Excellent Mixed Drinks That Are Easy For Anyone To Prepare
Are you looking to enjoy cheap cocktails at home? You can easily make delicious drinks without spending a fortune!
Making cocktails at home doesn’t have to be expensive. There are numerous simple, straightforward bartending methods like stirring drinks on the rocks, shaking martinis with a Mason jar, or muddling using a wooden spoon - all of which don’t require any special equipment.
One thing the pros know is how to use ice effectively. You need to fill your ice trays regularly and use the purest water. This will enhance the flavor of each cocktail and elevate its taste.
Making cheap yet tasty cocktails at home is a game changer. Imagine how proud you will feel showing off your newfound bartending skills while sipping on delicious drinks with your friends.
So let’s get mixing and concocting! Look through our list of the best cheap cocktails at home and pick one or two. We organized the list by spirit type. With great-tasting, budget-friendly cocktails, every gathering will be filled with joy and laughter.
Pretty soon, you will master the art of bartending without breaking the bank!
Cheap Vodka Cocktails
Making cheap vodka cocktails at home using our recipes is an easy and cost-effective way to add a special touch to any gathering! A bottle of Tito's Vodka only costs about $20, and you can make up to 10 cocktails from it. That means each drink only costs about $2 - a fraction of what it could cost you if you purchased these drinks at a bar or restaurant.
So enjoy your delicious and affordable cocktails from the comfort of your own home! Want more variety? We created a list of the 27 Best Vodka Cocktail recipes.
Cape Codder
It doesn't matter if you know it as a vodka cranberry or the famous Cape Codder; in either case, this drink is uncomplicated and delicious. All you need is some cranberry juice and a bottle of vodka, preferably cheaper. Shake the two together and serve it as a crantini if you want something a little more elegant.
All you need to do to create a new and refreshing mixed drink is add one more juice. When you mix pineapple juice with cranberry juice and vodka, it transforms into a Hawaiian Sea Breeze. Just add orange juice, and you have a classic Madras.
Finally, if you want to make this Cape Codder even more special, add your twist. Try different combinations of juice and vodka to create something that is uniquely yours. With the right mix, you can have an original recipe to impress your friends. So go ahead, get creative.
A Black Russian
The Black Russian is a great option for those on a limited budget because it is simple to make and tastes great. To make this drink, all you have to do is mix equal parts vodka and coffee liqueur (look for lesser-known brands to save more money).
Various vodka drinks can be concocted with just a few additional ingredients. If you add cream, you'll have a white Russian; if you use Irish cream, you'll have a mudslide. Pour some club soda on top for a Smith and Wesson or cola to make a Colorado bulldog. Whiskey is required to make a sneaky Pete, whereas tequila is a great choice for a dirty bird.
Lemon Drop
A classy cocktail that's easy on the wallet can be made with vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup. A freshly made lemon drop martini is a joy to drink because of its punchy flavor. Since the syrup is composed solely of sugar and water, making it is cheap.
The lilac lemon drop martini is a great departure if you want additional flavor. Create a floral simple syrup or buy a flavored vodka to play around with fun taste combinations.
Strawberry Vodka Lemonade
What could be easier than combining vodka, lemonade, and strawberries? The simple cocktail recipe tastes good and has a lot of flexibility.
Because the mixture is excellent for any base spirit, you can use it even if you only have whiskey, gin, or tequila in the bar. Alternately, you could top it off with almost any flavored soda, switch to a different juice, or muddle almost any fruit into the mixture. Utilize your ingredients while drawing inspiration from the recipe to create an exciting new beverage.
Moscow Mule
Ginger beer is a great beverage to use as a mixer. Most people associate ginger beer with the Moscow Mule, a cocktail combining the spiced brew with vodka, a lime squeeze, and a mint sprig.
From this basic and inexpensive cocktail, you can add cider to the mixture and enjoy an apple-cinnamon mule or warm up ginger beer to make a Christmas mule appropriate for the holidays. The dark and stormy is rum's answer to the mule, the anejo highball takes that mix to an interesting new level, and the gin-gin mule is just gin, ginger beer with a bit of mint added to it.
Cheap Rum Cocktails
Creating delicious cocktails at home using rum is a great way to have fun and save money. A bottle of white rum generally costs under $20, allowing you to make up to 10 drinks with it. That translates to only a few dollars per drink, making experiencing these signature drinks much more affordable than what it would cost you if purchased at a bar or restaurant. So let your creativity flow and enjoy the delicious, simple cocktails you can craft from the comfort of your own home!
Mojito
Sometimes, a drink needs a couple of fresh herbs to perk it up. A mojito can be made with just a bottle of rum, some mint leaves, sugar, lime juice, and club soda.
Numerous alterations can be made to the classic mojito recipe. Adding other fruit in the muddling process is the simplest method. Any berry will work wonderfully, but the raspberry mojito is particularly popular. You could also go the tropical route with a mojito made with pineapple or switch it up with mango, peach, or watermelon. When your stock of rum runs out, you could switch to vodka or white wine. Whiskey transforms it into a mint julep, an equally adaptable cocktail.
Rum and Coke
One of the easiest drinks to prepare is the classic rum and Coke. We think it's best to use regular Coke, but Diet Coke will do if you want to cut calories. This tastes best with lots of ice.
The Cuba Libre has the fewest ingredients; all you need to do is add fresh lime.
Daiquiri
The Daiquiri is just as adaptable as the margarita. This recipe calls for lime juice and simple syrup, so rum will probably be the more cost-effective. You can stick with the original cocktail recipe or broaden your drinking experience by trying almost any flavor.
The strawberry daiquiri is popular; you can make it with fresh or frozen strawberries. A banana daiquiri can be made simply by placing a banana in a blender and adding other ingredients. Intriguing concoctions like the Rhubarb-Rosemary Daiquiri can be crafted by incorporating flavors derived from fruits and herbs into the syrup.
Café Caribbean
The Cafe Caribbean illustrates how straightforward it can be to turn coffee into an adult beverage. There is no need for whipped cream or shaved almonds. The standard recipe includes rum, amaretto, whipped cream, and slivered almonds.
Coffee cocktails can also be made with various other kinds of spirits. There is a delicious recipe waiting for your strongest brew, and it doesn't matter if you have brandy or whiskey; if you want to add a shot of Irish cream, honey, or nut liqueurs, go for it.
Cheap Whiskey Cocktails
Highball
A bottle of whiskey and a six-pack of ginger ale is all you need. Find a good bottle of whiskey on sale, and this cocktail will only cost you a few bucks per drink.
There are lots of well-known mixed cocktails that may be created by using various sparkling beverages and whiskey. Club soda, for instance, can be added to the highball to make the Presbyterian. The soda water is added to impart more fizz without adding sweetness.
Hot Toddy
Few beverages can compare to the satiation provided by a hot toddy on a chilly day. You'll feel toasty and cozy after a few sips of the brandy, rum, or whiskey added to the hot tea, honey, and lemon brew.
Much like other well-liked beverages, the drink has been the impetus for creating different toddy recipes. The basic recipe can be used to make various drinks, ranging from a cozy apple cider to a fragrant gin toddy.
Cheap Gin Cocktails
Gin Rickey
A straightforward gin highball that features the tangy flavor of lime, the gin rickey is a classic cocktail. Investing in a soda maker or siphon so that you don't have to purchase individual soda bottles is one way to cut costs in the bar.
If you have a well-stocked bar and some soda, you can turn the rickey into any other drinks, such as the whiskey fizz and the nonalcoholic lime rickey. Another choice is to investigate the well-known Collins family of alcoholic beverages, which includes drinks that can be prepared with gin, whiskey, vodka, or pretty much any other spirit.
Gin and Tonic
The gin and tonic cocktail is a popular choice among drinkers, and depending on your budget, you can make this classic cocktail as simple or complex as you like. Any liquor store worth its salt will stock gins and tonic waters at reasonable prices.
You can concoct a wide range of beverages using tonic water. The most obvious options are vodka and tonic, but whiskey and tonic are also great. Add a shot of flavored syrup, similar to the one used in the strawberry gin and tonic, or pour some random fruit juice into the glass.
Royal Tea
Tea is an inexpensive ingredient that can be used in various culinary applications. In the royal-tea cocktail, a quality gin is combined with Earl Grey tea, and the drink is finished with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of sugar. You can even whip up a pitcher's worth of this ridiculously simple iced tea drink in no time.
Tea goes well with various liqueurs, including tequila in the Jalisco high tea and vodka in the tea tini. Honey, cherry, and herbal liqueurs are small accents that work well with this neutral base.
Cheap Tequila Cocktails
Margarita
Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice are the ingredients to make a classic margarita. Even though it tastes much better when made with top-shelf liquors, you can still make an outstanding drink with good options that are easier on the wallet, especially when you add fresh lime juice. Margaritas are just fun to drink. They transport you to a sunny beach or poolside place no matter where you drink one.
You could shake, blend it, or add some flavoring. A bottle of tequila opens up a world of opportunities, and numerous margarita recipes are waiting to be discovered.
Tequila Sunrise
A Tequila Sunrise is the perfect cocktail for anyone looking for an easy, affordable beverage. This classic cocktail can easily be made in minutes with just three ingredients – tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup. Add a float of lime juice to bring out the tart and sweet flavors for a subtle twist! Plus, its beautiful color is sure to bring sunshine to any occasion.
There are many more "sunrises" to make. When making a tequila sunrise margarita, use the same ingredients as when making a sweet sunrise margarita, but substitute whiskey for the tequila in the sour sunrise margarita. It also works with other kinds of fruit juice. Have some sour grapefruit with your ruby rum sunrise.
Cheap Wine and Beer Cocktails
Shandy
On hot summer days, the shandy is an excellently simple beverage that can also serve as a wonderfully refreshing option. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice or store-bought lemonade, mix in some of your favorite low-cost beer, and you're good to go!
The original recipe is a jumping-off point for various other shandy recipes. You can substitute flavored syrup for citrus juice or use neither. There are even some spicy shandies that are culinary adventures in a glass.
Kir and Kir Royale
Make a simple wine cocktail with a bottle of inexpensive wine to liven up the experience. A bottle of crème de cassis, which can be purchased for about the same price as a bottle of dry white wine, is used to make a delicious cocktail called a kir, combined with dry wine. It is given a lively twist by sparkling wine and transformed into a cardinal cocktail using red wine.
Mimosa Cocktail
The Mimosa is one of the few alcoholic beverages that makes the most of having a bottle of sparkling wine on hand. Adding orange liqueur and juice is the ideal way to breathe new life into an affordable sparkling wine.
Consider substituting peach nectar for the traditional orange juice in a Bellini. The original recipe has also served as the basis for an innumerable number of fruity variations of the mimosa, which means that you probably already have everything you need to make a delicious beverage in your kitchen.
Spicy Michelada
Are you sick of drinking beer on its own? Throw open the door to your spice cabinet and make yourself a Michelada. The recipe calls for a typical lager to be spiced up with soy, Worcestershire, hot sauces, a hint of lime, and a touch of black pepper. Traditionally, the drink is made with Mexican beer. You can adjust the flavor to suit your preferences and add any different seasonings.