24 Easy and Delicious Cocktails to Make at Home

Scores of gifted athletes have made it to the level of professional golfer. Far fewer are the legends who managed to get a drink named after them. In the case of John Daly, it’s well-earned. He’s at least as well-known for his party antics as for his putting ability. His eponymous cocktail is merely a vodka-infused version of the beloved lemonade/iced tea hybrid made famous by another golfer.

Easy to assemble, refreshing to swig, and fun to tweak. It turns out that lemonade and iced tea play well against other base spirits too. Notably, American whiskey. Trey Zoeller, founder of Jefferson’s Bourbon, likes to use his own juice as the anchor in an equally crushable variation. “It’s hot as hell here in Kentucky during the summer,” he tells Esquire. “I cool down with my twist on the John Daly. I call it the Trey Zoeller.” What are the chances?

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz vodka or bourbon
• 2 oz lemonade
• 2 oz iced tea
• Lemon wheel

Directions

Combine the vodka, lemonade, and iced tea into a Collins glass over ice and stir. Garnish with a lemon wheel along the rim of the glass.

This drink isn’t only awesome, it’s literally a lifesaver. Initially conceived by British colonial officers as a tasty way to fend off malaria, it has enjoyed status as a barroom staple for over 160 years. How could it not? The G&T is the ultimate two-ingredient tipple. Easy refreshment that’s nearly impossible to mess up.

In the earlier parts of this century, imaginative sorts in Spain entered all manner of elevated garnish into the equation. They’d plop things like rosemary sprigs and peppercorns into balloon glasses to stimulate the senses. Then came the advent of high-end mixers and “new world” gins that relegate juniper to supporting cast member.

I’m not against any of it. But to me the platonic ideal exists as London dry—mixed with any brand of violently carbonated tonic—in a Collins glass, garnished with nothing more than fresh citrus.

Ingredients

• 3 oz London dry gin, Fords preferred
• 4 oz premium tonic water
• Three lime wedges

Directions

Add gin to a highball glass filled with ice. Squeeze in fresh lime to taste. Carefully pour in tonic water to preserve carbonation. Stir once from the bottom and add a lime wedge for garnish.

“This effortless blend of lime, rum, and sugar is the perfect refreshing summer sipper,” says Gabriel Urrutia, adjunct spirits professor at Florida International University. (Yes, that’s a real position.) “I love playing with different rums to bring this cocktail to life. White rum brings a crisp, clean taste, with Planteray 3 Star being a standout for its bright, citrusy notes. On the other hand, dark rum adds depth and complexity. Its beautiful history and heritage only add to its charm, making it a surefire hit with guests.”

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz light rum, Planteray 3 Stars preferred
• 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3/4 oz simple syrup

Directions

Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Award-winning distiller Alexandre Gabriel is especially partial to this popular gin-and-Champagne-based arrangement. Not only is it named after his nationality, but he also happens to make Citadelle, a vibrant, floral gin that works wondrously within the recipe. “It’s elegant, refreshingly simple, and absolutely delicious,” he says. “It presents beautifully and makes you look like you know what you are doing, all in a simple, efficient, and delicious way.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz citrusy and floral “new world” gin such as Citadelle
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• Splash of Champagne

Directions

Add gin, lemon, and simple syrup to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for half a minute. Strain into glass (coupe or flute). Top off with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Citrusy, sweet and slightly spicy, the Honey Badger is a beautifully balanced rendering of American whiskey. And the most exotic ingredient you’ll need to make it work is simple syrup. Shortly after introducing her namesake rye on shelves in the summer of 2024, booze impresario Julie Macklowe discovered that it provided an enviable anchor in this drink, populated with lemon juice and candied ginger.

“My two favorite drinks are skinny lemonade and whiskey, so I now just mix them together,” she says. “It’s my detox hydration and re-tox all in one drink. The honey badger has quickly become my spirit animal.”

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 oz American whiskey, Macklowe Rye preferred
• 1/2 – 1 oz simple syrup, to taste
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• Candied ginger for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes. Shake thoroughly for 20 seconds and strain into a rocks glass. Serve over one big cube and garnish with candied ginger on a toothpick.

“A traditional Tom Collins just feels like summer,” says Harold Moore, chef and owner of Cafe Commerce, a chic bistro in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. “It’s very clean and easy yet still somehow uncommon. And it’s big, so you can nurse it for a while at cocktail parties and always have a drink in hand without becoming too tipsy.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz London dry gin, Sipsmith preferred
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• Splash of club soda
• Lemon wheel
• Maraschino cherry

Directions

Assemble ingredients into a tall Collins glass. Fill with ice after the build. Top with club soda and gently stir before adding maraschino cherry skewered in lemon wheel for garnish.

“The Revolver is a cocktail that anyone with a little skill can make anywhere with off-the-shelf, ubiquitous ingredients,” says inventor and legendary San Francisco barman Jon Santer. “More recently viewed as a ‘whiskey lover’s espresso martini,’ it’s easily modified, not too fussy, and has proven itself for over 20 years as a go-to on menus all over the world.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon, Bulleit preferred
• 1/2 oz coffee liqueur, Mr Black preferred
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Flamed orange zest

Directions

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass over plenty of ice and stir until very cold. Strain into a frozen coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a flamed orange zest.

This contemporary spin on the classic Last Word cocktail is seemingly everywhere these days. Bold and bittersweet, it effortlessly splits the difference between approachability and elegance. Consequently it’s a favorite among folks on either side of the bar.

“The Paper Plane is one of the first things I pour for myself when I get off shift,” says David McGuirk, bartender at Bar 10 in the Westin Copley Place in Boston. “Easier the better when it’s just me I’m trying to please.”

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz bourbon, Old Forester 1920 preferred
• 3/4 oz Aperol
• 3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
• 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Directions

Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker. Shake with ice until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe.

“The beauty of this drink lies in its simplicity,” says Natascha Patterer, director of beverage at the newly reopened Waldorf-Astoria New York. “With just Campari and orange juice, it’s approachable, low effort, and doesn’t require a fully stocked bar or special tools. It’s actually my favorite breakfast cocktail of all time. I keep a bottle of Campari in my freezer for ice-cold, on-the-fly weekend Garibaldis at home. Want to take it up a notch? All you need is a milk frother or a NutriBullet to make your OJ fluffy, setting it on par with the Garibaldis in some of the best bars in the city.”

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz Campari
• 4 oz fresh orange juice
• Orange wedge for garnish

Directions

Add the Campari to a chilled highball glass filled with ice cubes. Top with orange juice and stir in the glass. Garnish with an orange wedge.

The standard Negroni is the quintessential equal-parts cocktail. Just go 1:1:1 on gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari over ice. Stir, add a citrus-zest garnish, and voilà! But Max Reis thinks it’s equally easy—and noticeably more enjoyable—to work it into a White Negroni. “It’s a classic variation,” says the man behind Mírate in Los Angeles, which was just named the 12th best bar in North America. “People don’t often think to split mezcal and gin as a base. It just blows peoples minds in a good way.”

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz London dry gin
• 3/4 oz Espadín mezcal
• 3/4 oz Salers aperitif
• 3/4 oz blanc vermouth, Dolin Blanc preferred

Directions

Stir all ingredients with ice in a large cocktail mixing glass. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Speaking of Negroni variations, the Boulevardier is probably the most widely known example. In its most facile form you’re just subbing in whiskey for gin in that aforementioned 1:1:1 ratio. But serious drinkers often dial up the whiskey in the mix—and they invariably rely on American rye to do the heavy lifting. “Rye performs a beautiful balancing act against sweet vermouth and Campari,” says Aaron Goldfarb, author of Dusty Booze. “But it needs to be a very spicy rye and at least 100 proof.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz American rye whiskey, Sazerac 100 Proof preferred
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• Orange peel for garnish

Directions

Stir ingredients together in a cocktail mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

This tropically themed classic first took flight at a hotel bar in Kuala Lumpur back in the mid-1970s. But my favorite modern interpretation is from a hotel in Maui, the Fairmont Kea Lani. At Pilina, the property’s lobby-based lounge, a Hawaiian rum from Kuleana is enlivened by a handful of other island-sourced ingredients including fruit syrup, bitters, grilled Maui gold pineapple—and the sunset view over Wailea beach. You can capture much of the same flavors at home by using modifiers widely available across the mainland. Those magical Maui vibes, however, aren’t available anywhere else.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz dark rum, Kuleana preferred
• 3/4 oz Campari
• 1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 oz demerara syrup
• Pineapple wedge

Directions

Combine liquid ingredients into a shaker. Add ice cubes and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Robert Simonson wrote the book on the martini. He’s so in love with the cocktail, in fact, he even hosts an expo dedicated exclusively to it. Although there are as many preparations for a proper martini as there are days in a year, when he makes it at home, he sticks to a very specific formula, with very specific gin—which we’re including below.

“My house martini used to feature Beefeater, but it lowered its ABV from 47 percent to 44 percent and then 40 percent,” he says. “So I switched to Hayman’s, which is still 47 percent and has a classic London dry profile. It’s also a great bargain, about $22 a bottle. I’m tired of paying $35 for gin.”

Ingredients

• 3 parts Hayman’s dry gin
• 1 part Dolin dry vermouth
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Lemon twist

Directions

In a mixing glass filled with ice cubes, combine gin and vermouth. Stir with a bartender’s spoon until well chilled—up until 1 minute. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Pinch the peel of the lemon over the drink to express oils and brush the rim of the glass, but discard the peel after doing so. Serve up.

“Bittersweet and complex, the Aperol Spritz is super easy to make at home any time,” says Philip Weltner, bar director at Madeira Park in Atlanta. “You can serve it as an aperitif before dinner or lounging by the pool.” Weltner jazzes his up by subbing the namesake ingredient with a more refined aperitivo called Cappelletti Mazzura. He also invites a half ounce of fresh orange juice to the party. But if you want to stick to the script, the original formula is impossible to forget. It’s literally as easy as one, two, three.

Ingredients

• 3 oz prosecco
• 2 oz Aperol
• 1 oz sparkling water
• Orange slice

Directions

Add prosecco and Aperol over ice into a stemmed wineglass. Top off with soda water and use an orange wheel as a garnish. Drink with a straw.

This enduring crowd-pleaser was initially concocted in 1940s Hollywood as a clever marketing campaign to peddle Smirnoff vodka, ginger beer, and copper mugs. It soon changed the fortune of all three components—particularly the first. Smirnoff was largely unknown at the time. Today it’s one of the world’s top-selling brands. “It’s super easy and delicious to make,” says Steen Bojsen-Moller, beverage director for the Los Angeles–based GVO Hospitality. “Always use a spicy ginger beer and only freshly squeezed lime juice.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz vodka, Crop preferred
• 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 oz ginger beer
• Lime wheel for garnish

Directions

Fill a Moscow-mule mug with crushed ice. Add the vodka and lime juice and the gently top off with ginger beer so as to preserve carbonation. Garnish with lime wheel or wedge along the rim.

You think the margarita is the drink of Mexico? Think again. This classic combo of tequila and grapefruit soda is actually a way more popular serve south of the border.

“The paloma is the ideal cocktail to make at home—no special bar tools needed, and it can be made with as few as three ingredients, which you probably already have on hand,” says Noe Martinez, bartender at VAGA in Encinitas, California. “Use a high-quality tequila, some lime, and your favorite grapefruit-flavored soda or fresh grapefruit juice and you’re done. Simple, light, and refreshing. Perfect for any time of day and any season of the year.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz blanco tequila
• 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 oz chilled grapefruit soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• Lime wheel for garnish

Directions

Combine tequila, lime juice, and pinch of salt to a highball glass. Fill with ice and stir. Top off with lime wheel.

“The Irish coffee is a stay-at-home staple because the ingredients are usually already there in your pantry and bar,” says Rhino Williams, bar owner at Lost Property in Palm Springs, California.

It can be a simple mix, heat, and sip, or it can be taken up a level by tempering the Irish whiskey using a bain-marie method—a water-bath method of cooking or heating food gently by surrounding it with warm water—and topping with heavy cream. The best part, no need to pay for an Uber or Lyft home. Below we’re sharing the approximate recipe used at the legendary Buena Vista cafe, which holds the world record for most Irish coffees served in a single day: 5,700. Yeah, it’s just that good.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey, Bushmills 10 preferred
• 3 1/2 oz hot coffee
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 – 2 oz heavy cream

Directions

Preheat glass or mug with hot water. Vigorously shake unsweetened heavy cream until it has the consistency of gravy. Empty hot water from the serving glass and pour in the whiskey and hot coffee. Drop in two sugar cubes and stir with a spoon until fully dissolved. Then carefully pour the heavy cream atop the drink to form a cold, frothy top layer.

“A Manhattan is one of the easiest cocktails to make at home, and for good reason,” explains Demi Natoli, beverage director at White Limozeen in Nashville. “The ingredients, which include whiskey, vermouth, and bitters, form the foundation for countless other classic drinks—making them a smart investment for any home bar. Plus, unlike fresh juices or homemade syrups that expire quickly, vermouth will last much longer if stored properly in the refrigerator. That means your money stretches further, and you’ll always have the makings of a timeless cocktail on hand.”

Bonus tip: My current favorite Manhattan variation is on serve at the aptly named Spy Bar, hidden beneath the Raffles London at the OWO. The Fig Noir here relies on a whiskey infused with the namesake dark fruit. It’s easy enough to let your favorite fruit sit in rye over several days before straining the doctored liquor into this particular cocktail recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 oz rye whiskey, WhistlePig 10 preferred
• 1 oz Carpano Antica Formula
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Maraschino cherries for garnish

Directions

Combine whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for at least 20 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Serve up with a trio of skewered maraschino cherries as garnish.

“The Margarita is already the home bartender’s ace-in-the-hole with three ingredients and endless refreshment,” says Em Sego of Voilà in Louisville, Kentucky. “But swap in a mezcal or even a smoky tequila and suddenly it’s not just a cocktail, it’s a conversation starter. The aroma alone is seductive, with rich minerality layered over herbal and citrus undertones. The taste balances agave sweetness with earthy firewood. That dry, mineral finish keeps you coming back for another sip.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz silver tequila, Ocho Plata preferred
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• Salt

Directions

Begin by chilling a rocks glass and then rubbing its rim with lime before dipping it, inverted, in a bowl of coarse salt. Then flip it back over. Combine tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and ice together in a cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled and strain into the salt-rimmed rocks glass over fresh ice.

Ever since the leading ladies of Sex and the City made it a household name, the cosmopolitan has become a superstar in its own right. It remains a colorful crowd-pleaser regardless of who you’re catering to—cocktail novices or seasoned sippers.

“For a house party, the cosmopolitan is a simple classic cocktail that everyone will love,” says Aaron Kim, head bartender at 53 in midtown Manhattan. “It’s perfectly balanced—not too sweet and not too strong—and it’s simple to make with just four ingredients. You can go for something fancy like Grand Marnier or stick with an affordable and accessible triple sec.”

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz citrus vodka, Absolut Citron or Grey Goose Le Citron preferred
• 3/4 oz Cointreau
• 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 oz cranberry juice
• Lime wedge for garnish

Directions

Combine liquid ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until extremely well chilled. Strain into an ice-cold martini glass and garnish with a lime wedge.