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22 easy cocktail recipes you can make at home

Check out this curated list of easy, classic cocktail drink recipes

Mark Stock
By
A man preparing a cocktail.

A cocktail doesn’t have to be a complicated thing. In fact, many of the best involve just a few ingredients. These, my friends, are the cocktails you should know how to make, as they’re simple to pull off and taste superb.

Maximalist cocktails with as many ingredients as there are stars in the sky are great, but better left to the pros. We like to make the ones that don’t require a whole lot of special equipment (outside of a good cocktail shaker) or that take too much of your precious time. These are cocktails that tend to let your favorite spirit shine, whether it’s good rye whiskey or a favorite gin.

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Here are 22 easy cocktail recipes you can make at home.

Man expressing the orange peel over the glass

Old Fashioned

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
  • 3-4 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 sugar cube
  • A few drops of water
  • Orange peel

Method

  1. In your Old Fashioned whiskey glass, add a sugar cube, bitters, and a few drops of water, and muddle until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add bourbon, then ice, and stir until chilled.
  3. Express the orange peel over the top and drop it into the glass.

Read more: Best classic whiskey cocktails

Manhattan cocktail served in a martini glass.
Dan Baker/The Manual

Manhattan

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces of your best rye whiskey
  • 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
  • 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Cherry (preferably Luxardo), for garnish

Method

  1. Combine rye, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice, and stir until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.

Read more: How to make a Manhattan

Paloma Grapefruit Cocktail served in glasses.

Paloma

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces of your best tequila
  • 6 ounces grapefruit soda
  • Lime wedge or grapefruit wedge

Method

  1. Combine tequila and grapefruit soda in a Collins glass with ice.
  2. Garnish with a lime or grapefruit wedge.

Read more: Best classic tequila cocktail recipes

Margarita tequila Cocktail with lime and a strainer on the side.

Margarita

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces tequila
  • 1 ounce Cointreau
  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice
  • Lime wedge
  • Salt rim (optional)

Method

  1. If using a salt rim, rub a lime wedge around the rim of a double Old Fashioned glass, then roll the outside in sea salt.
  2. Combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously.
  3. Strain into the glass over fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Read more: Best tequilas for Margaritas

Tom Collins cocktail decorated with lemon wheels and cherries.

Tom Collins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces gin
  • 3 ounces club soda
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 ounce simple syrup*
  • Lemon wheel
  • Cherry

Method

  1. Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a Collins glass with ice.
  2. Top with club soda, and stir to mix.
  3. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry.

*For simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Chill and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a month.

Read more: Best cocktail gin recipes

Gin Vodka with lots of lime.

Gin and Tonic

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces of gin
  • 2-6 ounces tonic water, according to taste
  • Lime wedge

Method

  1. Combine gin and tonic in a Collins glass filled with ice.
  2. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Read more: Best gin for Gin and Tonics

White Russian cocktail served in a glass.
Dan Baker/The Manual

White Russian

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce coffee liqueur
  • 1/2 ounce heavy cream

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and shake vigorously.
  2. Strain into to a double Old Fashioned glass filled with ice.

Read more: Best classic vodka cocktail recipes

Salty dog grapefruit cocktail

Salty Dog

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces vodka
  • 3 1/2 ounces grapefruit juice
  • Grapefruit slice
  • Sea salt

Method

  1. Add vodka and grapefruit juice to a shaker with ice, and shake vigorously.
  2. Wet the rim of a cocktail glass with grapefruit slice, and roll the outside of the rim in sea salt.
  3. Add ice to glass and pour.
  4. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.

Read more: Best citrus cocktails

Daiquiri cocktail with lime

Daiquiri

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces white rum
  • 1 ounce lime juice
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup*
  • Lime wedge

Method

  1. Combine rum, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass.
  3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

*For simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Chill and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a month.

Read more: Best rum cocktail recipes

Rum cocktails served with lemons.

Dark ‘n Stormy

Ingredients

Method

  1. In a Collins glass filled with ice, combine rum, ginger beer, and lime juice.
  2. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Negroni cocktail served in a glass.

Negroni

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce gin
  • 1 ounce Campari
  • 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth
  • Orange peel and a pinch of salt, for garnish

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, and stir until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a double Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice.
  3. Express orange peel over the drink and drop in the glass with a pinch of salt.

Read more: Best Negroni cocktail recipe

Dry martini served in a martini glass.

Dry Martini

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 ounces London Dry Gin
  • 3/4 ounces Dry Vermouth
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • Lemon peel and/or olive, for garnish

Method

  1. Combine gin, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice, and stir until ice cold.
  2. Strain into a cocktail glass.
  3. Express lemon oil over the drink and drop the peel into the glass along with olive, if desired.

Read more: Best vodka for Martinis

French 75 cocktail in the spotlight.

French 75

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce gin
  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup*
  • 4 ounces Champagne
  • Long lemon twist, for garnish

Method

  1. Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously.
  2. Strain into a champagne flute, and top with champagne.
  3. Carve a long, thin strip of lemon peel with a channel knife and coil into a glass.

*For simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Chill and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a month to use in your French 75.

Read more: The best Champagnes

Mojito served in a glass.

Mojito

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces white rum
  • 3/4 ounce lime juice
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup*
  • 4 ounces soda water
  • 6 leaves plus 1 sprig of fresh mint

Method

  1. Combine mint and simple syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker, and muddle gently.
  2. Add rum, lime juice, and ice, and shake briefly.
  3. Strain into a Collins glass with ice, and top with soda water.
  4. Garnish with mint sprig.

*For simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Chill and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a month.

Read more: Best rums for Mojitos

Cosmopolitan cocktail served in a martini glass.

Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces citron vodka
  • 1/2 ounce Cointreau or other orange liqueur
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice
  • 1/2 ounce cranberry juice
  • Lime wheel, for garnish

Method

  1. Combine vodka, orange liqueur, and juices in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously.
  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
  3. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Read more: How to make a Cosmopolitan

Whiskey sour served in a glass.

Whiskey Sour

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces whiskey
  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 3/4 ounce simple syrup*
  • 1 egg white (optional)
  • Cherry, for garnish

Method

  1. Combine whiskey, lemon, simple syrup, and egg white (if using) in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously.
  2. Strain into a double Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice.
  3. Garnish with a cherry.

*For simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Chill and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a month.

Read more: Best whiskies for a whiskey sour

Americano served in a glass.

Americano

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces Campari
  • 1 1/12 ounces sweet vermouth
  • 3 ounces soda water
  • Orange peel, for garnish

Method

  1. Combine Campari, vermouth, and soda water in a Collins glass with ice.
  2. Garnish with orange peel.

Read more: Best sparkling water brands

Last Word served in a martini glass.

Last Word

Ingredients 

  • 3/4 ounce gin
  • 3/4 ounce green chartreuse
  • 3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
  • 3/4 ounce lime juice

Method 

  1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously.
  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Read more: How to make Last Word cocktail

Sidecar served in a glass.

Sidecar

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces brandy or cognac
  • 1 ounce Cointreau
  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice
  • Sugar, for rim

Method 

  1. Wet rim of a chilled cocktail glass with a lemon wedge and roll in sugar.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously.
  3. Strain into sugared glass.

Read more: Best brandies for Sidecars

Champagne Cocktail with lemon twist.

Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces Brut champagne
  • 1 sugar cube
  • 4 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Long, thin lemon twist

Method 

  1. Place sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute and soak with bitters.
  2. Top with champagne.
  3. Carve a long, thin strip of lemon peel with a channel knife and coil into a glass.

Read more: Best Champagnes under $100

Two glasses of Caipirinha cocktail.

Caipirinha

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces cachaça
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar (cane sugar is best)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Lime wheel, for garnish

Method

  1. Cut the lime into wedges, and remove the pith (white, fibrous middle portion of the lime).
  2. Place the lime wedges and sugar into an Old Fashioned glass and muddle well.
  3. Add the cachaça and stir.
  4. Fill the glass with ice and place the lime wedge on the rim.

Read more: How to make a Caipirinha

A serving of Ranch Water cocktail.

Ranch Water

Ingredients

  • 2 parts tequila
  • 1 part Citrónage orange liqueur
  • 1 part lime juice
  • Topo Chico

Method

  1. Combine ingredients in a glass.
  2. Top with Topo Chico.
  3. Hold on to the extra mineral water and serve what’s left in the bottle with the cocktail.

Read more: How to make a Ranch Water

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Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
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