The 5 Best Cocktails for a 60th Birthday

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Top 5

The 5 Best Cocktails for a 60th Birthday

A trip back in time in a glass: the cult drinks of the ’70s and ’80s that the sixty-something generation grew up with – colorful, fruity and wonderfully nostalgic.

5 recipes · updated October 12, 2026

Anyone turning sixty today was hanging out at bars in the ’70s and ’80s, when cocktails were allowed to be colorful, sweet and a little bit crazy. Tequila Sunrise in the basement rec room, Piña Colada on that first beach vacation, Swimming Pool at the cocktail bar around the corner – the memories come flooding back.

Our top 5 for a 60th is an affectionate trip back in time. The recipes, though, are tuned for today: with fresh juices and balanced sweetness. That way the cult drinks taste better than they did back then – and are every bit as much fun.

Tequila Sunrise

A sunrise you can drink.

The sunrise in a glass was THE drink of the ’70s – at the latest once the Rolling Stones started drinking it on tour. Orange juice, tequila and the sinking grenadine still look just as beautiful today as they did back then.

Tequila Orange juice Grenadine

Glass:: Highball
Time:: 2 min
Strength:: Medium

View recipe

Piña Colada

Vacation, blended creamy.

Vacation you can drink: rum, coconut and pineapple, blended creamy. The Piña Colada brings back memories of those first trips to the beach – and it’s still a surefire mood-lifter today.

White rum Cream of coconut Pineapple juice

Glass:: Hurricane
Time:: 4 min
Strength:: Medium

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Harvey Wallbanger

The Screwdriver with a vanilla crown.

A true cult drink of the ’70s: vodka and orange juice with a float of golden Galliano. Almost forgotten today – and that’s exactly why it’s the perfect surprise for a birthday party with a nostalgia factor.

Vodka Orange juice Galliano

Glass:: Highball
Time:: 2 min
Strength:: Medium

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Swimming Pool

A dive into turquoise blue.

Turquoise blue, creamy, sweet: in the ’80s, the Swimming Pool was on every German cocktail menu. A drink that’s guaranteed to make someone say: “I haven’t had one of these in ages!”

Vodka White rum Cream of coconut Cream Pineapple juice

Glass:: Hurricane
Time:: 3 min
Strength:: Medium

View recipe

Grasshopper

Mint chocolate you can drink.

Mint chocolate you can drink: the bright green Grasshopper was the dessert drink of the postwar boom generation. Perfect with the birthday cake.

Crème de menthe Crème de cacao Cream

Glass:: Coupe
Time:: 3 min
Strength:: Light

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Our verdict

Our tip: put on the music of the era, dig out old photos and serve the drinks on a colorful buffet. The Grasshopper as a sweet finish with the birthday cake is guaranteed to be a hit. Here’s to sixty – and everything still to come!

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