Classic Cocktail Recipes: Easy Drinks To Make At Home
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Classic cocktails have lasted for a reason. They use a handful of ingredients, they're easy to remember, and once you've mastered them you can make a great drink for friends without a recipe book in sight.
Below are nine of the best-loved classics, with simple measures and a few tips for getting them right. Please drink responsibly. Some links go to other shops and we may earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
If you only learn one cocktail, make it this one. The Old Fashioned is little more than whisky, sugar, bitters and ice, which is exactly why it's so good: there's nowhere for a bad ingredient to hide.
To make one, put a sugar cube (or a teaspoon of sugar syrup) in a short glass with two or three dashes of Angostura bitters and a splash of water. Stir until the sugar dissolves, add a large ice cube, then pour in 50ml of bourbon or rye. Stir for thirty seconds, twist a strip of orange peel over the top to release the oils, and drop it in.
A heavy, thick-based tumbler makes all the difference here. It keeps the drink cold, feels good in the hand and gives the Old Fashioned the weight it deserves.
Few drinks carry as much glamour as a Martini. At its heart it's gin and dry vermouth, and the fun lies in finding your own balance. A classic dry Martini uses around 60ml of gin to 10ml of vermouth.
Fill a mixing glass with ice, add the gin and vermouth, and stir (don't shake, whatever James Bond says) for about thirty seconds until the outside of the glass is frosty. Strain into a chilled Martini glass and finish with a twist of lemon or a green olive.
Chill your glasses in the freezer for ten minutes before you start. A cold glass keeps the drink crisp to the last sip.
Forget the slushy, sugary versions from holiday bars. A proper Daiquiri is a short, sharp, beautifully balanced drink of white rum, fresh lime and sugar.
Shake 50ml of white rum, 25ml of fresh lime juice and 15ml of sugar syrup hard with ice for around fifteen seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Taste it and adjust: a little more syrup if it's too sharp, a little more lime if it's too sweet.
A gold-rimmed coupe turns this simple three-ingredient drink into something that feels like a celebration.
The Negroni
Bitter, sweet and boldly red, the Negroni is the easiest classic to remember: equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, usually 25ml of each.
Pour all three over ice in a short glass, stir well and garnish with a slice of orange. It's a perfect drink before dinner, and if you find it too bitter at first, try swapping the gin for prosecco to make a lighter Negroni Sbagliato.
The Margarita
The Margarita is the life of any party. You'll need 50ml of tequila (blanco is best), 25ml of triple sec or Cointreau and 25ml of fresh lime juice.
Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in salt. Shake the tequila, triple sec and lime with ice, then strain over fresh ice. For a frozen version, blend everything with a handful of ice instead.
The Mojito
Fresh, minty and made for summer evenings, the Mojito comes from Cuba and is surprisingly easy to make at home.
Gently press a handful of mint leaves with two teaspoons of sugar and the juice of half a lime in a tall glass. Don't crush the mint to a pulp; you just want to release the oils. Add 50ml of white rum, fill with crushed ice, top with soda water and stir from the bottom up. Finish with a sprig of mint.
The Espresso Martini
Not a true Martini, but one of the most popular cocktails in the UK. It's a pick-me-up and a nightcap in one glass.
Shake 50ml of vodka, 25ml of coffee liqueur and 25ml of freshly made, cooled espresso very hard with ice. The hard shake is what creates the creamy foam on top. Strain into a chilled glass and float three coffee beans on the foam.
The French 75
Named after a First World War field gun, the French 75 packs a sparkling punch. It's ideal for Christmas, New Year or any toast.
Shake 25ml of gin, 15ml of lemon juice and 10ml of sugar syrup with ice, strain into a flute or coupe, and top with chilled champagne or prosecco. Add a lemon twist for a touch of elegance.
The Whisky Sour
Smooth, tangy and silky, the Whisky Sour wins over people who think they don't like whisky.
Shake 50ml of bourbon, 25ml of lemon juice, 15ml of sugar syrup and an egg white (or aquafaba, the water from a tin of chickpeas, for a vegan version) without ice first. This is called a 'dry shake' and helps the foam. Then add ice, shake again and strain into a short glass over ice. A few drops of bitters on top look and smell great.
You don't need a huge collection to make all of the drinks above. A bottle each of gin, white rum, bourbon, vodka and tequila, plus dry and sweet vermouth, Campari, triple sec and Angostura bitters, will cover almost every classic.
Add a shaker, a jigger for measuring, a long spoon and a strainer, and you're set. A dedicated drinks cabinet keeps everything together and turns your bottles into a feature of the room.
If you're hosting a crowd and don't want to spend the whole night shaking, an automatic cocktail machine can mix drinks at the touch of a button. It's a fun talking point at parties and a great gift for someone who loves entertaining.
Key things to remember
Always use fresh citrus juice, not bottled.
Make sugar syrup by dissolving equal parts sugar and hot water, then cool it.
Use plenty of ice: more ice means a colder drink that dilutes more slowly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest classic cocktail to make?
The Negroni: equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, stirred over ice.
What are the most popular classic cocktails?
The Old Fashioned, Martini, Margarita, Mojito, Negroni, Daiquiri and Espresso Martini.
What spirits do I need for a home bar?
Gin, white rum, bourbon, vodka and tequila, plus vermouth, Campari, triple sec and bitters, will cover most classics.
Should a cocktail be shaken or stirred?
Shake drinks with citrus, juice or egg white. Stir drinks made only of spirits, like a Martini, Negroni or Old Fashioned.
