22 basic cocktail recipes made with pantry and fridge staples

From how to make simple syrup to tons of basic cocktail recipes broken down by type of liquor, this post has all the information you need to make cocktails at home with ingredients you already have in your pantry and fridge!

 Since being told to work from home last week, I’ve had a lot of ideas swirling in my head.

How can I help our local restaurants and other small businesses?

How can I help my audience? What do they need from me right now?

How can I help myself?

There hasn’t been much of a result from all of this idea swirling…except that I’m rewatching Schitt’s Creek, have started a daily exercise habit, Bodie and I got on a lot more walks, and I’ve been trying to stop scrolling on my phone as much as I can. 

Spoiler: reading an actual, physical book helps with the phone scrolling.

I’ve been going back and forth about if a blog post is helpful, or even more so, appropriate, at this point, considering the news and what’s going on in our country and across the world.

And then today, while I was lying on the floor after an online yoga class, it hit me.

I needed to write.

I started this blog almost seven years ago to give myself an outlet. An outlet to write down my ideas, my stories, what I love to eat. A place to express myself creatively and to give me a break or escape of what goes on into my day to day life.

What I’ve liked so much about blogging beyond just this space is the community that this space has created. The fellow bloggers who have become dear friends. The people I reach who read this space or follow along on social media who I’ve gotten to connect with over a love of food and travel.

I decided, while I was lying there on the floor, that writing a blog post wasn’t stupid or frivolous or inappropriate.

It was good enough that I wanted to do it.

So I put a call out on my Instagram stories this afternoon to ask if you’d be interested in some basic cocktail recipes made with pantry staples.

Put another way…did you want to learn how to make cocktails with some stuff you already have at home, in your liquor cabinet, pantry and fridge.

And, yay excitement! The answer was a resounding yes so here we are!

I’ve broken this post down into: the basic cocktail recipe, how to make simple syrup, a few basic cocktail recipes you can make no matter what kind of liquor you use, classic flavor combinations by type of liquor, and finally basic cocktail recipes broken down by five major spirits: vodka, whiskey, rum, gin and tequila.

When making the basic cocktail recipes below, think about the ingredients you have in your pantry and fridge and what you could add to the below recipes to enhance flavor. The flavor combinations list make a great resource.

And if a recipe calls for bitters and you don’t have any, don’t worry! Use the rind of a citrus fruit, like and orange, lime or lemon in lieu of bitters. (just throw it into your drink!)

Before we get into it, Off the Eaten Path has lots of easy and delicious cocktail recipes, so make sure you check out things like: build your own bloody mary bar, a hurricane drink recipe, classic margaritas, raspberry gin seltzer, blackberry basil gin fizz, camping cocktails, strawberry bellinis, whiskey old fashioned, and more!

The Basic Cocktail Recipe

In order to make yourself a drink using whatever you have on hand at home, I wanted to share with you the four ingredients for a basic cocktail: liquor, sweetener, bitters and water. 

These four ingredients can come in a variety of options.

Of course, there is a wide variety of liquors or type of spirit used to make a cocktail.

There’s also a variety of sweeteners, including things like simple syrup, regular sugar, honey, agave or fruit.

And there are different things that can be used as a bitter element:

• bottled bitters, which you can find at many grocery stores or specialty stores, and are made from botanicals, like aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and fruits that are infused into a flavorless alcohol base to create a potent flavoring;
• or natural elements like citrus peel or spices.

As you’ll see in the recipes below, sometimes not all basic cocktail four ingredients are present in a single recipe. But having the idea that these four elements can make up a cocktail is a great thing to know when it comes to making yourself drinks at home so you can get creative with what you have on hand!

How to make simple syrup

The most common way you’ll find a sweetener and water in a basic cocktail recipe is through the use of a simple syrup. 

A simple syrup is exactly like it sounds: simple! 

Traditional simple syrup is made by combining one part water and one part sugar; just a one to one ratio. Normally, white granulated sugar is used as the sweetener in a simple syrup, but you can also use brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or other sweeteners. You can also make a rich simple syrup, which is a two to one sugar to water ratio, which will give you a thicker, sweeter syrup.

To make simple syrup, measure one cup sugar with a dry measuring cup and one cup water with a liquid measuring cup. 

Pour the water into a small saucepan and heat. Once the water is warm, add the sugar and stir or whisk to dissolve. 

You can also heat the water and sugar together, it will just take longer to heat.

The water does not have to come to a boil, it just needs to be warm enough to dissolve the sugar. 

Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the saucepan from heat and let the syrup cool. Transfer the syrup to a glass bottle, mason jar or other container and store in the fridge up to 3 weeks.

How to make flavored simple syrup

Simple syrup is an excellent blank canvas for all sorts of flavors, and this is where your pantry ingredients can really help!

You can use anything from herbs and spices, to fresh fruit, frozen fruit, fruit juice or jam to infuse flavor into simple syrup. This is a great time to get creative with your pantry staples!

To make flavored simple syrup, you steep the flavored something (herb, spice, fruit, etc) in the syrup as it cools, and then you strain it before transferring it to your bottle or jar.

If you have fresh or frozen fruit or fruit juice, add about a cup and a half to the sugar and water ratio. Bring the mixture to short boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Once cool, strain the fruit before storing the simple syrup.

If you have fruit jam, add a few tablespoons of the jam to the sugar and water mixture and simmer on low for about 10 minutes before straining and transferring to a bottle or jar.

For fresh herbs, heat the sugar and water and once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add 3 to 4 sprigs of the fresh herb (rosemary, thyme, basil) and then cover the saucepan with a lid and allow the herb to steep while the simple syrup cools, about 30 minutes. Strain and store the simple syrup.

For spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves) add a teaspoon or two of the spice into the sugar and water mixture. Dissolve the sugar into the water and then let cool and strain before storing.

The Most Versatile Pantry Cocktails

Probably the easiest cocktail you can make with ingredients you have in your house is some version of the classic liquor and soda.

When I say soda, I don’t mean coke, but if you’re going to pour yourself a rum and coke, no judgment here! When I say soda, I mean fizzy water, club soda, sparkling water (yes it can be flavored!) tonic water, or even hard seltzer (like White Claw or Truly.)

I’m sure you’ve heard of a vodka soda, but if you don’t have vodka, no problem. Make a gin soda (also known as a gin rickey), tequila soda (sorry I don’t have a fancy name for it), a whiskey soda (also known as a highball…you can also use ginger ale), rum soda (also known as a rickey) or a scotch and soda.

Here’s the basic liquor and soda recipe:

• 2 ounces of the liquor of your choosing (vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, scotch)
• soda water to top, anywhere from 4 to 6 ounces (you can also use tonic water, flavored sparkling water or hard seltzer)
• squeeze of lemon or lime (or any citrus, orange or grapefruit would work here too.)

Fill a highball glass (thats a tall cocktail glass) with ice. Pour two ounces of liquor then top with club soda and a squeeze of citrus.

You can go above and beyond the classic liquor and soda combination with, you guessed it, your homemade simple syrup! Add about 1/2 to 3/4 of an ounce of your simple syrup to add some sweetness and flavor.

You could also add fresh fruit or fruit jam to your liquor of choice and soda to add flavor, color and a fresh element.

The next most versatile cocktail recipe you can make is a mule. A mule recipe is very, very similar to a liquor and soda situation, just sub ginger beer or ginger ale for the club soda and garnish with a lime. If you don’t have ginger ale or ginger beer at home, think about making a ginger infused simple syrup (with powdered ginger from your spice cabinet). You can add flavored simple syrup, fresh fruit or jam (we use leftover cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving) to add flavor and color to a mule.

The last basic cocktail recipe that doesn’t discriminate based on liquor is a sour. Whiskey sour is the most common, but you can also have a gin, rum, tequila or vodka sour.

The basic sour recipe:

• 2 ounces liquor
• 3/4 ounces lemon juice
• 1/2 to 3/4 ounce simple syrup
• a dash or two of bitters (if you have them)
• 1 egg white (optional)

Add all ingredients except the bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and then strain into a rocks glass (a low cocktail glass.) Add a few dashes of bitters on top. Egg whites will give your cocktail a rich, creamy texture and a nice foam on top.

Classic Flavor Combinations Sorted by Type of Liquor

Before we get to a few other basic cocktail recipes sorted by type of liquor below, I wanted to share a few classic flavor combinations with you in case you don’t quite have everything to make a certain recipe. By following these combinations, you can make sure that the ingredients you’re using will match the flavor  profile of the spirit you’re drinking.

Flavors that Pair Well with Gin

• Basil
• Blackberries
• Celery
• Cilantro
• Cranberry juice
• Cucumber
• Earl Grey tea
• Ginger
• Honey
• Lemon
• Lime
• Mint
• Orange juice
• Pomegranate
• Rosemary
• Sage

Flavors that Pair well with Bourbon/Whiskey

• Apple juice
• Bitters
• Butterscotch
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Grapefruit juice
• Grenadine
• Honey
• Lemon Juice
• Mint
• Orange juice
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pecans 
• Pineapple juice
• Vanilla

Flavors that Pair well with Rum

• Apples
• Bananas
• Carrots
• Cinnamon
• Coca-Cola
• Coconut
• Ginger
• Grapefruit
• Grenadine
• Lemon
• Lime
• Maple Syrup
• Mint
• Nutmeg
• Orange uice
• Passion fruit
• Pineapple
• Vanilla

Flavors that pair well with vodka

• Apples
• Beet juice
• Berries
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cilantro
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coffee
• Coconut
• Cranberry Juice
• Cucumber
• Ginger
• Grapefruit 
• Honey
• Lemon
• Lemongrass
• Lime
• Mangoes
• Melons
• Olives
• Orange juice
• Pineapple juice
• Pomegranate
• Tomato juice
• Vanilla

Flavors that pair well with tequila

• Chile peppers
• Cilantro
• Fruit juice
• Ginger
• Grenadine
• Lemon
• Lime
• Orange juice
• Pomegranate
• Sage

Easy Cocktail Recipes with Vodka

Appletini

• 2 ounces vodka
• 2 ounces apple juice
• 1/4 ounce lemon juice
• 1/4 ounce simple syrup or honey

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until combined and strain into a martini glass.

Screwdriver

• 2 ounces vodka
• 4-6 ounces orange juice

Add ingredients to shaker with ice. Shake until combined and strain into a glass with ice.

Cosmopolitan

• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce cranberry juice
• 1 ounce lime juice

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until combined and strain into a martini glass.

White Russian

• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce coffee liqueur 
• 1/2 ounce cream

Add vodka and coffee liqueur to a short cocktail glass or old fashioned glass with ice. Top with cream and stir. (if you’re looking for a White Russian with a little holiday flair, you have to make a Christmas White Russian!)

Vodka Martini

• 2 ounces vodka
• 3/4 ounces dry vermouth
• lemon twist or olives

Pour vodka and dry vermouth into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until combined and strain into a martini class. Garnish with olives or lemon twist.

Easy Cocktail Recipes with Gin

Gimlet

• 2 ounces gin
• 1 ounce lime juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well combined. Strain into a short cocktail glass with ice.

Gin Martini

• 2 ounces gin
• 3/4 ounces dry vermouth
• lemon twist or olives

Pour vodka and dry vermouth into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until combined and strain into a martini class. Garnish with olives or lemon twist.

Southside

• 2 ounces gin
• 1 ounce lime or lemon juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• mint

In a shaker, muddle the mint and citrus juice. Add remaining ingredients and ice and shake to combine. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with additional mint.

Easy Cocktail Recipes with Whiskey

Old Fashioned

• 2 ounces whiskey or bourbon
• 1/4 ounce simple syrup
• 2 dashes bitters

Pour ingredients into a glass with ice. Stir to combine. You can add orange peel and or a cherry to add additional flavor.

Manhattan

• 2 ounces whiskey
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes bitters

Add all ingredients to a glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Hot Toddy

• 2 ounces whiskey
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 ounce lemon juice
• 1/4 cup hot water

Put whiskey, honey and lemon juice in a mug and top off with hot water. Stir to combine until honey is dissolved.

Easy Cocktail Recipes with Rum

Daiquiri

• 2 ounces rum
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce lime juice

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice until well combined. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Mojito

• 2 ounces rum
• 3/4 ounces lime juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• mint
• club soda to top

Muddle mint and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add other ingredients except for club soda and ice, shake to combine. Pour into a cocktail glass with fresh ice, top with club soda and garnish with mint.

Dark n Stormy

• 2 ounces dark rum
• 4 ounces ginger beer or ginger ale

Pour ingredients into a cocktail glass with ice and stir to combine.

Cuba Libre

• 2 ounces rum
• 4 ounces Coca-Cola
• Lime juice

Pour ingredients into a cocktail glass with ice and stir to combine.

Lounge Lizard

• 2 ounces dark rum
• 1 ounce amaretto
• 4 ounces Coca-Cola

Pour ingredients into a cocktail glass with ice and stir to combine.

Easy Cocktail Recipes with Tequila

Tequila Sunrise

• 2 ounces tequila
• 3 ounces orange juice
• 1/2 ounce grenadine

Pour tequila and orange juice into a highball glass with ice. Slowly add grenadine and stir to combine.

Margarita

• 2 ounces tequila
• 1 ounce lime juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup, honey or agave

Combine tequila, lime and sweetener in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well blended and pour into a salt rimmed glass. 

Tequila Old Fashioned

• 2 ounces tequila
• 1/4 ounce simple syrup
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Pour ingredients into a glass with ice. Stir to combine. You can add orange peel and or a cherry to add additional flavor.