Food Recipe Collections & Favorites 12 Classic Cocktail Recipes Everyone Should Know Brush up on your bartending skills with these classic recipes. By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 5, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Stephen DeVries We love a fancy, complicated craft cocktail just as much as the next person. But who has all the unusual ingredients they tend to require? (What even is Yuzu?) Frankly, there's just something about unfussy, classic drinks that keeps us coming back time and again. Whether you've got company coming over or you're just craving something basic and boozy, one of these easy recipes will do the trick. We made the instructions and ingredients as pared down as possible so you can keep them in your back pocket for future entertaining endeavors. If you already have some of these committed to memory, even better. We'd bet you can mix up most of them with what's already on your bar cart (read: no egg white foam or blood orange reduction required). 01 of 12 Margarita Dana Gallagher What You Need ¾ cup tequila ½ cup fresh lime juice (from 4 to 6 limes)½ cup Triple Sec or Cointreau½ cup water How to Make a Margarita In a medium pitcher, combine tequila, fresh lime juice, Triple Sec or Cointreau, and water. If desired, rub the rims of 4 glasses with a lime slice and dip in salt to coat. Serve the margaritas in the prepared glasses over ice and garnish with the lime slices. Makes 4 drinks. Classic Margaritas 02 of 12 Negroni Brie Passano What You Need 4 ounces gin4 ounces Campari4 ounces sweet vermouth How to Make a Negroni Combine gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth in a large pitcher. Divide the mixture among 3 4-ounce glasses. Place a strip of orange peel in each. Makes 3 drinks. Negroni 03 of 12 Mint Julep Greg DuPree What You Need 1 tablespoon sugar6 mint leaves3 ounces bourbon How to Make a Mint Julep In a mint julep cup or thick glass, mix the sugar with the water until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Clap the mint leaves in your palms to release the herbs' oils, then add them to the simple syrup. Pack the glass with crushed ice and top with the bourbon. Serve garnished with mint sprigs. Makes 1 drink. Mint Julep 04 of 12 Amaretto Sour Charles Masters What You Need 1½ ounces Amaretto liqueur1 ounce simple syrup (dissolve an equal amount of sugar in water)¾ ounce fresh lemon juice How to Make an Amaretto Sour Pour Amaretto liqueur, simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry. Makes 1 drink. Classic Amaretto Sour 05 of 12 Sangria Maura McEvoy What You Need 1 bottle of red wine2 tablespoons sugar1 ounce brandy1 thinly sliced navel orange½ pint blackberries1 cup club soda How to Make Sangria Combine a bottle of red wine (we recommend Rioja or other light- or medium-bodied red wine) with sugar, and brandy in a large pitcher and stir to dissolve sugar. Add 1 thinly sliced navel orange, blackberries, and club soda. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more before serving to allow the fruit to macerate and sweeten sangria. Serve in tall glasses filled with ice. Makes 6 drinks. Red Sangria 06 of 12 Moscow Mule wmaster890 What You Need ½ ounce lime juice2 ounces vodka4 to 6 ounces ginger beer1 slice of lime How to Make a Moscow Mule Fill a Moscow mule mug with ice. Add lime juice and vodka. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with a slice of lime. Makes 1 drink. Moscow Mule 07 of 12 Old Fashioned Sarah Karnasiewicz What You Need 1 sugar cube4 dashes of Angostura bitters1 tablespoon water1¾ ounces rye whiskey How to Make an Old Fashioned Saturate a sugar cube with Angostura bitters. Place the cube in an old-fashioned glass, add water, and muddle the sugar until it dissolves. Fill the glass with ice, pour in rye whiskey, and stir. Garnish with a slice of orange. Makes 1 drink. Old Fashioned 08 of 12 Cherry Manhattan Sarah Karnasiewicz What You Need 2½ ounces bourbon or rye whiskey1 ounce sweet vermoutha dash of orange bitters1 maraschino cherry How to Make a Cherry Manhattan Combine bourbon or rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters in an ice-filled bar glass. Stir until very cold. Serve up, strained into a cocktail glass, or on the rocks, in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. Makes 1 drink. Cherry Manhattan 09 of 12 Martini Sarah Karnasiewicz What You Need 3 ounces of vodka or gin¾ ounce dry vermouth1 olive How to Make a Martini Combine vodka or gin and dry vermouth in an ice-filled bar glass. Stir until very cold. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an olive. Makes 1 drink. Martini 10 of 12 White Russian Getty Images What You Need 2 ounces vodka1 ounce Kahlúa1 ounce heavy cream How to Make a White Russian Fill a cocktail glass with ice. Pour the vodka and Kahlúa over the ice. Add heavy cream and mix. White Russian 11 of 12 Cranberry-Lemon Spritz Greg DuPree What You Need 8 frozen cranberries1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)½ tablespoon sugar¼ cup (2 oz.) vodka2 tablespoons cranberry juice cocktail½ cup club soda, chilled How to Make a Cranberry-Lemon Spritz Add cranberries, lemon juice, and sugar to a tall glass. Mash the cranberries with the end of a wooden spoon. Pour in vodka and cranberry juice. Mix, add ice, and top with club soda. Cranberry-Lemon Spritz 12 of 12 Eggnog Tom Schierlitz What You Need 2 cups heavy cream½ cup sugar¼ teaspoon nutmeg4 large eggs¾ cup brandy How to Make Eggnog Simmer the heavy cream, nutmeg, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Blend the eggs on low for 1 minute. Gradually add the hot cream mixture. Blend the mixture until it's frothy, and then about 30 seconds more. Add brandy to combine. Serve warm. Eggnog How to Incorporate Fresh Garden Herbs Into Cocktails Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit