Easy cocktails
Every drink here takes a few minutes, uses ingredients you can find in a supermarket and needs no special kit. Most are built straight in the glass.
If you have a jigger or even a shot glass to measure with, you can make all of them.
52 recipes · page 1 of 4
What makes a cocktail easy
An easy cocktail is built in the glass, needs two or three ingredients and has no shaking, straining or muddling. A gin and tonic is the model: 50 ml gin and 150 ml chilled tonic over plenty of ice.
Other long drinks follow the same pattern. The Moscow mule is vodka, lime juice and ginger beer, and the Paloma swaps in tequila and grapefruit soda. Add the mixer last and stir once.
Stirring matters less than you think. Fill the glass with ice, pour the spirit, add the mixer slowly and give it one gentle stir. Over-stirring a fizzy drink knocks out the bubbles.
The kit you actually need
A jigger or a shot glass for measuring, a tall glass and a bag of ice will cover most of this page. A bar spoon helps, but a teaspoon works. Measure every time, because most easy drinks are only as good as their ratios.
Keep a few limes and lemons in the fridge. Fresh juice makes a bigger difference than any piece of equipment. A shaker is only needed for the shaken drinks, such as the Vodka Sour and Tom Collins.
If you only buy one extra thing, make it a proper tall glass. Easy drinks look and taste better when they are cold and full of ice, and a thin tumbler warms up quickly.
Easy drinks without alcohol
Several drinks here have no alcohol at all. The Shirley Temple is ginger ale, grenadine and lime, and the virgin Moscow mule keeps the ginger beer and lime. Both are as quick as their alcoholic versions.
For more ideas, see the mocktails page.
Small habits that improve any easy cocktail
Fill the glass with ice before you pour, because more ice keeps the drink colder and slows dilution. Chill the mixers, too. Pour fizzy ones slowly down the side of the glass to keep the bubbles.
Finish with a garnish that adds something, such as a lime wedge squeezed over a gin and tonic. If a drink tastes too sharp, add a little more sugar or mixer. If it is too sweet, add a squeeze of citrus.
A lime wedge, orange slice or mint sprig takes seconds and makes any drink look finished. Make drinks one at a time and taste as you go, rather than batching blind.
Questions people ask
What is the easiest cocktail to make at home?
A gin and tonic is the easiest cocktail to make at home: pour 50 ml gin over ice, top with 150 ml chilled tonic and add a lime wedge. It needs no shaker and takes under a minute. Use a tall glass and plenty of ice so it stays cold.
What cocktails can I make with only two ingredients?
The Black Russian is vodka and coffee liqueur, and the Rusty Nail is Scotch and Drambuie. Both are poured over ice and stirred. The Kir Royale is crème de cassis topped with sparkling wine. Each has a recipe on this page with exact measures.
Do I need a cocktail shaker to make easy cocktails?
No. Most easy cocktails are built straight in the glass, so a jigger, ice and a spoon are enough. A shaker is only needed for shaken drinks like the Vodka Sour or Whisky sour. A clean jar with a tight lid can stand in for one.
What is the easiest cocktail for beginners?
The Moscow mule is a good first cocktail because you pour it in the glass: 50 ml vodka, 15 ml lime juice and 100 ml ginger beer over ice. There is nothing to shake or strain. The Aperol spritz is just as simple.
How do I make a good Aperol spritz?
Pour 90 ml chilled prosecco, 60 ml Aperol and 30 ml soda water over ice in a wine glass, then add an orange slice. Add the soda last and stir once, gently. The drink is light and takes about two minutes.
Can I make easy cocktails without alcohol?
Yes. The Shirley Temple, alcohol-free gin and tonic, virgin Moscow mule and virgin Paloma are all quick to make and are built in the glass. Each uses the same technique as its alcoholic version, so you can serve both from one set of mixers.