It seems like cocktails just keep getting fancier and more complicated. Cocktails that require nine ingredients are decadent, fun, and dynamic, but sometimes you just want something a little simpler.
Cocktails with only two ingredients may seem basic, but they can be refreshing, dynamic, and captivating with the right little touches. Remember: less is more!
Here are two ingredient cocktails that are delicious, with linked recipes that are super simple to follow.
Cape Cod includes cranberry juice and vodka. It tastes tart and slightly sweet with strong cranberry flavors.
This particular recipe calls for cranberry juice, vodka, and ice and goes into the history of this popular, often misnamed beverage.
This simple cocktail is an excellent choice for brunches, lunches, and dinners alike.
A Greyhound requires grapefruit juice but allows you to choose between vodka and gin. With either liquor choice, it tastes citrusy, tangy, and slightly bitter from the grapefruit flavor.
This recipe includes grapefruit juice, vodka (or gin), ice, and an optional lime for a delicate garnish.
If you don't consider soda water a true ingredient, then you should include Tom Collins in your favorite 2-ingredient cocktails.
This well-known beverage includes gin and lemon juice, with bubbly soda water to top it off, making a tart, citrusy, and slightly sweet concoction.
This recipe suggests adding some sugar or sugar syrup to the mix to make it even sweeter.
A Gin Gimlet only requires gin and lime juice. That's all you need for this tangy, softly aromatic cocktail.
For more sweetness, this recipe suggests adding a bit of simple syrup and garnishing with lime for visual appeal.
Vodka sodas are arguably the most popular 2-ingredient drinks, perhaps because they're straightforward and low-calorie.
This recipe calls for vodka and club soda, with a lime wedge as an optional garnish. You can add a few drops of lime or lemon juice or leave it as is for a more citrusy flavor.
A screwdriver is a well-loved option that's easy to prepare for group gatherings and Sunday brunches. It consists of orange juice and vodka, creating a tangy yet sweet and refreshing beverage.
You can add a bit of grenadine for sweetness and color, but this recipe keeps things quick and simple.
Mimosa is another brunch-time favorite due to its bubbly, almost celebratory nature and its simple yet refreshing taste.
All you have to do is mix equal parts orange juice and champagne and enjoy. You can also garnish each champagne flute (the best way to serve them) with an orange slice or cherry for extra flair.
A Black Russian is one of the more bitter two-ingredient cocktails, including coffee liqueur and vodka.
This recipe suggests adding ice, which I highly recommend to make it more refreshing and light.
A gin and tonic is a classic, well-respected cocktail that has been around for ages. It's perfect for summer barbecues, picnics, and afternoons spent lounging in the sun.
The key ingredients are gin and tonic water, making for a slightly sweet, bitter, and refreshing drink.
A martini is composed of gin and vermouth, making for a strong, dry cocktail.
You can add ice and then garnish with an olive or lemon twist, both of which are traditional and add a nice, appealing finishing touch.
A Rusty Nail requires both scotch whisky and Drambuie, a sweetened whisky liqueur.
This recipe suggests including twice the amount of scotch as Drambuie, which I recommend to avoid making it too sweet.
You can also garnish with a lemon twist for some extra zest.
Rum and Coke is a popular choice, as it's sweet, bubbly, and easy to drink. The coke gives it a slightly bitter and sour taste, while the rum adds a lovely hint of sweetness and acidity.
Rum and Cokes are fantastic for pre-games, as the caffeine in Coke helps pump people up while the rum, of course, is responsible for the buzzing effect.
A Moscow Mule is a delicious summer cocktail with vodka and ginger beer as the primary ingredients and lime juice if you want to add some citrusy zest.
The ginger beer gives the drink a slightly spicy kick, while the lime juice balances it with some sweetness and acidity.
An Aperol Spritz is an Italian cocktail that consists of Aperol and prosecco.
Some recipes call for a bitter orange liqueur to give it a sweet-tart taste, but this recipe keeps it simple and only suggests adding some club soda.
Jameson and Ginger Ale is a whiskey ginger that calls specifically for Jameson, perhaps due to Jameson's sweeter taste as compared to other brands of whiskey.
Ginger ale is used in order to add more sweetness, spice, and effervescence. This recipe also suggests adding lime for extra zest and ice for that special ice-cold refreshing taste.
Whiskey and Cokes taste similar to Rum and Cokes because of the syrupy quality of Coke. However, whiskey gives the drink a smokier taste while also toning down the sweetness of Coke.
Whiskey Cokes are similarly ideal for pre-games, parties, and events, not only because they energize people but also because they're so simple to make.
This recipe mentions that you can use any whiskey you like, but I highly recommend Jameson or Jack Daniels.
A Dark 'n Stormy is a refreshing cocktail that's perfect year-round. It's made with dark rum and ginger beer, and it's garnished with lime.
The optional lime juice gives the drink a tart and acidic flavor, while the ginger beer adds hints of sweetness and spice.
The dark rum gives the cocktail a smoky flavor, making it the perfect choice for winter evenings spent by the fireplace.
PS: If you want to make this extra cocktail special, use Gosling's Black Seal Rum, which is the rum that's traditionally used in Dark' n Stormys.
Cheers!
Now that you have a list of excellent 2 ingredient cocktails, we hope that you’ll be able to whip up your favorite drinks with ease. We also hope that you’ll be able to experiment and come up with new flavor combinations that you enjoy.
What are your favorite 2-ingredient cocktail recipes? Let us know in the comments below!
19 Easy and Delicious 2 Ingredient Cocktail Recipes for Any Occasion
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pick your favorite recipe
- Gather all the needed ingredients
- Prep a summer cocktail in less than 5 minutes
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