12 Best 3-Ingredient Cocktails: Easy Recipes to Make at Home

We all know the feeling: You’re standing at the bar waiting to buy the next round, but the person in front of you has just ordered the most complicated cocktail known to man. Ten minutes and 17 ingredients later, your mates back at the table are texting to ask if you’re ok, and you’re finally able to order a pint. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In the world of cocktails, simplicity is often key.

Most of the time, three ingredients is all you need. So the next time you want to impress someone with your cocktailing skills, (or you just want to make a quiet night in feel a bit fancy), there’s no need to spend a fortune stocking your home bar with expensive alcohols, mixers and garnishes.

Many (but not all) of the most well-known, timeless cocktails are made with only three ingredients: A spirit (whisky, gin, vodka, etc.), a sweetener (simple syrup, agave), and a bitter or acid (fruit juice). If you have these three, you can easily whip up some of the most popular cocktails ever created, and it usually takes only a couple of steps to pull together a delicious classic.

3 Key Elements to The Perfect, Simple Cocktail

1. The Base Spirit

The base spirit is the most important part of the equation. Without a bourbon, tequila, gin, rum, or other spirit, the drink would be more mocktail than cocktail. It drives the primary flavour profile while providing the core alcoholic volume of the drink.

2. The Sweetener

The sweetener is key because without it, you’d just have a neat pour of your favourite spirit, and while that’s fine with us, it doesn’t qualify as a cocktail. It’s also a way to balance the flavours of the boozy spirit and the other ingredients. Popular sweeteners include simple syrup or sugar, as well as things like maple syrup, agave, and even grenadine. Some sweeteners like triple sec and sweet vermouth even add more alcohol into the equation.

3. The Acid or Bitter Balance

The third important cocktail building block is the acid or bitter. These additions complement the other flavours by balancing everything out and tempering the alcohol and sweetener. Acids include citrus juices like lime or lemon juice. Bitters, as the name suggests, include Angostura, Peychaud’s, or other bitters as well as bitter liqueurs like Campari, Aperol, and various amaro.

There are countless classic cocktail recipes that use this three-ingredient format. We picked some of the best three-ingredient cocktails to take your home mixology game to the next level.

1. The Manhattan (Classic Rye Whiskey Cocktail)

In the pantheon of classic cocktails, there are few more well-known than the Manhattan. This iconic drink’s history is shrouded in mystery, with multiple purported origin stories. The most widely accepted one is that the drink consisting of whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters was first created in the late 1800s by a man named Dr. Iain Marshall at the Manhattan Club, during a dinner hosted by Winston Churchill’s mother.

This theory is disputed by many, but what we do know is that the drink first appeared in cocktail books in the 1880s. Regardless of when it was invented and by whom, it has remained one of the most popular cocktails of all time.

How to Make a Manhattan

Ingredients:

• 50 ml rye whiskey
• 20 ml sweet vermouth
• 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

Preparation:

1. In an ice-filled mixing glass, add rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters.
2. Stir gently to combine and chill. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
3. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

2. The Sidecar (Timeless Brandy Cocktail)

Like many classic, three-ingredient cocktails, the popular Sidecar is a Prohibition-era drink. While its first appearance in print was in 1922 (in Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails by Harry MacElhone), many believe it was invented at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, and was named after a soldier who would frequent the bar, arriving on a motorcycle sidecar.

The drink itself consists of cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. It’s known for its sweet, citrus-driven flavour profile that still remains popular to this day.

How to Make a Sidecar

Ingredients:

• 50 ml cognac (or brandy)
• 20 ml orange liqueur
• 20 ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Add cognac, orange liqueur, and freshly-squeezed lemon juice into an ice-filled shaker.
2. Shake vigorously to combine. Strain into a chilled cocktail or coupe glass.
3. Garnish with an orange twist.

3. The Boulevardier (Rich Bourbon Negroni Alternative)

The well-known cocktail was created sometime in the 1920s at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. First put in print in 1927 in renowned bartender Harry MacElhone’s book Barflies and Cocktails, it was named for US-born expatriate Erskine Gwynne’s Paris-based literary magazine, The Boulevardier. Gwynne would often visit the bar and ask for a drink featuring whiskey, Campari, and vermouth. The drink eventually became the cocktail we now know as the Boulevardier. This is a great winter drink for cocktail fans who enjoy sipping Negronis in the summer since it swaps out the gin for whiskey.

How to make a Boulevardier

Ingredients:

• 50 ml bourbon whiskey
• 30 ml Campari
• 30 ml sweet red vermouth

Preparation:

1. Add the bourbon whiskey, Campari, and sweet red vermouth to an ice-filled mixing glass.
2. Stir gently to combine and chill. Strain into an ice-filled (or one large ice cube) rocks or Old Fashioned glass.
3. Garnish with an orange twist.

4. The Gold Rush (Modern Honey Bourbon Cocktail)

Proving that modern mixology can still value brevity, the Gold Rush is a contemporary classic created in 2001 by renowned bartender Sasha Petraske at New York’s famed Milk & Honey. His friend, T.J. Siegel, often came into the bar and ordered a Whiskey Sour with bourbon, lemon, and simple syrup, on the rocks, without an egg white.

One time, however, he asked for the drink to be made with honey syrup instead of simple syrup. The result was a new, sweeter take on the Whiskey Sour, featuring bourbon, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and honey syrup.

How to make a Gold Rush

Ingredients:

• 60 ml bourbon whiskey
• 22.5 ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 22.5 ml honey syrup

Preparation:

1. In an ice-filled shaker, add the bourbon, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and honey syrup.
2. Shake vigorously to combine. Strain into a chilled rocks or Old Fashioned glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon twist.

5. The Dirty Martini (Savoury Gin Classic)

Cocktails don’t get much more classic and simpler than the Martini. Not to be confused with the Vodka Martini, the traditional Dirty Martini is made with gin, dry vermouth, and olive brine – one of the few entries on this list without a sweetener. This “dirty” version of the classic Martini was first created in 1901 at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

This is where bartender John E. O’Connor muddled some olives and added olive brine to a traditional Martini. The salty, savoury, boozy finished product ended up cloudy, hazy, and very “dirty”. The name stuck, is today the drink remains a timeless, incredibly easy staple to whip up at home.

How to Make a Dirty Martini

Ingredients:

• 60 ml London dry gin
• 15 ml dry vermouth
• 15 ml olive brine

Preparation:

1. Add London dry gin, dry vermouth, and olive brine to an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
2. Shake vigorously to combine. Strain into a chilled Martini glass.
3. Garnish with an olive.

6. The Old Fashioned (The Ultimate Bourbon Standard)

In the pantheon of classic, three-ingredient cocktails, none gets more love than the timeless Old Fashioned. Made with bourbon (or rye whiskey), sugar (or simple syrup), and Angostura bitters, this is a favourite among bartenders and drinkers worldwide. Its history is murky, but many believe the first official Old Fashioned was created by bourbon pioneer and distiller James E. Pepper at Louisville, Kentucky’s Pendennis Club in the late 1800s.

How to Make an Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 60 ml bourbon whiskey
• 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 10 ml simple syrup

Preparation:

1. Add the whiskey, Angostura bitters, and simple syrup to an ice-filled mixing glass.
2. Stir gently to combine and chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail or Old Fashioned glass.
3. Garnish with an orange twist.

7. The Margarita (Essential Tequila & Lime Cocktail)

There are multiple stories claiming to be the invention of the Margarita. It’s believed to have likely been invented in the 1930s or 40s. A bartender named Carlos Herrera claimed to have created the drink for a showgirl at a bar called Rancho La Gloria in Tijuana in 1938. The first printed recipe was in an issue of Esquire Magazine in 1953. Regardless of when it was invented, this tequila-based cocktail has remained popular for decades.

How to Make a Margarita

Ingredients:

• 60 ml blanco tequila
• 30 ml triple sec
• 30 ml freshly squeezed lime juice

Preparation:

1. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a Margarita or rocks glass. Dip it in coarse salt. Set it aside.
2. In an ice-filled shaker, add the tequila, triple sec, and freshly squeezed lime juice. Shake vigorously to combine.
3. Strain into the Margarita or rocks glass you prepared earlier.

8. The Negroni (Equal-Parts Italian Aperitivo)

When it comes to three-ingredient cocktails, there are very few more flavourful than the classic Negroni. Made with gin, Campari, and sweet red vermouth, this drink had its genesis more than 100 years ago in Florence, Italy. The origin of the Negroni is somewhat contested. As the story goes, the year was 1919, and a bartender named Forsco Scarselli created the drink at Florence’s Cadde Casoni for a man aptly named Count Camillo Negroni, who wanted a take on the classic Americano made with gin instead of the usual soda water. The quick-thinking mixologist threw the components together and the rest, as they say, is history.

Famous for its strong cherry, wine and citrus taste, the Negroni is certainly not for everyone. It’s a polarising pour – those who like it tend to love it, while others find the bitter edge an acquired taste. Importantly, as the Negroni is made entirely of liquor, it is not a weak drink, however, it is not as strong as an Old Fashioned. It’s closer in strength to a classic dry martini with a Negroni’s alcohol content to be somewhere around 24 per cent ABV (48 proof), provided you choose a standard ABV gin.

How to Make a Negroni

Ingredients

• 30ml (1 part) Campari
• 30ml (1 part) Gin
• 30ml (1 part) Sweet red Vermouth

Preparation

1. Add ice to an old fashioned or rocks glass.
2. Pour gin, Campari, and sweet red vermouth into the glass. Stir gently to combine.
3. Garnish with an orange wheel or peel.

9. The Moscow Mule (Refreshing Vodka Highball)

Even if you know nothing about a Moscow Mule, you know about the iconic copper mug it’s served in. The drink consisting of vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice was invented in Hollywood, California in 1941 and only exists because of a set of strange circumstances. A man named Jack Morgan owned a restaurant called the Cock ‘n Bull and had a ton of ginger beer and Smirnoff vodka. A bartender named Wes Price created the drink to dwindle the supply. Thus the Moscow Mule was created.

The drink itself has a sharp and refreshing flavour profile, courtesy of the ginger beer topper. This ingredient will cut through the sharpness of the vodka, and we can’t stress enough how important a good ginger beer is to this cocktail.

How to Make a Moscow Mule

Ingredients

• 45ml Vodka
• Squeeze of Fresh lime juice
• Topper of ginger beer

Preparation

1. Add ice to a copper Moscow Mule mug.
2. Pour in the vodka, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer topper.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Garnish with a lime wheel or mint.

10. The Aperol Spritz (Sparkling Summer Classic)

If you’ve paid attention to cocktail culture in the last few years, you’ve likely noticed an increase in the appeal of the Aperol Spritz. Created in Venice, Italy, in the 1920s, the Aperol Spritz is a classic, refreshing apéritif cocktail. This means that the drink, made with Aperol (a bitter Italian liqueur), soda water, and Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine), is best enjoyed before dinner to prepare your palate for the meal ahead.

“In 1912 two brothers, Silvio and Luigi, inherited their father’s liquor business. They wanted to create something that was new and light, and that drink was Aperol,” Stefano Catino, owner of Australia’s top cocktail bar Maybe Sammy Sydney told Man of Many.

“It was launched at the Padua International Fair, which was a prominent trade event at the time filled with food, travel and lifestyle exhibitions. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that the Aperol Spritz was born. As time passed, Aperol Spritz became a favourite at bars and cafes around the world, even becoming the best-selling spirit in Italy. With its unique orange colour, strong herbal notes and refined bitterness, Aperol was a hit at the fair and the rest is history.”

The Italian cocktail boasts a unique taste, which comes by way of the base spirit’s unchanged recipe. Infusing bitter and sweet oranges, rhubarb and a combination of herbs and roots, the complex profile pairs perfectly with soda or sparkling wine, but beware – Only true Italian Prosecco will do. The standard Aperol spritz is around 11 per cent alcohol content by volume. As Aperol is 11% ABV and Prosecco is 12%, the pair are almost identical in ABV and can be watered down with soda water to reduce the alcohol content if preferred.

How to Make an Aperol Spritz

Ingredients

• 60ml Prosecco
• 30ml Aperol
• Soda water topper

Preparation

1. Add ice to a wine glass.
2. Pour in the Aperol and prosecco.
3. Top with soda water.
4. Stir gently to combine.
5. Garnish with an orange wheel.

11. The Classic Daiquiri (Traditional White Rum Cocktail)

If your only exposure to a Daiquiri is the neon-coloured frozen variety, you’re missing out on the elegant simplicity of the original Cuban classic. This simple, three-ingredient cocktail is made with white rum, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice. That’s it. Named for the town of Daquiri, this drink is believed to have been invented in 1896 in Cuba by an American engineer named Jennings Cox.

For those who haven’t indulged in a daiquiri, the drink could well be unlike anything you have ever tasted before. This three-ingredient cocktail fuses sweet and tart flavours to create a balanced and highly refreshing flavour profile. The integration of the lime juice gives the daiquiri a nice added touch of acidity, which is underpinned by the sweetness of the rum. Of course, you could switch out the white rum for something darker if you want, but the secret here is getting a base spirit that is full of rich, sweet top notes.

How to Make a Daiquiri

Ingredients

• 45ml White rum
• 30ml Fresh lime juice
• 15ml Simple syrup

Preparation

1. In an ice-filled shaker, add the white rum, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice.
2. Shake vigorously to combine.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with a lime peel.

12. The Gin Rickey (Crisp Soda & Citrus Highball)

This classic highball cocktail is made simply with gin, fresh lime juice, and soda water (no sweetener for this one). It gets its name from a Democratic lobbyist named Colonel Joe Rickey. According to legend, Washington, DC’s official cocktail was created in the 1880s by a bartender named George Williamson at DC’s Shoomaker’s in honour of Rickey.

How to Make a Gin Rickey

Ingredients

• 60ml gin
• 15ml fresh lime juice
• Topper of soda water

Preparation

1. Add ice to a highball glass.
2. Pour gin and fresh lime juice into a glass.
3. Top with soda water.
4. Stir gently to combine.
5. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Common Questions About How To Make Simple Cocktails