A well-stocked home bar is worthless if you don’t know your way around a jigger, shaker, and bar spoon and can’t remember the difference between a Manhattan and a Martini. Thankfully, with a little practice and a few simple mixers and modifiers, a staple selection of base spirits can be transformed into a world of possibilities.

From White Russians and Moscow Mules to Sidecars and Vieux Carrés, here are 30 of the easiest cocktails to make at home.

Table Of Contents

Easy Whiskey Cocktails

Boulevardier

The Boulevardier is one of the easiest whiskey cocktails to make.

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A whiskey-spiked variation of the Negroni, this American cocktail dials up the richness and complexity of its Italian cousin. The cocktail is three equal parts: Campari, sweet vermouth, and bourbon (replacing the Negroni’s gin). Though bourbon is traditional, many bartenders opt for rye in their Boulevardiers.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ oz Bourbon
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz Sweet Vermouth

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir.
  3. Strain into chilled rocks glass over fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with an orange twist and enjoy.

Manhattan

The Manhattan is one of the easiest whiskey cocktails to make.

A well-balanced mix of sweet, spicy, and bitter flavors, the Manhattan combines rye whiskey with sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. Don’t be tempted to sub in bourbon or any other type of whiskey; the bite of the rye is essential for canceling out the sweetness of the vermouth.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ oz Rye
  • 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • 2 dashes Angostura

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir.
  3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
  4. Garnish with a cherry and enjoy.

Mint Julep

The Mint Julep is one of the easiest whiskey cocktails to make.

Now closely associated with the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep is a refreshing Southern classic, serving a blend of bourbon, simple syrup, and fresh mint over a mound of crushed ice. Pour into a silver Julep cup to keep it cold on a hot summer day.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ oz Bourbon
  • ¾ oz Simple Syrup
  • 1 ea Mint

Directions

  1. Muddle mint into glass.
  2. Combine remain ingredients the glass.
  3. Add crushed ice.
  4. Garnish with mint and enjoy.

Penicillin

The Penicillin is one of the easiest whiskey cocktails to make.

Ideal for Scotch whisky lovers, this cocktail contains both blended and peated Scotch. The former is shaken with lemon juice, honey simple syrup, and fresh ginger to form the base of the drink before it’s served on the rocks with a peated whisky float. During the cold winter months, this cocktail can also be served hot.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces blended Scotch, such as Monkey Shoulder or Famous Grouse
  • ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ ounce honey simple syrup
  • 4 nickel-sized slices of ginger
  • ¼ ounce smoky Islay Scotch

Directions

  1. Put ginger slices and honey syrup in the base of a shaker and gently muddle.
  2. Combine other ingredients (except Islay Scotch) and shake with ice.
  3. Double-strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
  4. Float the Islay Scotch over the top of the drink by pouring it over a bar spoon for even distribution.
  5. Garnish with candied ginger on a cocktail pick.

Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is one of the easiest whiskey cocktails to make.

One of the oldest classic cocktails, there are a few schools of thought when preparing Old Fashioneds — particularly surrounding the inclusion of fresh fruit (orange slice) and boozy garnishes (cocktail cherries). In its simplest, and arguably best form, the drink contains a bourbon base, is sweetened with a single sugar cube or simple syrup, and balanced by a generous helping of Angostura bitters. Serve in its eponymous glass with a big ice cube and a lemon or orange twist (or both).

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ oz Bourbon (or Rye Whiskey)
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 3 dash Angostura Bitters
  • 1 each Lemon and orange twist

Directions

  1. Combine first three ingredients in a rocks glass.
  2. Stir ingredients.
  3. Add ice.
  4. Garnish with a lemon and orange twist and enjoy.

Sazerac

The Sazerac is one of the easiest whiskey cocktails to make.

Those seeking historical accuracy may opt for Cognac rather than rye whiskey in their Sazerac, but it is the latter with which this boozy New Orleans classic is now overwhelmingly associated. A splash of simple syrup helps tame the lively, spicy mix of rye and bitters (Peychaud’s, Angostura, or both), all of which is served in an absinthe-rinsed rocks glass with a lemon twist.

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Rye or Brandy
  • 1/2 oz Demerara syrup
  • 10 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
  • 1 ea Lemon twist
  • As needed Absinthe

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir.
  3. Strain into chilled rocks glass rinsed with absinthe, with no ice.
  4. Garnish with lemon twist and enjoy.

Easy Gin Cocktails

Corpse Reviver #2

The Corpse Reviver #2 is one of the easiest gin cocktails to make.

The better-known of the two Corpse Reviver cocktails, this drink sees a shaken mix of gin, triple sec, lemon juice, and Lillet Blanc served in a chilled, absinthe-rinsed coupe glass. Its spooky name is a historical term for a hangover cure.

Ingredients

  • ¾ oz Gin
  • ¾ oz Triple sec
  • ¾ oz Lemon
  • ¾ oz Lillet Blanc
  • As needed absinthe

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in shaker tin, excluding absinthe.
  2. Ice small shaker tin.
  3. Shake vigorously, until tin is frosted over.
  4. Strain into chilled cocktail glass rinsed with absinthe.
  5. Garnish with lemon twist and enjoy.

French 75

The French 75 is one of the easiest gin cocktails to make.

So named because its alcoholic kick is said to hit with the strength of a French 75-millimeter field gun, this cocktail started doing the rounds at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in 1915. Simple to prepare, the French 75 tops a base mix of gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice with a generous serving of Champagne.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Gin
  • ¾ oz Lemon
  • 1 oz Simple Syrup
  • 3 oz Champagne

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in shaker tin, excluding Champagne.
  2. Add ice to small shaker tin.
  3. Shake vigorously, until tin is frosted over.
  4. Strain into champagne flute with champagne.
  5. Garnish with lemon twist and enjoy.

Gimlet

The Gimlet is one of the easiest gin cocktails to make.

A refreshing blend of gin, lime, and simple syrup, this drink is believed to have been invented to encourage British Naval officers to consume scurvy-fighting rations of lime juice. Like all drinks containing fresh citrus, the Gimlet is shaken to fully incorporate the ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces London Dry gin
  • ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
  • ¾ ounce simple syrup

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in shaker tin.
  2. Add ice to small shaker tin.
  3. Shake vigorously, until tin is frosted over.
  4. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.
  5. Garnish with lime wheel and enjoy.

Gin & Tonic

The Gin and Tonic is one of the easiest gin cocktails to make.

Another gin cocktail introduced by the British armed forces for its purported health benefits (the quinine in tonic water was favored to combat malaria), it doesn’t get more simple, classic, or delicious than the Gin & Tonic.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Gin
  • As needed Tonic

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in chilled highball glass.
  2. Add ice.
  3. Garnish with lime wedge and enjoy.

Martini

The Gin Martini is one of the easiest gin cocktails to make.

The most customizable of any classic cocktail, all that’s strictly required in this drink is gin and dry vermouth. The ratio of the two can range from wet (equal parts, a.k.a. 50:50) to exceedingly dry (15:1, also known as the Montgomery ratio). Ingredients can be shaken or stirred — the latter is more traditional — and possible garnishes include a lemon twist, olives, or a cocktail onion, which changes the drink’s name to a Gibson.

Ingredients

  • 2 ¾ oz Gin
  • ¾ oz Dry vermouth
  • Lemon twist or olives for garnish

Directions

  1. Combine ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass or shaker.
  2. Stir vigorously for 15 seconds.
  3. Strain into chilled coupe or Martini glass.
  4. Garnish with lemon twist or olives and enjoy.

Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is one of the easiest gin cocktails to make.

While it famously appeared in “Meet the Parents,” this straightforward preparation of gin, lemon, simple syrup, and club soda dates back to the late 19th century, when it first appeared in Jerry Thomas’s 1876 “Bar-Tender’s Guide.”

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Gin
  • 1 oz Lemon
  • 1 oz Simple Syrup
  • As needed Soda

Directions

  1. Combine ingredients in a highball glass.
  2. Add ice.
  3. Garnish with lemon wheel and enjoy.

East Vodka Cocktails

Bloody Mary

The Bloody Mary is one of the easiest vodka cocktails to make.

In its most basic form, the Bloody Mary is little more than a glass of vodka-spiked tomato juice. At its most ostentatious, it’s a full meal in a glass, garnished with everything from bacon to fried chicken to hamburgers. Homemade Mary mix is preferred, but store-bought is fine in a pinch.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Vodka
  • 5 oz Tomato juice
  • 1/2 oz Fresh lemon Juice
  • ½ oz Worcestershire
  • Pinch Pepper
  • Pinch Celery salt

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a Collins or highball glass.
  2. Add ice.
  3. Stir well.
  4. Garnish with lemon, celery, olives, and enjoy.

Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan is one of the easiest vodka cocktails to make.

With its iconic pink hue and close ties to the ‘90s HBO show “Sex and the City,” the Cosmopolitan is a modern classic. Technically speaking, you’ll need lemon-flavored Absolut Citron to make a truly accurate rendition, which also contains triple sec, fresh lime, and cranberry juice.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ ounces Absolut Citron
  • ¾ ounce Cointreau
  • ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
  • ¾ ounce Ocean Spray Cranberry
  • Garnish: lemon twist

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Shake until cold and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  3. Garnish with lemon twist.

Espresso Martini

The Espresso Martini is one of the easiest vodka cocktails to make.

One of two modern classics invented by London-based bartender Dick Bradsell in the 1980s (the other was the Bramble), the Espresso Martini hits with a one-two punch of caffeine and alcohol, before the blow is softened by sweet simple syrup and rich coffee liqueur.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce vodka, preferably Ketel One
  • ¾ ounce coffee liqueur, preferably Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
  • 1 ¼ ounces fresh espresso
  • ½ ounce simple syrup, (1:1, sugar:water)
  • Garnish: 3 coffee beans

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and shake vigorously with ice.
  2. Strain into a coupette glass.
  3. Garnish with three coffee beans.

Moscow Mule

The Moscow Mule is one of the easiest vodka cocktails to make.

Combining vodka, ginger beer, and lime, few drinks are as refreshing or simple to prepare as the Moscow Mule. Whether or not the traditional copper mugs make the drink taste better remains up for debate, but the vessel definitely adds a touch of class to the otherwise understated concoction.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 3 ounces ginger beer
  • Juice of half a lime, and lime wedge for garnish

Directions

  1. Add vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice to a copper mug (or highball glass).
  2. Fill mug with crushed ice.
  3. Stir well.
  4. Garnish with lime wedge and enjoy.

Vodka Martini

The Vodka Martini is one of the easiest vodka cocktails to make.

Purists may scoff at the Vodka Martini, but this drink is every bit as versatile as its gin counterpart. In fact, vodka’s neutral flavor allows the vermouth to take more of a center stage and lends itself to those who want to drink the mix “dirty” (with olive brine).

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ ounces vodka
  • ½ ounce dry vermouth
  • Lemon twist or olives

Directions

  1. Combine vodka and vermouth in a mixing glass.
  2. Stir with ice until chilled.
  3. Strain into a chilled coupe or Martini glass.
  4. Gently express a lemon peel over the top of the drink, then garnish with the lemon zest.

White Russian

The White Russian is one of the easiest vodka cocktails to make.

Popularized by Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski in “The Big Lebowski,” this rich and decadent cocktail combines vodka with half-and-half (or heavy cream), and coffee liqueur. Velvet smooth, the White Russian drinks like a spiked, creamy cold brew.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ oz Vodka
  • 1 ¼ oz Half and half
  • 1 ¼ oz Coffee liqueur (Kahlua)

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir
  3. Strain into chilled rocks glass over fresh ice
  4. Enjoy

Easy Rum Cocktails

Daiquiri

The Daiquiri is one of the easiest rum cocktails to make.

Forget sickly sweet, frozen iterations: A well-balanced Daiquiri is one of the finest classic cocktails one can enjoy. Ideal on a hot day, this shaken cocktail blends white rum, simple syrup, and lime juice, and is served with a basic slice or wedge of lime.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz white rum
  • ¾ oz lime juice
  • ¾ oz simple syrup
  • Lime wedge

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients, except lime wedge, in a shaker.
  2. Add ice and shake vigorously, until tin is frosted over.
  3. Strain cocktail into a chilled coupe glass.
  4. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy.

Dark ‘N’ Stormy

The Dark N' Stormy is one of the easiest rum cocktails to make.

The only trademarked cocktail on this list, the Dark ‘N’ Stormy is the rum-based alternative to the Moscow Mule. For a legitimate version of the drink, the vodka should be replaced with Gosling’s Black Seal Dark Rum, though all dark rums, admittedly, yield delicious results.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Goslings Black Seal Rum
  • As needed Ginger beer

Directions

  1. Pour Ginger beer in to highball glass over ice.
  2. Add ice.
  3. Float Goslings Black Seal Rum on top.
  4. Garnish with lime wedge and enjoy.

Mai Tai

The Mai Tai is one of the easiest rum cocktails to make.

A straightforward entry into the complex world of tiki, this drink has an aged rum base mixed with rhum agricole, lime juice, orgeat (almond syrup), and orange Curaçao. For the best results, steer well clear of the blender (and electric blue mixers).

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces blended rum, such as Appleton Estate Reserve Blend or Denizen Merchant’s Reserve
  • ¾ ounce lime juice
  • ¾ ounce orgeat syrup
  • ½ ounce orange liqueur
  • Mint sprig

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients, except mint, in a shaker.
  2. Add crushed ice and shake vigorously, until shaker is frosted over.
  3. Fill a double rocks glass with fresh crushed ice.
  4. Strain cocktail into glass.
  5. Garnish with mint sprig.

Mojito

The Mojito is one of the easiest rum cocktails to make.

Fresh citrus and mint are key to allowing this simple concoction to shine. A favorite of Ernest Hemingway, this Cuban cocktail mixes muddled mint leaves with lime, simple syrup, and white rum.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz White Rum
  • 1 oz Lime
  • 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
  • 10 Mint leaves, and mint sprig for garnish

Directions

  1. Gently muddle mint leaves in Collins or highball glass, taking care not to break the leaves.
  2. Add remaining ingredients to the glass.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Add crushed ice.
  5. Garnish with mint sprig and enjoy.

Piña Colada

The Piña Colada is one of the easiest rum cocktails to make.

The pride of Puerto Rico, the Piña Colada is as easy to make as its name is fun to say. The shaken mix contains equal parts white rum (preferably from its home island), coconut cream, and pineapple juice, served over a glass of crushed ice.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz White Rum
  • 2 oz Coconut Cream
  • 2 oz Pineapple Juice
  • Pineapple leaf

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients, except pineapple leaf, in shaker.
  2. Add ice to fill.
  3. Shake vigorously, until shaker is frosted over.
  4. Fill hurricane glass with crushed ice.
  5. Strain cocktail into glass.
  6. Garnish with pineapple leaf and enjoy.

Easy Tequila Cocktails

Bloody Maria

The Bloody Maria is one of the easiest tequila cocktails to make.

Offering a spicy addition to the brunch table, this cocktail is one of many worthy riffs on the Bloody Mary, replacing vodka with reposado tequila. Enjoy with a chili-salt rim and as many breakfast quesadillas as you can eat.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces tequila
  • 4 ounces tomato juice
  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 dashes hot sauce
  • Pinch celery salt
  • Pinch ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon horseradish (optional)
  • Garnish: lime wedge, celery, olives

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a Collins or highball glass.
  2. Add ice and stir carefully to combine.
  3. Garnish with lime, celery, and olives.

Margarita

The Margarita is one of the easiest tequila cocktails to make.

Officially America’s most popular cocktail, blanco tequila takes center stage in this tart and tangy drink, with the Mexican spirit shaken with just a seasoning of lime juice and triple sec. While frozen, blended renditions abound, less is always more when it comes to making quality Margs.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ oz Blanco tequila
  • 1 oz Lime juice
  • ¾ oz Triple Sec

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in shaker tin.
  2. Add ice to small shaker tin.
  3. Shake vigorously.
  4. Strain into chilled rocks glass with a salt rim over fresh ice
  5. Garnish with lime and enjoy.

Paloma

The Paloma is one of the easiest tequila cocktails to make.

A delicious and refreshing highball, the Paloma matches the savory, vegetal notes of tequila (blanco or reposado) with bittersweet grapefruit soda. For an elevated serving, opt instead for freshly squeezed juice and club soda.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces blanco tequila
  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Grapefruit soda, to top

Directions

  1. Combine tequila, lime juice, and salt in a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake until chilled.
  3. Strain into a highball filled with ice.
  4. Top with grapefruit soda
  5. Garnish with a lime wheel

Tequila Sunrise

The Tequila Sunrise is one of the easiest tequila cocktails to make.

Made from tequila, grenadine, and orange juice, combining the ingredients without mixing creates this visually striking drink, which resembles a picturesque sunrise.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Tequila
  • As needed Orange juice
  • 1/2 oz Grenadine

Directions

  1. Combine ingredients in a highball, excluding grenadine
  2. Add ice.
  3. Using a spoon, sink grenadine to the bottom of the glass.
  4. Garnish with an orange wheel and enjoy.

Easy Brandy Cocktails

Brandy Crusta

The Brandy Crusta is one of the easiest brandy cocktails to make.

Calling for a few ingredients from the liquor shelf, this little-known brandy cocktail is a great trump card to have in your cocktail repertoire. The brandy-forward mix is seasoned with Maraschino liqueur, triple sec, lemon, and both Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. This drink is served in a sugar-rimmed glass and arrives with a long, elegant lemon twist.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ oz Brandy
  • ½ oz Maraschino Liqueur
  • ¾ oz Triple Sec
  • ¾ oz Lemon
  • 1 dash Angostura
  • 1 dash Peychaud’s

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a wine glass.
  2. Add crushed ice.
  3. Garnish with large lemon twist and enjoy.

Sidecar

The Sidecar is one of the easiest brandy cocktails to make.

Named after the motorcycle attachment and reportedly invented at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, this classic shaken cocktail contains brandy, lemon, and triple sec. Like the Brandy Crusta, the proper serve includes a chilled, sugar-rimmed glass, and a (slightly more modest) lemon twist garnish.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ oz Brandy
  • 1 oz Lemon
  • 3/4 oz Triple sec

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in shaker tin
  2. Add ice to small shaker tin.
  3. Shake vigorously, until tin is frosted over.
  4. Strain into chilled cocktail glass, rimmed with sugar
  5. Garnish with lemon twist and enjoy.

Vieux Carré

The Vieux Carre is one of the easiest brandy cocktails to make.

Invented in New Orleans in the 1930s, this potent mix contains Cognac, rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and a bar spoon each of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. The boozy combo is stirred over ice and served with a lemon twist.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ oz Rye
  • 1 ¼ oz Cognac
  • 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • 1 Bar spoon Benedictine
  • 1 dash Angostura Bitters
  • 1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir.
  3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.
  4. Garnish with lemon twist and enjoy.