What Is a 3-Ingredient Cocktail
A 3-ingredient cocktail is a drink made from three measured pours, usually a spirit, something sour or bitter, and something sweet or fizzy. Ice, water and the garnish do not count. Many well-known classics fit this rule, including the Daiquiri, the Negroni, the Old Fashioned and the Margarita.
They are a good place to start making drinks at home. You need few bottles, there is little that can go wrong, and each one teaches a ratio you can use again. The 12 below cover rum, whisky, gin, vodka, tequila, brandy and sparkling wine, with measures in ml and oz.
12 Easy 3-Ingredient Cocktails at a Glance
| Cocktail | The three ingredients | Method | Approx ABV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daiquiri | White rum, lime juice, simple syrup | Shake | 20% |
| Cuba Libre | Rum, cola, lime juice | Build in the glass | 10% |
| Dark and Stormy | Dark rum, ginger beer, lime juice | Build in the glass | 10% |
| Old Fashioned | Whisky, sugar syrup, bitters | Stir | 28% |
| Whisky Sour | Bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup | Shake | 16% |
| Manhattan | Whisky, sweet vermouth, bitters | Stir | 30% |
| Negroni | Gin, Campari, sweet vermouth | Stir | 24% |
| Moscow Mule | Vodka, ginger beer, lime juice | Build in the glass | 10% |
| Margarita | Tequila, triple sec, lime juice | Shake | 20% |
| Tommy's Margarita | Tequila, lime juice, agave syrup | Shake | 18% |
| Aperol Spritz | Prosecco, Aperol, soda water | Build in the glass | 8% |
| Sidecar | Cognac, triple sec, lemon juice | Shake | 23% |
The ABV figures are estimates from our recipe pages. They change with the amount of ice and the strength of your bottle.
Rum Cocktails
Daiquiri
60ml (2 oz) white rum, 25ml (0.75 oz) fresh lime juice and 15ml (0.5 oz) simple syrup. Shake hard with ice for 12 seconds and strain into a chilled glass. The Daiquiri is tart and clean, and it is the model for every sour that follows. A light rum such as Bacardi suits it.
Cuba Libre
50ml (1.75 oz) rum, 120ml (4 oz) chilled cola and 10ml (2 tsp) fresh lime juice. Fill a tall glass with ice, add the rum and lime, top with cola and stir once. The lime is what separates a Cuba Libre from a plain rum and cola. In India, Old Monk is the usual pour.
Dark and Stormy
60ml (2 oz) dark rum, 120ml (4 oz) ginger beer and 10ml (2 tsp) fresh lime juice. Fill a tall glass with ice and ginger beer, then pour the rum slowly over the top so it sits as a dark layer. Use ginger beer, not ginger ale. The Dark and Stormy needs that heat.
Whisky Cocktails
Old Fashioned
60ml (2 oz) bourbon or rye, 5ml (1 tsp) rich sugar syrup and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. Stir with ice for 20 seconds, strain over one large ice cube and finish with a strip of orange peel. The Old Fashioned shows off the whisky, so the bottle matters. Our guide to the best whisky for cocktails lists good options at each price.
Whisky Sour
50ml (1.75 oz) bourbon, 25ml (0.75 oz) fresh lemon juice and 15ml (0.5 oz) simple syrup. Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice. Egg white is an optional fourth ingredient that adds foam and no flavor. The Whisky Sour page has the full method.
Manhattan
50ml (1.75 oz) rye or bourbon, 20ml (0.75 oz) sweet vermouth and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. Stir with ice for 30 seconds and strain into a chilled stemmed glass with a cherry. The Manhattan is the strongest drink on this list.
Gin, Vodka and Tequila Cocktails
Negroni
30ml (1 oz) each of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Pour all three over ice in a short glass, stir for 20 seconds and add a strip of orange peel. The Negroni is bitter and strong. Swap the gin for bourbon and you have a Boulevardier. Swap it for prosecco and you have a Negroni Sbagliato.
Moscow Mule
45ml (1.5 oz) vodka, 15ml (0.5 oz) fresh lime juice and 120ml (4 oz) ginger beer. Build over ice in a copper mug or a tall glass and stir once. A neutral vodka is all the Moscow Mule needs, because the ginger beer carries the flavor.
Margarita
50ml (1.75 oz) tequila blanco, 20ml (0.75 oz) triple sec and 15ml (0.5 oz) fresh lime juice. Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice. A salt rim is optional. The Margarita is sharp, a little salty and quick to make.
Tommy's Margarita
60ml (2 oz) 100% agave tequila, 30ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice and 15ml (0.5 oz) agave syrup. Shake and strain over ice. With no orange liqueur, a Tommy's Margarita tastes more of the tequila, so use a 100% agave bottle such as Patron Silver.
Sparkling and Brandy Cocktails
Aperol Spritz
90ml (3 oz) prosecco, 60ml (2 oz) Aperol and 30ml (1 oz) soda water. Fill a large wine glass with ice, pour the prosecco first, then the Aperol, then the soda. The Aperol Spritz is the lightest drink here at about 8% ABV.
Sidecar
50ml (1.75 oz) cognac, 20ml (0.75 oz) triple sec and 20ml (0.75 oz) fresh lemon juice. Shake hard and strain into a chilled stemmed glass. The Sidecar is the brandy version of a Margarita: spirit, orange liqueur and citrus.
The Four Patterns Behind These Drinks
These 12 recipes follow four patterns. Learn the pattern and you can change the spirit and still get a balanced drink.
- The sour: about 2 parts spirit, 1 part citrus juice and half a part sweetener. Daiquiri, Whisky Sour, Tommy's Margarita. The Margarita and Sidecar use orange liqueur as the sweetener.
- Equal parts: one measure of each. The Negroni and its two relatives.
- The highball: 1 part spirit to 2 or 3 parts fizzy mixer, with a squeeze of citrus. Cuba Libre, Dark and Stormy, Moscow Mule.
- The stirred drink: mostly spirit, with a small amount of sugar or vermouth and a few dashes of bitters. Old Fashioned, Manhattan.
What You Need at Home
- A measure: a bar jigger, or a kitchen tablespoon. A standard tablespoon holds 15ml, and an Australian one holds 20ml. In India, a large peg measure is 60ml and a small one is 30ml.
- A shaker: a clean jam jar with a tight lid works. Pour through a tea strainer to hold back the ice.
- Plenty of ice: fill the shaker and fill the glass. Too little ice melts fast and waters the drink down.
- Fresh citrus: squeeze limes and lemons just before you use them. Bottled juice tastes flat.
You can start with two bottles. White rum and bourbon, plus limes, lemons and sugar, make a Daiquiri and a Whisky Sour. Add cola for a Cuba Libre and a bottle of Angostura bitters for an Old Fashioned. That is four drinks from two bottles.
When to Shake, Stir or Build
Shake any drink that contains citrus juice. Shaking mixes the juice properly and chills the drink fast. Stir drinks made only of spirits, vermouth and bitters, so they stay clear. Build fizzy drinks in the glass and stir once, or you lose the bubbles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest 3-ingredient cocktails?
The Cuba Libre, Moscow Mule and Dark and Stormy are the easiest because you build them in the glass with no shaker. The Daiquiri and Whisky Sour are the easiest shaken drinks: spirit, citrus juice and simple syrup.
Does ice or a garnish count as an ingredient?
No. A 3-ingredient cocktail counts only what goes into the drink as a measured pour. Ice, water, a salt rim and garnishes such as a lime wedge or orange peel are not counted.
What is a good first cocktail to make at home?
A Daiquiri. It uses rum, lime juice and simple syrup, and it teaches the sour ratio that many other cocktails follow. If you do not own a shaker, start with a Cuba Libre or a Moscow Mule.
Can I make cocktails without a shaker?
Yes. A clean jam jar with a tight lid does the same job, and a tea strainer keeps the ice out of the glass. Built drinks such as the Cuba Libre, Moscow Mule, Negroni and Aperol Spritz need no shaker at all.
Which 3-ingredient cocktail is the strongest?
Of the 12 here, the Manhattan is the strongest at about 30% ABV, followed by the Old Fashioned at about 28% and the Negroni at about 24%. The Aperol Spritz is the lightest at about 8%.
What 3-ingredient cocktails can I make with whisky?
The Old Fashioned (whisky, sugar syrup, bitters), the Whisky Sour (whisky, lemon juice, simple syrup), the Manhattan (whisky, sweet vermouth, bitters) and the Boulevardier (bourbon, Campari, sweet vermouth).
Are there 2-ingredient cocktails?
Yes. A Gin and Tonic is gin and tonic water, and a Whisky Highball is whisky and soda water. Both are built over ice in a tall glass at about 1 part spirit to 3 parts mixer.
The Short Version
Start with a Daiquiri if you have a shaker and a Cuba Libre if you do not. Both use bottles that are easy to find, and both teach a pattern that carries over to the other drinks on this list. Once those two feel easy, move on to the Whisky Sour, the Negroni and the Old Fashioned. For more ideas, see the full list of cocktail recipes or go straight to the rum and whisky collections.