Mixology Made Easy: 10 Beginner Friendly Cocktail Recipes

Welcome to the world of home bartending! Now that your home bar is fully equipped, it's time to shake things up. We're dishing out some beginner-friendly cocktail recipes that are as easy to make as they are delicious. Gather your friends, roll up your sleeves, and let's get mixing!

Margarita

• 7 parts tequila

• 4 parts Cointreau

• 3 parts fresh lime juice

• Lime wedge & salt

Here's how to craft your perfect Margarita: Load your cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in the tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. Seal the shaker tightly and shake vigorously for around 30 seconds until the mixture chills. On a plate, sprinkle salt, then glide a lime slice around your glass rim and dip it into the salt. Pour the contents from the shaker into your salt-rimmed glass, and voila! Sip and savor your refreshing creation.

Bloody Mary

• 3 parts vodka

• 6 parts tomato juice

• 1 part lemon juice

• Dash of Tabasco/Worcestershire sauce

• Celery Stalk
  

Here's how to whip up a Bloody Mary: In your shaker, toss in some ice along with vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, and other ingredients, excluding the celery. Shake vigorously, then strain the mixture into a glass. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, sauce, or lemon juice to your liking. Feeling fancy? Rim your glass with salt as mentioned earlier. Finally, garnish with a celery stalk and bid farewell to that hangover!

Martini

• 4 parts gin

• 1 part dry vermouth

• Dash of bitters

• Olive

To shake or to stir? Here's how to make the perfect Martini: The eternal martini debate we've explored before, and the verdict is clear: a gin martini should be stirred, not shaken. So stash away your shaker and grab a mixing glass and bar spoon. Pour the gin and vermouth over ice in the mixing glass and stir gently for about 30 seconds. Once mixed, strain the liquid into a glass, add a dash of bitters, then garnish with one or three olives on a cocktail stick, and you're all set!

Old Fashioned

• Double shot of bourbon/rye whisky

• Sugar cube

• Dash of bitters

• Orange slice

Here's how to craft a perfect Old Fashioned: To start, mix the sugar and bitters by placing a sugar cube in a glass and adding a few drops of bitters along with a small dash of whisky. Gently crush the sugar with the end of a spoon to meld the flavors. Half-fill the glass with ice cubes, then give a squeeze of orange peel over the glass to release its oils before dropping it in. Pour in the whisky, and stir gently about a dozen times to blend everything together.

Manhattan

• 5 parts rye whisky

• 2 parts sweet vermouth

• Dash of bitters

• Maraschino cherry

Here's how to craft a classic Manhattan: Pour your whisky, vermouth, and bitters into a mixing glass with a few ice cubes, then stir gently and strain into a glass. Finally, drop in a maraschino cherry with its stem still attached as the final touch.

Whisky Sour

• 3 parts whisky

• 2 parts fresh lemon juice

• 1 part sugar syrup

• Dash of egg white (optional)

• Maraschino cherry, orange slice

Here's how to craft a delightful Whisky Sour: Combine whisky, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and egg white in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a glass filled with ice, garnish with a cherry and an orange slice. If egg white isn't your thing, swap it for pineapple juice for a frothy texture.

Cosmopolitan

• 8 parts vodka

• 3 parts Cointreau

• 6 parts cranberry juice

• 3 parts fresh lime juice

• Orange peel

Here's how to concoct a refreshing Cosmopolitan: Fill your shaker with ice, add all liquid ingredients, and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass. Squeeze the orange peel over the glass, then drape the peel twist over the side as a garnish.

Daiquiri

• 9 parts light rum

• 5 parts fresh lime juice

• 3 parts sugar syrup

• Lime slice

Here's how to whip up a classic Daiquiri: You might know this primarily as a frozen cocktail, but you can make a delicious non-frozen version too. First, chill your drinking glass by filling it with crushed ice while you prepare everything else. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Discard the crushed ice, then strain the contents of the shaker into your now-chilled drinking glass. Add a lime slice to garnish.

G&T

• 1 part gin

• 2 parts tonic water

• Lime wedge

Here's how to make a refreshing G&T: Take a tall glass and fill it halfway with ice cubes. Pour in the gin, then rub the lime wedge around the edge of the glass and give it a little squeeze before dropping it in. Top up the glass with the tonic water. If you’re using a cucumber-infused gin like Hendrick’s, swap the lime wedge for a couple of cucumber slices for a savoury garnish option.

Tom Collins

• 3 parts gin

• 2 parts fresh lemon juice

• 1 part sugar syrup

• 4 parts club soda

• Lemon slice, maraschino cherry

Here's how to whip up a refreshing Tom Collins: Start by putting a few ice cubes into your shaker and adding the gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup. Shake vigorously for around 15 seconds to blend the flavors perfectly. Next, grab a highball glass and fill it with ice cubes to keep your drink cool. Strain the liquid from the shaker into the glass, then top it up with the club soda for that delightful fizz. For a finishing touch, garnish with either the lemon slice, or the maraschino cherry, or if you’re feeling adventurous, why not use both?

Impress with these 10 beginner friendly cocktail recipes!

Ready to impress your guests with your newfound bartending skills? Try out these recipes and let the good times flow! Cheers to your mixology journey!

Now, why not put your skills to the test? Hire us for your next event and see how many variations of these classic cocktails we can make! Contact us today!