Each of These 37 Easy co*cktail Recipes Have Less Than 5 Ingredients (2024)

No one said being a home bartender was easy, but with this collection of easy co*cktail recipes, you'll be shaking and stirring perfectly balanced beverages in no time. They require no muddling, blending, infusing, or pureeing.

Each recipe makes one co*cktail and has no more than five ingredients (excluding optional garnishes), so you can likely concoct at least a few without having to dash to the liquor store. First, let's make sure you have the minimal equipment, and then come the simplest co*cktails. Cheers!

Bar Supplies

You don't need a fully stocked home bar to mix a few drinks. Whether your home bar is a cozy alcove, a mobile bar cart, or half a kitchen cabinet, here's what you need:

Jigger. Even the simplest of co*cktails won't taste right if you don't measure properly.
Glassware. Stock your home bar or liquor cart with glassware to match the co*cktails you enjoy.
Mixers and Spirits. The simpler the recipe, the better the ingredients should be, so buy the best quality mixers and spirits you can afford. Above all, use what you have on hand over running out to the liquor store.

Two-Ingredient co*cktails

We enjoy a complicated, cleverly crafted, bespoke bevvie as much as the next person, but sometimes, a simple two-ingredient co*cktail recipe fits the bill.

The first three two-ingredient co*cktails are featured in our video with the brands used cited in parentheses.

Paloma

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This refreshing, bubbly drink from Mexico is enjoyed worldwide.

2 ounces tequila (Casamigos)
2 ounces grapefruit soda (Gus Ruby)

Add ingredients to a rocks glass with ice, stir, and garnish with a lime wedge or grapefruit slice.

Gimlet

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This classic, sweet-tart co*cktail is great with vodka, too.

2 ounces gin (The Botanist)
⅔ ounce lime juice (Rose's)

Fill a rocks glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with a sprig of rosemary, fresh mint, or wedge of lime.

Lillet Spritz

This recipe features Lillet (pronounced lil-LEY) Blanc, a French, wine-based apéritif sipped best cold from the fridge.

1 ounce Lillet Blanc
4 ounces sparkling wine (J Vineyards California Cuvée)

Pour ingredients into a glass and garnish with fresh cucumber and strawberry, or an orange slice.

Bourbon Buck

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In this recipe, ginger ale gives bourbon a sweet, zippy, bubbly treatment.

2 ounces bourbon
5 ounces ginger ale

Fill a tall glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with lemon.

Chai and Irish Cream co*cktail

This hot, tea-based co*cktail brings spiced warmth, creaminess, and flavor to a cold winter's night.

2 chai teabags
2 to 3 tablespoons Irish cream

In a mug, steep teabags in hot water for about 5 minutes. Remove the teabags, add Irish cream, and serve.

Cider Shandy

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This variant of a classic shandy swaps lemonade with apple cider for a crisp fall refresher.

6 ounces lager
6 ounces apple cider

Combine ingredients in a pilsner glass and garnish with orange.

Garibaldi

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Named for a hero of the liberation of Italy and Uruguay, this co*cktail's red-orange color is reminiscent of the red shirts worn by followers of GiuseppeGaribaldi.

1½ ounces Campari
3 ounces orange juice

Fill a rocks glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with an orange slice.

Pimm's Cup

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This co*cktail features Pimm's No. 1, a gin-based spirit with refreshing spice and fruit flavors. Try it with lemonade, too.

2 ounces Pimm's
6 ounces ginger ale

Fill a tall glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with orange.

St. Germain Fizz

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St. Germain is the most famous brand of elderflower liqueur: a floral, fruity drink made from whiteelderflowers.

½ ounce elderflower liqueur
4 ounces chilled sparkling wine

Combine ingredients in a champagne flute and garnish with lemon.

Vodka co*cktails

You can drink vodka neat, but we think you'll love it in these two- to four-ingredient co*cktail recipes.

Cape Cooler

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In this recipe, cranberry juice takes vodka on a trip to New England.

2 ounces vodka
4 ounces cranberry juice

Fill a tall glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with lime.

Greyhound

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Serve this two-ingredient co*cktail over ice in a tall glass or a rocks glass, and with vodka or gin.

2 ounces vodka
4 ounces grapefruit juice

Fill a glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with lime.

Black Russian

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This super simple, two-ingredient co*cktail calls for Kahlua, but any coffee-flavored liqueur will do.

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Kahlua

Fill a rocks glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with coffee beans.

White Russian

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Just a smidge of heavy cream turns a black Russian into this decadent, creamy, white one.

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Kahlua
1 ounce heavy cream

Fill a co*cktail glass—preferably a rocks or Old Fashioned glass—with ice. Pour vodka and Kahlúa over the ice, top with heavy cream, and stir.

Chambord French Martini

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Raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice give a standard martini a sweet, fruity twist.

5 ounces Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
1½ ounces vodka
2 ounces pineapple juice

Pour ingredients into a co*cktail shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a martini glass and top with a raspberry or lemon twist.

Apple-Cinnamon Spiced co*cktail

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Dial up your fall festivities with a four-ingredient co*cktail that tastes crisp, cozy, and refreshing.

1½ ounces vodka
1½ ounces apple cider
½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ ounce Aperol

Add ingredients to a co*cktail shaker filled with ice, and shake vigorously until well combined. Strain into a chilled glass rimmed with turbinado sugar, and then garnish with star anise, a cinnamon stick, and/or apple slices.

Cosmopolitan

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The 1990s called, and they want you to revisit this Sex In The City staple.

2 ounces vodka
½ ounce Triple Sec (orange liqueur)
1 ounce cranberry juice
½ ounce lime juice (from half a lime)

Fill a co*cktail shaker halfway with ice, add ingredients, and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lime slice.

Sex on the Beach

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Planning a staycation? Plan on making plenty of these.

1½ ounces vodka
1 ounce peach schnapps
2 ounces orange juice
2 ounces cranberry juice or grenadine

Fill a hurricane or other tall co*cktail glass with ice. For a beautiful sunset hue, add ingredients in the order listed and then garnish with an orange slice, cherry, or tropical fruit.

Rum co*cktails

Long favored by pirates and organized crime, rum takes the high road as an ingredient in these easy co*cktail recipes.

Dark and Stormy

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Just add ginger beer to dark rum for a refreshing co*cktail that's anything but scary.

2 ounces dark rum
4 ounces ginger beer

Fill a tall glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with lime.

Cider Dark and Stormy

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Add apple cider and a splash of lime juice to the classic version for the crisp taste of fall in a drink.

2 ounces apple cider
2 ounces dark rum
¼ ounce fresh lime juice (from a quarter of a lime)
4 ounces ginger beer

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.

Coffee Old Fashioned

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Just five ingredients make this cozy coffee co*cktail, perfect for long winter nights.

1 sugar cube (2 teaspoons)
4 dashes orange Angostura bitters
1½ ounces bourbon
½ ounce dark rum
½ ounce Turkish (or very strong) coffee, chilled or at room temperature

Combine sugar with bitters and 1 teaspoon water in a co*cktail glass, stirring vigorously until sugar is dissolved. Fill a shaker with ice cubes, and then add bourbon, rum, coffee, and the sugar mixture. Stir gently to combine, pour into a rocks glass over a single large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.

Gin co*cktails

While it's most commonly known as the better half of a gin and tonic, try it in one of these easy gin-based co*cktails.

London Lemonade

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For best results, use homemade lemonade from freshly squeezed lemons. For expedience, use whatever's available.

2 ounces gin
4 ounces lemonade

Fill a rocks glass with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Tom Collins

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This recipe pairs down the ingredients for this iconic, sour, refreshing co*cktail to just two.

5 ounces lemon soda (such as San Pellegrino Limonata)
3 ounces gin

Add ingredients to a tall glass of ice and stir. Garnish with lemon slices and basil sprigs.

Martini

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This simple yet sophisticated classic is considered the father of all co*cktails.

2½ ounces gin
⅔ ounce dry vermouth

Fill a mixing glass or shaker with ice, add ingredients, and stir. Strain into a co*cktail glass and garnish with olives and/or a twist of lemon.

Vesper Martini

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This vesper veers from a traditional martini by calling for gin and vodka, and it swaps vermouth for Lillet, resulting in a citrusy, smooth, super strong co*cktail.

3 ounces gin
1 ounce vodka
½ ounce Lillet Blanc

Fill a co*cktail shaker or mixing glass with ice cubes, add ingredients, and stir until well-chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled co*cktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Spiked Cider Tea

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Hot cider, hot tea, vanilla, and gin combine for a cozy co*cktail tailor-made for sipping around a fire pit.

4 ounces hot apple cider
1 black tea bag
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ounce gin

In a mug of hot apple cider, add a tea bag and steep for 3 minutes. Remove the tea bag, stir in vanilla and gin, and serve warm with lemon slices.

Sparkling Wine co*cktails

No matter your preference—Champagne or Prosecco; red, white, or rosé—wine infused with carbon dioxide makes for a co*cktail that's fizzy and fun.

Chambord Royale

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Raspberry liqueur lends Champagne a fruity turn that's fit for a queen.

1 ounce Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
4 ounces chilled Champagne or other sparkling white wine

Pour ingredients into a co*cktail glass or champagne flute, and garnish with raspberry.

Cider Bellini

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Just add sparkling wine to apple cider for awesome autumn refreshment.

5 ounces sparking wine (like Champagne or Prosecco)
½ ounce apple cider

Combine ingredients in a champagne flute and garnish with rosemary.

Lillet-Strawberry Spritz

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This simple three-ingredient spritz is an ideal cooler for warm summer days.

2 ounces Lillet Blanc
3 ounces dry sparkling rosé
1 ounce club soda

Fill a glass halfway with ice and add ingredients. Stir to combine and garnish with sliced strawberry.

Negroni Sbagliato co*cktail

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Lucky for you, this co*cktail is much easier to make than it is to spell (or pronounce).

1½ ounces Campari
1½ ounces vermouth
1½ ounces Prosecco or other sparkling wine

In a rocks glass with a large ice cube, add ingredients and gently stir. Garnish with an orange slice.

Red Wine Spritz

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Make this fruity, fizzy co*cktail the star of your summer soirees.

2 ounces sweet vermouth
2 ounces dry sparkling red wine (like Lambrusco)
2 ounces club soda

Fill a glass halfway with ice, add ingredients, and stir to combine. For a garnish, add a few peach slices (or plums, apricots, grapes, or berries) directly to the drink.

Aperol Spritz

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This recipe keeps from being overly sweet with more Prosecco (than Aperol), and a dry Prosecco (instead of sweet) at that.

2 ounces Aperol
3 ounces dry Prosecco
½ ounce club soda

In a wine glass filled with ice, add ingredients and gently stir. Garnish with a slice of orange.

Dirty Aperol Spritz

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What makes an Aperol spritz "dirty" is a punch of brine from an olive jar, giving this version a surprising zip.

2 ounces Aperol
2 ounces dry sparkling wine
2 ounces club soda
¼ ounce brine from a jar of pimento-stuffed green olives

Fill a glass halfway with ice and add ingredients. Stir to combine and garnish with olives.

Limoncello Spritz

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This refreshing four-ingredient twist on the classic spritz is bright and pleasantly tart.

1 ounce limoncello
2½ ounces dry sparkling wine
1½ ounces club soda
½ ounce fresh lemon juice

Fill a glass halfway with ice and add ingredients. Stir to combine, and garnish with a rosemary sprig and lemon peel.

Mango Bellini Spritz

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The taste of this fizzy, topical co*cktail is as bright as the summer sun.

2 ounces mango juice (like Looza)
½ ounce orange liqueur (like Triple Sec)
2 ounces dry sparkling wine
1 ounce club soda

Fill a glass halfway with ice and add ingredients. Stir and garnish with mango wedges.

Simple Syrup co*cktails

It's not a spirit, but this sweet component is integral to many a classic co*cktail. Make some simple syrup ahead to have on hand whenever the spirit moves you.

Classic Amaretto Sour

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The perfect blend of sweet and sour, this three-ingredient recipe for a popular classic is a good one to keep handy.

1½ ounces Amaretto liqueur
1 ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

Pour ingredients into a co*cktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a glass filled with ice, and garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Sparkling Amaretto Sour

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Add sparkling wine to an amaretto sour and you have a fizzy version with less sugar and more of a kick.

1 ounce Amaretto liqueur
½ ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
4 ounces Prosecco

Pour ingredients into a co*cktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a glass filled with ice, and garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Espresso Martini

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Here's a co*cktail poised to wake up your happy hour.

1½ ounces vodka
1 ounce espresso, chilled
½ ounce coffee liqueur
½ ounce simple syrup

Pour ingredients into a co*cktail shaker filled with ice and shake for 10 seconds (or longer for more frothiness). Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a sprinkle of cocoa or cinnamon.

Irish Iced Coffee

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Serve this frosty, creamy co*cktail at a boozy Christmas brunch, St. Patrick's Day celebration, or any time you want to wake up your taste buds.

4 ounces strong coffee, chilled
½ ounce simple syrup
1½ ounces Irish whiskey
1 ounce heavy cream

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled co*cktail shaker and shake vigorously until very cold, about 30 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled pint glass and top with whipped cream.

Cider and Pomegranate Margarita

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This five-ingredient variation on a classic uses autumn staples instead of tropical flavors, making it perfect for a warm fall fiesta.

½ ounce simple syrup
½ ounce fresh lime juice
2 ounces tequila
2 ounces pomegranate juice
4 ounces apple cider

Combine ingredients with ice in a co*cktail shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a co*cktail glass with a salted rim.

Grapefruit Kombucha Margarita

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This recipe tops a citrusy margarita with kombucha for a tangy, fizzy refresher.

2 ounces tequila
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
1 ounce kombucha (original flavor)

Combine ingredients except kombucha with ice in a co*cktail shaker and shake until well chilled, about 30 minutes. Strain into a co*cktail glass with a salted rim and top with kombucha.

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Illustrations by Sarah Ferone