour survives in craft cocktail bars today, but the ’70s version was sweeter, simpler, and probably made with bottom-shelf bourbon.
11. Blue Hawaiian
Electric blue and aggressively tropical, this rum-based drink screamed “vacation” even if you were just at your local Applebee’s.
Blue Curaçao provided the shocking color while pineapple and coconut cream delivered the island vibes.
Elvis Presley starred in a movie called Blue Hawaii, and somehow this neon monstrosity became associated with Polynesian paradise.
The color came from artificial dye that probably glowed under blacklights, making it perfect for disco-era excess.
12. Pink Lady
Gin, grenadine, egg white, and cream combined into this blushing beauty that tasted like a boozy strawberry cloud.
The Pink Lady was the drink of choice for women who wanted something “ladylike,” which tells you everything about ’70s gender norms.
Shaking egg whites into cocktails was apparently all the rage before people got squeamish about raw eggs. This drink faded along with the idea that cocktails needed to match your gender.
13. Frozen Daiquiri
Blenders revolutionized ’70s drinking by turning perfectly good rum cocktails into alcoholic slushies.
The classic daiquiri got the frozen treatment, becoming a brain-freeze-inducing summer staple at every beach bar and hotel pool.
Strawberry was the most popular flavor, turning drinks an unnatural pink that stained lips and tongues.
These frozen concoctions required industrial blenders and patience, which is probably why they mostly disappeared when bartenders got tired of the noise.
14. Midori Sour
Midori, that radioactive green melon liqueur, launched in 1978 and immediately became a ’70s sensation. Mixed with lemon juice and sugar, it created a sour that glowed like toxic waste and tasted like candy.
The Midori Sour was less about flavor complexity and more about ordering something that looked cool under disco lights.
Once the ’70s ended, people realized drinking neon green liquids maybe wasn’t the best life choice.
