When having friends or family over for dinner or for a party, my to-do list can feel never-ending. Cleaning, shopping, decorating… the list goes on and on! For this reason, I love to serve simple beverages. Beer and wine are always an option, but there is something about a nice cocktail that can be so elegant and special. Below are my 3 favorite easy cocktail recipes that are not only simple to whip up, but will also impress your guests! All 3 cocktails have no more than 4 (easy to find!) ingredients.
1. French 75
The French 75 is probably my all-time favorite cocktail. It’s over a century old, and gets it’s name from a French field gun used in World War I. This cocktail is bright and citrusy. The botanical flavors of gin make for such a smooth, refreshing drink. You can make variations of the French 75 as well — make a blackberry simple syrup in summer or swap out the champagne for sparkling cider in the fall.
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 ounce gin (I like the flavor of Hendrick’s Gin)
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice (fresh), and use the lemon peel to garnish
- 3/4 ounce simple syrup (you can easily make your own by heating equal parts of water and sugar in a saucepan, slowly, until the sugar melts)
- 2-3 ounces Champagne or Prosecco (enough to fill the glass)
Steps
- Add the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well!
- Strain into a champagne flute.
- Top with Champagne or Prosecco.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Note: you could make this as a batch cocktail prior to your party. Just mix together a ratio of 2 parts gin, 1 part lemon juice, 1 part simple syrup and chill in the fridge. When ready to serve, fill your champagne flutes approximately halfway with the mixture and then top with the Champagne.
2. Moscow Mule
Everyone knows the Moscow Mule and the signature copper mug it’s served in. Even if you don’t have copper mugs, I think this is another easy, refreshing cocktail to serve your guests. This is another cocktail that can be easily adjusted to make it more unique. Around the holidays I like to add a splash of cranberry juice and frozen cranberries as an extra garnish.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka (use your favorite vodka, or whatever you have at home!)
- 4 ounces ginger beer
- 1/2 ounce lime juice (fresh) plus a lime wedge to garnish
Steps
- Add ice to your copper mug (if you have them, if not just use any glass).
- Pour in the vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice. Stir.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Note: this cocktail could also be made as a batch in advance. Just mix together the vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice and chill in the fridge. Pour over ice when ready to serve. Don’t forget your lime wedge garnish!
3. Espresso Martini
I must admit I can be a bit of a coffee snob and therefore a bit of an espresso martini snob. This is another simple cocktail with only 3 ingredients, but I have found that some restaurants just seem to get it wrong! I’m giving you my recipe with the ratios of ingredients that I like best, but feel free to adjust to your own taste. An espresso martini is the perfect pick-me-up with dessert to finish off a great meal.
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 parts vodka (again, use your favorite or whatever you have at home!)
- 1 part espresso
- 1 part Kahlua (or another coffee liqueur, but I highly recommend Kahlua)
Steps
- Make the espresso (see note below).
- Add the vodka, espresso, and kahlua to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled.
- Strain into a martini glass or a coupe glass.
- Garnish with 3 coffee beans if desired 🙂
Note: if you’re like me and don’t have an espresso machine, a moka pot is an easy and inexpensive alternative to make espresso! I got mine from Amazon. You simply fill the bottom with water, fill the filter with espresso-ground coffee, screw the top half of the pot onto the base, and place over medium-high heat on your stove. I leave the lid open, and once espresso starts flowing out of the spout, turn off the heat and close the lid to let the espresso finish flowing into the top chamber!
Have you tried any of these cocktails? Let me know in the comments below!
-Courtney
