88 Delicious Cocktail Recipes to Make at Home

updated Aug 19, 2023

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a painkiller cocktail with fruit on marble with a blue marble background — Credit: Photo: Lucy Schaeffer; Food Styling: Nicole Rufus
Painkiller Cocktail

We always talk about how easy it is to get stuck in a rut in the kitchen, but the same applies to beverages as well. It’s easy to get in the habit of making the same cocktails at home again and again. Consider this your friendly reminder that there’s such a variety of cocktails and mixed drinks out there to explore. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and we hope it inspires you to switch it up a little bit in the drink department.

In This Article

Vodka Cocktails
Rum Cocktails
Whiskey Cocktails
Tequila Cocktails
Wine Cocktails
Apéritif Cocktails
Cream-Based Cocktails
Other Great Cocktails
Non-Alcoholic Cocktails

Vodka Cocktails

Vodka is arguably the most versatile spirit. Whether you prefer your drink savory or sweet, we’ve got something in this lineup for you.

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This sweet and savory cocktail is mixed up in the blender and the mixture that gets strained out makes for an awesome salsa you can serve with the drink.

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Blackberry and Cucumber Mule

Fizzy ginger beer gives this refreshing cocktail its fiery bite.

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Tomato Water Bloody Mary

This lighter, fresher version of a bloody Mary could be your new favorite.

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The Best Classic Martini

Regardless of it you prefer it with vodka or gin, it doesn't get any more timeless than a martini.

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This classic cocktail is made with grapefruit juice and vodka is fresh and vibrant.

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This is how Canada does a Bloody Mary, featuring the briny magic of Clamato juice.

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The Best Moscow Mules

This vodka-spiked ginger beer and lime cocktail is just the right balance of spicy, sweet, and refreshing.

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Sparkling Peach Sunrise

A splash of peach shrub is just the things that gives this brunch cocktail a pop of flavor.

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Sauerkraut Martini

It might sound weird, but trust us.

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Blueberry Lavender Vodka Spritzer

When blueberries are in season, you can do no better than this spritzer.

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Kiwi Vodka Tonic

Vodka tonics get a fruit upgrade with the help of kiwi.

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The only way to make this favorite cocktail better is to turn it into a slushy.

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Rhubarb Basil Cocktail

If you don't have fresh basil on hand, mint would be equally great here.

Rum Cocktails

Rum drinks are often reminiscent of a tropical setting, but can be great for a good Old Fashioned too.

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A classic daiquiri — rum, lime juice, and simple syrup served straight up — is so much better than the frozen kind.

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Painkiller Cocktail

Dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut come together in this tiki classic.

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Capri Sun Punch Cocktail

This boozy slushy is made right in the Capri-Sun pouch for the easiest cocktail ever.

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Frozen Pineapple, Banana & Coconut Daiquiri

Consider this fruity frozen cocktail the perfect excuse to use up that last ripe banana.

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The Hemingway Daiquiri

Unlike daiquiris that suffer from excess, cloying sweetness, this timeless one finishes nice and dry.

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You can't talk about rum without talking about mojitos. Here is how to make the very best one.

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The Hint of Spring

Don't wait until spring to enjoy this blackberry, sage, and rum cocktail — it's perfect any time of year.

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Gramps' Rum Old Fashioned

This is how Miami makes an Old Fashioned. (They use rum.)

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The Beachcomber Cocktail

This tiki drink is sweet and citrusy, thanks to maraschino liqueur, orange liqueur, and lime juice.

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Budget Pitcher Sangria

This easy, affordable recipe for red wine sangria includes ingredients all sourced from Costco.

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Puerto Rican Coconut Rum Punch (Coquito)

Coquito is Puerto Rican coconutty eggnog, which is just as frothy and rich, but made with coconut cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and rum.

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The XYZ Cocktail

This three-ingredient cocktail is as simple as it gets — and you probably already have what you need on hand.

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Strawberry Mojito Pitcher

This refreshing pitcher of strawberry mojitos is the perfect answer for a hot day.

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The Blueberry Rum Smash

If you can't get ahold of fresh blueberries, frozen berries that have been thawed work just as well.

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Campari Mojito for One

Adding a splash of Campari to your mojito lends bitter complexity that can't be beat.

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White Wine, Rum & Apple Cider Pitcher Cocktail

A box of white wine is the secret to this dangerously drinkable rum punch.

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Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Recipe

A frozen strawberry daiquiri is a great way to enjoy strawberries at their sweetest — not to mention, it's a perfect way to cool down this summer.

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Hot Brown-Buttered Rum Cocktail

Butter in your cocktail might seem odd, but on a cold night this cozy drink is just perfect.

Whiskey Cocktails

From Satan’s Whiskers to Expat Killer we’ve got our got our whiskey-lovers out there covered.

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Bluebird Cocktail

Made with blueberries, mint, lime juice, Miranda Lambert's bourbon bluebird is ultra refreshing.

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Classic Old-Fashioned Cocktail

As cocktail recipes pop up and disappear by the season, the Old Fashioned remains. It represents everything a well-crafted cocktail should be: balanced.

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A whiskey sour is yours for the making year-round. It’s refreshing enough to keep up with a spritz during the warm summer months, and so appropriate during the colder seasons of the year.

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The Blinker Cocktail

Meet the Blinker, a cocktail dating back to the 1930s calling for a mix of rye, grapefruit, and grenadine. Three ingredients and some ice and you’ll be sipping this vibrant, sophisticated drink in no time.

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Sparkling Sweet Tea Cocktail

This sparkling sweet tea is a grown-up take on the Southern classic, combining sweet tea, whiskey, and club soda. It's the perfect drink to sit outside and enjoy with friends.

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The Ward Eight came into being sometime around the turn of the 20th century and riffs on a Whiskey Sour with the inclusion of a special, somewhat mysterious ingredient: grenadine.

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The Brooklyn Cocktail

Like a Manhattan, the Brooklyn is a whiskey-based drink — preferably made with spicier rye whiskey. However, unlike a Manhattan, the Brooklyn calls for dry vermouth and maraschino liqueur.

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The Summer Sage

With the cocktail renaissance of the past decade, rye whiskey has come back in a big way. Paired with red plums and sage, it makes for a lovely little cocktail that looks like pink lemonade but packs a real punch.

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As its name implies, the Expat Killer means business. A riff on the classic Expat, it has a robust, malty jab softened slightly with lime and ice. Here, blended scotch stands in for bourbon and chocolate bitters lend a hint of the tropics.

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The Ultimate Dessert Manhattan

This recipe is a riff on the Manhattan with a few notable swaps. The effect is a Manhattan that’s the ultimate dessert companion. We suggest a slice of Kentucky bourbon and walnut pie.

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The Satan's Whiskers Cocktail

Satan's Whiskers is a “perfect” drink, meaning that it contains equals parts of sweet and dry vermouth. It's a rounded, layered exploration of the citrus fruit in all its bitter-juicy-sweet complexity.

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Penicillin Cocktail

Honey-ginger syrup and smoky Islay scotch make this modern classic cocktail cozy, even over ice.

Tequila Cocktails

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite tequila drinks, including some twists on the classic margarita.

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Spicy Margarita

Introducing jalapeños to the mix is the simplest, easiest way to add some zing to a classic margarita.

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Watermelon Margarita

An easy 3-ingredient recipe for fresh watermelon margaritas.

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This bright, bubbly cocktail will quench your thirst all summer long.

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2-Ingredient Frozen Italian Ice Margaritas

These dead-simple frozen drinks rely on nothing but tequila and your favorite flavor of Italian ice.

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Blood Orange-Jalapeno Margaritas

A refreshing riff on the basic margarita, this drink incorporates tequila that’s first been infused briefly with fresh jalapeño slices, as well as blood orange juice.

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Paloma Cocktail

Rosey-hued and bittersweet, this grapefruit and tequila highball gets a fizzy finish with a splash of grapefruit soda.

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The Palermo Cocktail

This cocktail is a like a Paloma with a Sicilian twist: blood orange.

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Pure Mexican Margarita

This is as pure a margarita as you can make, with agave in the spotlight: tequila from agave and the sweetener from agave.

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Tequila Hot Toddy

When the temperature dips, there’s nothing like a hot toddy to lift your spirits and warm your insides.

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Ginger Blackberry Smash

The combination of blackberries and crystallized ginger is fabulous in this tequila drink.

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Spicy Pineapple Punch

An easy recipe for 3-ingredient tequila punch with pineapple juice and muddle jalapeños.

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Spiced Pear Margarita

This margarita includes pear brandy and spiced simple syrup for a twist on a classic.

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Cranberry Pitcher Margaritas

A quick four-ingredient recipe for pitcher margaritas flavored with cranberry juice, perfect for the Thanksgiving season.

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Strawberry Basil Margaritas

Believe us the pitcher will run out quickly with these easy and delicious strawberry basil margaritas.

Wine Cocktails

There’s something so simple yet sophisticated about the way wine cocktails enlightens your spirits

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Tinto de Verano

Loosely translating to "red wine of summer", this low-ABV cocktail is endlessly customizable and easy to make.

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A fresh and floral Italian cocktail featuring elderflower syrup, prosecco, and soda water.

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Peach Thyme Bellini

A sparkly, fruit cocktail featuring prosecco, homemade peach purée, lemon juice, and fresh thyme.

Apéritif Cocktails

Apéritif drinks come in many forms and they all taste phenomenal!

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Paper Plane Cocktail

This modern classic is a balanced, refreshing combination of bourbon, Aperol, amaro, and lemon juice.

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Sparkling Spritz Punch

A bubbly, sweet, and slightly bitter cocktail is a twist on the classic Aperol spritz.

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Negroni Sbagliato

This classic Italian cocktail is a bubbly twist on a traditional negroni.

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A simple combination of sparkling wine with a splash of Aperol (a bitter liquor) and club soda, usually garnished with an orange.

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Honeymoon Spritz

This effervescent sipper, a nod to European vacations, is a relative of the Spritz. It's made with a rosé syrup, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and a splash of Aperol.

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Blood Orange French 75

This twist on the classic French 75 is refreshing and lighly fizzy with a hist of sweetness.

Cream-Based Cocktails

These rich and creamy cocktails taste like dessert.

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Brandy Alexander

Intensely dark crème de cacao and the smoky flavor of brandy make this cocktail great for the holidays.

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Chocolate Martini

This ultra-chocolatey martini is what dessert cocktail dreams are made of.

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A pretty pink cocktail that tastes like chocolate and almonds? Yes, please!

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This rich and creamy cocktail is made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream.

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Peppermint Martini

This highly festive cocktail is extra creamy and minty, and will get anyone into the holiday spirit.

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This is the dessert-lover's dream drink.

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Homemade Eggnog

Here's how to make delicious, creamy homemade eggnog with just eggs, sugar, milk, and cream; booze is optional.

Other Great Cocktails

Think outside the box with these cocktails that feature pisco, applejack, mezcal, and more.

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Pisco Sour Cocktail (Peruvian)

The classic Peruvian cocktail made with pisco, lime juice, and egg white.

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Bee Sting Cocktail

A spicy twist on the classic gin cocktail, made with honey, fresh lemons, and Jalapeño peppers.

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Autumn Sweater Cocktail

Made with applejack, maple syrup, and Angostura bitters, this fall-inspired cocktail is a seasonal twist on an old-fashioned.

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Hibiscus Mezcal Pitcher Cocktail

When the tart, sweet flavor of hibiscus combines with the smokiness of mezcal, you get one irresistible cocktail.

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Shortcut Bloody Mary Beer Cocktails

Consider this refreshing riff on the Mexican cocktail, a fizzy beer-laden alternative to a Bloody Mary, made with a pint of medium-spicy tomato salsa and beefed up in flavor with steak sauce.

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Fizzy Citrus & Beer Pitcher Cocktail

A better-than-Champagne cocktail with lambic beer and dry cider.

Non-Alcoholic Cocktails

The best thing about non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails) is that everyone (including kids and non-drinkers) can partake in the fun.

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Non-Alcoholic Sangria

Our favorite thing about sangria, the Spanish punch, isn’t actually the wine or spirits; it’s the luscious assortment of fruit that gets ladled into each glass. This is our non-alcoholic version of the classic drink.

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English Garden Cocktail

This simple, fruit-forward refresher is basically a non-alcohoilic version of a Pimm's cup.

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Sparkling Raspberry Ginger Beer

This drink is so much more than whiskey — it’s fruity, gingery, and, most importantly, bubbly. It's a hit amongst bourbon-lovers and non-bourbon-lovers alike.

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Elderberry Shrub

It took us awhile to finally get around to making a shrub of our own but now that we’ve started, it will be hard to stop! This elderberry version is addictively good and stunning in color and flavor.

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Shrub-A-Dub-Dub (Sparkling Fruit Shrub)

Making a shrub is an at-home practice of sustainability, because it allows you to preserve the freshness of the season with whatever fruits and veggies you have around. It’s also a fun, inventive way to introduce a crisp bite to your glass without relying on citrus.

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The julep is a simple drink, and so is this version. Rather than bourbon, the base is a very strong, steeped black mint tea. It's sweetened with a citrus-y simple syrup, and bourbon smoked sugar for smokiness.

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Mock Mojito Spritz

This mock mojitos are celebratory enough for everyone to want in on the party. Keep them alcohol-free so everyone can get in on the fun.

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Mors is a tart, berry-based refresher that has a heck of a pedigree — it was first mentioned in the sixteenth-century Russian homemaking manual “Domostroy.”

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The Bright & Bitter

This drink is a bracing blend of fresh juices — lime, lemon, orange, and cranberry — hence the bright of the title and non-alcoholic bitter.

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