A trimmed-down cocktail ingredient list will still yield some of the most classic and enjoyable drinks. I asked some food writer friends, all well-versed in cooking and the ways of the bar, about their simplest go-to cocktails — no more than three ingredients-ish (does garnish count? We remained agnostic on this point). 

And guess what? There wasn't a single repeat in their answers! From the Champagne-driven (Pomegranate Bellini!) to the classic (a Negroni is always a good answer) come get a dozen great drinks to add to your repertoire. 

If you've been in a cocktail rut, we're about to bust you out of it. In what just happened to be perfectly timed with The Kitchn's Cocktail Week, yesterday New York Magazine unveiled 50 cocktail recipes, one from every state (plus D.C) — all recipes gathered from a country in the throes of a cocktail renaissance They're calling this a "cocktail terroir," or as close as one can get to such a thing: original, innovative recipes often made with local spirits and homemade infusions, syrups, and ingredients. If you get tired of one drink, there are 49 others to try. 

In cooking and baking, I refer to certain dishes as "bridge recipes." You know the ones: food that gives you a peek into the new season without fully committing to the produce or the feeling of the days ahead. Right now, an asparagus tart would be considered a bridge recipe for brunch. If you're in California (sigh), strawberry shortcakes are your early peek into spring. But there are bridge cocktails, too — drinks that give you a glimpse into longer, warmer days even though we're not quite there yet. This is one such drink. 

Even though you can ask your guests to bring alcohol, I always feel a little lame asking folks to contribute, especially when I can throw a great feast on my own. Alcohol can be a large expense, so if you're looking to cut costs and spend your dough on the food, try this simple formula for a refreshing dinner party sipper. 

Do you have a favorite bargain spirit? Something with a lower than average price tag that delivers great value every time?

We recently posed this question to 7 cocktails and spirits professionals — writers and bloggers, a spirits sommelier, and a store buyer — and found their responses fascinating. Here are 7 of their top picks: More

We're always looking for new ways to use a whole head of fennel, and particularly the fronds. There are only so many dishes one can garnish with the delicate, anise-scented herb, so now we're turning to drinks… 

Amarone is a special style of red wine produced in — and only in — the Valpolicello area of the Veneto in northeastern Italy. Do you know how Amarone is made? And how it differs from regular red wines?

I was traveling last week for a conference and met up with some old friends for drinks. Most of us ordered interesting-sounding house cocktails (Lavender + Pisco!) but one friend ordered vodka and seltzer water. The crowd pounced: Vodka?! Who drinks vodka anymore?

For serious mixologists and cocktail kings and queens, Cocktail Kingdom is the dream. From high end Japanese barware to exotic and unusual bitters, this New York store (which also has an online shop) offers an impressive selection of beautiful, functional, and high-quality bartending tools and supplies. The store also carries its own line of tools and ingredients, designed by founders Don Lee and Greg Boehm:

The art of the 3-ingredient cocktail is perhaps the best way for a budding home mixologist to get into the act. We love our complicated cocktails, infused and smoked and shaken within an inch of their icy little lives, but we leave them to the bar experts; the simplest drinks are the best ones to make with a limited home liquor cabinet, especially on a casual Friday night at home. These simple drinks include such classics as the Liberté Cocktail (Lillet Blanc, gin, and orange bitters), and the Gold Rush (bourbon, lemon, and honey). What about you? What's your favorite 3-ingredient tipple?