Easy To Make Party Cocktails

Throwing a cocktail party at home is a great opportunity to ensure your bar is fully stocked with everything you’ll need to keep the good times flowing! From spirits and mixers to liquors and syrups, we’ve put it all together for you and even thrown in some recipes!

Tools

You can usually find a bartender tool set that has most of what you need, but there are a few staples you should never skimp on. Like a shaker for mixing drinks, a strainer for pouring them, a jigger for measuring ingredients, a muddler for crushing fruits and herbs, a stirring spoon, and a cutting board and knife for preparing garnishes.

Glassware

You will also need glassware, such as martini glasses, rocks glasses, and highball glasses.

Spirits, Mixers, Garnishes

In addition, it is a good idea to stock up on a variety of liquors, mixers, and garnishes, such as gin, vodka, rum, tequila, and whiskey for the spirits.

For the mixers go with triple sec, vermouth, simple syrup, bitters, tonic water, soda water, lime, and lemon juice, and for garnishes olives, cherries, and citrus fruits are excellent go-to choices.

A basic bar setup should be able to serve most of the classic cocktails.

Cocktail Recipe Basics

When making cocktails, you start with the base – that’s the first thing you pour into your glass, shaker, or pitcher. Then, you can add all the other fun stuff like the modifiers, accents, and ice. Give it a good shake or stir, depending on the recipe. And before you serve it up, don’t forget to add a fancy garnish.

Basic cocktail recipe:

• 2 parts of any base (spirit)
• 1 part modifier or mixer, such as fruit juice
• 1 part accent, such as a flavored liqueur or simple syrup
• Garnish

Of course, some recipes use ounces or other measurements, but if all you know is the ingredients then this “basic cocktail recipe” is a great place to start!

Party Cocktail Recipes

The Madras

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 3 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz orange juice
• Lime wedge, for garnish

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients and pour them into a highball glass filled with ice.
2. Stir well.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge. Serve and enjoy.

Manhattan

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• ½ oz sweet vermouth
• Dash bitters
• Maraschino cherry

Directions

1. In a cocktail shaker combine bourbon, vermouth, and bitters. Add ice cubes; cover and shake until very cold.
2. Strain liquid into a chilled glass or a glass filled with additional ice cubes. Garnish with a cherry.

Big Batch Ritas

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of Tequila (750 ml)
• 1 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1/2 cup Cointreau
• Salt for rim (optional)

Directions

1. Rim the edge of glasses with salt by rubbing a lime wedge around the rim and then dipping it into a small dish of salt.
2. In a pitcher, combine tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau or Triple Sec.
3. Stir well to combine.
4. Fill each salt-rimmed glass with ice and pour the margarita mixture over the ice.
5. Garnish each glass with a lime wheel if desired and enjoy!

*You can prepare the pitcher in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. The recipe above serves around 8-10 cocktails, depending on the size of the glasses.

Prickled Pink

Ingredients

• 2 Parts Milagro Silver
• 1 Part Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 Parts Prickly Pear Puree
• 3/4 Part Agave Nectar
• Lime Wheel (Garnish)

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into a Boston shaker, shake, and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and enjoy.

Amber Punch

Ingredients

• 3oz Punch Mix
• 1 ½ oz Lemon juice
• 1 ½ Gin
• Club Soda
• Sliced cucumber for garnish

Punch Mix Indgredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups of peeled, crushed cucumbers

Directions

1. Make a “punch mix” by mixing 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 1 cup lemon juice, and 2 cups of peeled, crushed cucumbers.
2. For each cocktail, mix 3 oz. punch mix, 1 ½ oz. lemon juice, and 1 ½ oz. gin in a tall glass.
3. Add crushed ice, top with club soda, and garnish with a slice of cucumber.

Luxury Pineapple

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Belvedere Vodka Ginger Zest
• 1 oz. fresh pineapple juice
• ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. honey simple syrup
• 5 dashes Angostura Bitters

Directions

Honey Simple Syrup:

• 1/2 cup honey (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 cup water

1. Add the honey and water into a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir until the honey is dissolved.
3. Allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container. The syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

Cocktail:

1. Place all ingredients in the shaker. Dry shake with no ice.
2. Then add ice, shake, strain into a cocktail glass, and enjoy.

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