The 7 bottle bar: A minimalist guide to cocktails

Getting started with mixing cocktails at home can be overwhelming.

There are a billion things to try and you can easily end up with a $500+ cart full of alcohol that you’re not sure how to drink. 

The best place to get started is with a few classics! You can make so much with your base liquor and a few mixers. These six cocktails only use 9 ingredients and can be mixed without a cocktail shaker. Just pour all of the ingredients in a cup with ice and serve.

Spirits: Vodka, gin, white rum, tequila 
Mixers: Limes, sugar*, ginger beer, grapefruit juice, mint  
* Use sugar to make your own simple syrup

1. Moscow mule — 2 oz vodka | 3 oz ginger beer | 1 oz lime juice
2. Gimlet—2½ oz gin | ½ oz lime juice | ½ oz simple syrup
3. Daiquiri—2 oz white rum | 1 oz lime juice | ¾ oz simple syrup
4. Mojito—2 oz white rum | 3 mint leaves | ¾ fresh lime juice | ½ oz simple syrup
5. Paloma—2 oz tequila | 1/2 oz lime juice | Top with grapefruit juice
6. Greyhound—1 oz gin | Top with grapefruit juice

For more variety, add 3 more simple ingredients and you can make 3 more cocktails. 

Spirits: Bourbon, bitters
Mixers: Lemons

1. Whiskey Sour—2 oz bourbon | ¾ oz lemon juice | ½ oz simple syrup 
2. Mint Julep—2 oz bourbon | 8 mint leaves | ¼ oz simple syrup
3. Old Fashioned—2 oz bourbon | 3 dashes bitters | ¼ oz cold water | 1 tsp sugar

That’s it! 12 ingredients to make 9 cocktails and have the least fussy yet fully stocked bar. Cheers!