37 Easy Cocktails to Make as Soon as It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere
Most of the time, we’ll leave elaborate cocktails to the professionals. At home we usually want easy cocktails that don’t call for too many ingredients or complicated tricks. That means the best versions of standards like margaritas and spritzes, but also simple concoctions that you make right in a soda can—and low-effort batchable drinks for backyard hangs with friends. Below you’ll find all of our go-to easy cocktail recipes, including gin cocktails, the best tequila drinks, and a few easy-sippers made with sherry and vermouth. You’re sure to find your new signature drink on the list.
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Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo1/37The Most Refreshing Gin and Tonic
Easy cocktails don't get much easier than two ingredients poured right in the glass, but if you know you're making G&Ts in advance, there's one pro move. Chill your tonic—and your gin—so that everything in the glass is nice and cold before you start. That's the secret to a simple gin and tonic that stays fizzy longer.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert3/37The Classic Margarita
Three ingredients and some salt is all you need for a great rendition of this classic tequila cocktail. It's worth buying good tequila for this—and definitely using fresh lime juice. Add a lime wedge if you like. While we'd recommend getting a cocktail shaker if you make margaritas often, you can also shake these in a big mason jar.
Photo by Kristin Teig4/37Sherry and Vermouth
Some of the best cocktails are the truly simple ones. All you need for this aperitif is nutty amontillado sherry and fruity white vermouth (such as Dolin blanc.) And ice—a big cube is nice, but not strictly required.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell6/37Dry Martini
This version of the martini is pretty dry, with a half-ounce of vermouth in the mix. Be sure to stir the combination in a mixing glass or pint glass with lots of ice until the glass is cool to the touch—it's essential for making sure your drink is chilly and adequately diluted. But really, you should dial in this classic cocktail to your own taste—here are a few elements to take into consideration as you enter your martini journey.
Photo by Lizzie Munro7/37Martini-on-the-Rocks
What's even easier than a classic martini? A martini that's combined in the glass with ice. No muss, no fuss. Is it the lazy version of the drink? Maybe. But it's nice, especially on a warm evening.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt10/37Spiked Ginger-Lemonade Soda Can Cocktail
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton11/37Old-Fashioned
All you're doing here is pairing a spirit with sugar, bitters, and water. Done. We like this with rye whiskey, but you can also play around with your base spirit and sweetener, as we describe in this story about riffing on classic cocktails. We also love this spiced apple variation for cooler months.
Photo by Shutterstock13/37Boulevardier
If you like Negronis but prefer whiskey over gin, meet your new favorite easy cocktail: the Boulevardier. This version, as made by Portland bar pro Jeffrey Morgenthaler, starts with a long pour of bourbon.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova15/37Applejack Sour
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton16/37Bittersweet Symphony (Gin and Aperol Cocktail)
This delicious cocktail is related to the Negroni, but it uses soft, orangey Aperol instead of Campari. If you happen to have a bottle of Punt e Mes on hand (or want to spike a bit of your regular sweet vermouth with a little something extra-bitter, like Fernet), this is a wonderful cocktail to have in your arsenal.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton17/37Oaxaca Old Fashioned
Tequila and mezcal aren't just for margaritas and palomas. Here, they serve as the base for one of our favorite easy cocktails: a simple riff on the Old Fashioned. If you want to get fancy, wave the orange twist over a lit match for a few seconds, and squeeze to express the aromatic oils over the drink before adding the twist to the glass. Or skip all that show and just start drinking.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh, Food Styling by Ali Nardi, Prop Styling by Martin Bourne18/37Daiquiri
A perfectly balanced daiquiri is one of the great rum cocktails, and a truly beautiful drink. Just shake white rum with fresh lime juice and simple syrup until very, very cold.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton. Glassware by Riedel.19/37Little Italy
This Manhattan variation from Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club in NYC starts with rye and vermouth, then adds bittersweet Cynar to appealing effect.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson20/37Slippery When Wet
This isn't a smoothie, but there is a spoonful of tangy Greek yogurt in this easy strawberry cocktail. The yogurt adds just a touch of creaminess to the gin drink.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt22/37Salty Paloma Soda Can Cocktail
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich23/37Paper Plane
Every time we see a Paper Plane on a bar menu, we order it. But this delicious concoction is beyond easy to make at home: it's just equal parts amaro, Aperol, bourbon, and lemon. Nonino, which is quite citrusy, is ideal for the amaro, but if you don't have it, feel free to play around with something else.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton24/37Amaretto Sour Slushy
Bring back the amaretto sour—in slushy form—and stay cool all summer. This is a great make-ahead drink for a barbecue, because it needs to chill in the freezer for awhile before it heads to the blender.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt27/37Cherry-Bourbon Soda Can Cocktail
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott29/37Aperol-Kombucha Cocktail
Skip opening a bottle of Prosecco; just add tart kombucha to this spritz instead. Looking for more spritz ideas? We love this apricot version and this one with Cynar and cranberry juice.
Photo by Nicole Franzen33/37Django Reinhardt
This low-ABV concoction combines fresh lemon juice and vermouth; serve this simple cocktail at your next outdoor brunch instead of mimosas or a Bloody Mary bar.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich34/37Ginger Spritz
Photo by Colin Price36/37White Russian
If this creamy cocktail is back, we're not mad about it. While we're at it, we'll take a piña colada, too.
