If you think making cocktails at home is hard, you are wrong. Sure, it’s not always easy to beat the finesse of a professional bartender, but there are many easy cocktail recipes that you can quickly whip up in your kitchen. Even if you don’t have all the cocktail tools at your disposal!
In a previous blog we provided you with some tips on how to create the best cocktails at home and which basic kitchen equipment you can use if you don’t have the right cocktail tools. This time, we give you a list of our favorite cocktails that don’t need (many) professional skills, but cocktails that are very easy to make at home. Get that cocktail party started!
#1 – Moscow Mule (Or Ginger Mule)
The Moscow Mule is a herbal, fresh vodka cocktail with ginger beer and lime and mint. It’s an easy cocktail to make, you just build all the ingredients in your mug or cup, give it a little stir and your done!
We like to give the original Moscow Mule cocktail recipe a more Amsterdam twist, by replacing the vodka for our very own Bols Genever Original. The fresh and spicy notes of the ginger beer go perfectly well with the malty notes of Bols Genever Original, giving the cocktail a more complex character and interesting taste. For the occasion, we renamed it to Ginger Mule, but still the technique of creating this delicious cocktail stays the same. Easy and quick, without any professional cocktail tools needed.
Check out the full recipe of the Ginger Mule here!
Photo by Adam Jaime on Unsplash
#2 – White Russian
Another great and easy vodka cocktail is the White Russian. Again, a cocktail that you just build in the glass from which you will be drinking it. For a White Russian cocktail, you only need Bols Coffee liqueur, Bols Vodka, cream and some ice cubes. Just pour the coffee liqueur and vodka over the ice cubes and put a layer of cream on top. Enjoy!
A White Russian is the perfect easy cocktail to close off your (home-cooked) dinner party. You can easily create multiple cocktails at once and you don’t need professional cocktails tools to create it. Just a measuring cup to keep the right balance is enough.
Read more about the White Russian cocktail here!
#3 – Daiquiri
The Daiquiri requires a bit more work, but still, it’s a great cocktail you should easily be able to make at home. You just shake all the ingredients at once and strain it into a nice, pre-chilled Martini glass.
The standard Daiquiri cocktail is created with rum, lime juice and sugar, but we like to spice up this classic with some interesting flavours. How about a tropical Banana Daiquiri with Bols Banana liqueur or a fruity Cherry Daiquiri with Bols Cherry Brandy. Or for a more indulgent version, the Butterscotch Daiquiri with Bols Butterscotch liqueur. Don’t be scared that the cocktails suddenly get a lot harder to make, the technique and actions stay the same. You just need some more ingredients. And with below video you are ready to shake the perfect Daiquiri!
#4 – Manhattan
Just like the pace of the city itself, this cocktail is ready in no time! The Manhattan is a cocktail that is perfect for a classy cocktail party at home. All you need is three ingredients and some glasses. Pour all the ingredients in a (stirring) glass with ice and stir for about 20 seconds. Pour the stirred cocktail in a (pre-chilled) martini glass and you are good to go.
The Manhattan is actually a Bourbon or rye whisky-based cocktail, but we have our own alternative to a full-bodied whiskey. Bols Barrel Aged Genever is a rich and rounded genever, aged in Limousin oak barrels for at least 18 months. It has a beautiful golden color and rich oaky flavours and is therefore perfect to use in your Manhattan cocktail.
Check out the easy Manhattan recipe here!
#5 – (Very) Old Fashioned
Again, the base of this cocktail originally is whiskey, but as the Old Fashioned became a category of its own you don’t have to worry about replacing this whiskey for Bols Barrel Aged Genever. This delicious and easy cocktail only requires the base spirit, sugar and angostura bitter and some stirring skills.
The Old Fashioned, or Very Old Fashioned as we like to call our version, really spotlights the base spirit and strengthens this flavour by gradually stirring it with bitters, sugar and ice cubes until all the ingredients reach a perfect balance. Strong, but not too strong, slightly sweet and somewhat bitter.
Read all about how to easily create a Very Old Fashioned here!
Photo by Adam Jaime on Unsplash
#6 – Margarita
Just like the Daiquiri, the Margarita is a shaken cocktail, but we assure you that you will create this baby in an instant. You only need Triple Sec liqueur, tequila and fresh lime juice, which you shake with ice in a cocktail shaker (or protein shaker or empty jar if you don’t have a cocktail shaker). Pour your Margarita in a pre-chilled margarita or coupe glass and there you have your perfect cocktail to kickstart your evening.
We create the classic Margarita recipe with Bols Triple Sec liqueur, but there are more Margarita’s to discover. How about the bright blue Margarita Azul, with Bols Blue Curacao liqueur? Or a beautifully red Strawberry Margarita with Bols Strawberry liqueur. Prefer a more tropical vibe? Check out this yellow Mango Margarita with Bols Mango liqueur. Get creative and treat yourself or your guest to a Margarita of their favorite colour and flavour. Easy does it!
#7 – (Red Light) Negroni
Another three ingredient and classic cocktail is the Negroni. A complex drink with the perfect balance of bitter and sweet, herbal and fruity with a strong alcoholic kick and melting ice. And all this, only requires stirring equal parts of red vermouth, aperitif liqueur and gin in a glass with ice. It doesn’t get any easier, right?
We wouldn’t be Bols if we didn’t give our own twist to the classic Negroni recipe. And this time, we make it a cheeky one. By replacing the gin for Bols Genever Original and serving the Negroni in a light bulb, we give this delicious cocktail an Amsterdam touch and wink.
Find the easy cocktail recipe of the Red Light Negroni here!
#8 – Bloody Mary
Okay, we need to admit that we close this list with one cocktail that requires a bit more work than the cocktails above, but still you should be able to make this cocktail in your kitchen without the need of professional tools. The Bloody Mary is also considered as a brunch cocktail, so after practicing with all the other easy cocktails we feel that a cocktail during a brunch with friends can’t be missed.
This vodka cocktail contains Bols Vodka, tomato juice, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper and tabasco. The vodka gives you a new burst of energy, the tomato juice has a cleansing and hydrating effect on the body and the spiciness of the tabasco and Worcestershire sauce are there to really wake you up. Not bad, right?
Check out the full Bloody Mary recipe here and get straight to work!
Here you have 8 easy cocktails that you can create at home in an instant! Do you want to know more about cocktail-making techniques or different spirits? Check out our Online Bartending Course and learn about creating cocktails at home!
