Easy cocktail recipes to try at home

It's never advised to mix your drinks, as we're all well aware of just how badly that can go. However, cocktails are the exception to this rule, as you can enjoy delicious spirit-based drinks.

Making them yourself only adds to the fun, especially when you start experimenting with different blends of your own creation.

So, if you'd like to learn how to make classic cocktails, then Drinks House 247 can help. We have compiled a list of recipes that are our favourite easy-to-make cocktails. We recommend investing in a cocktail shaker to make it a little easier.

Remember, if you don't have any of the essential spirits at home, Drinks House 247 can deliver them to your doorstep within 30–45 minutes, 24/7 across London.

Vodka cocktail recipes

Vodka is the world's most popular spirit and its neutral flavour provides the perfect base for a cocktail. Browse our vodka delivery collection for same-day delivery across London.

Woo Woo

A Woo Woo is a fruity party cocktail that's perfect for the summer, mixing vodka with sour, crisp cranberry and sweet peach flavours.

Ingredients

• 50ml vodka
• 25ml peach schnapps
• 100ml cranberry juice
• A few drops of fresh lime juice
• A handful of ice
• A wedge of lime

Method

1. Fill a glass or cocktail shaker with ice cubes
2. Add the vodka, peach schnapps and a few drops of lime juice
3. Stir thoroughly (or shake if you're using a cocktail shaker)
4. Top with cranberry juice and enjoy

White Russian

The White Russian is an extravagant and sophisticated cocktail combining vodka, Kahlúa and cream. Emerging in the 60s as a creamy alternative to the Black Russian, this is essentially a delicious adult milkshake.

Ingredients

• 60ml vodka
• 2 tbsp Kahlúa
• 1 tbsp cream
• A handful of ice

Method

1. Put ice into the glass or cocktail shaker
2. Add the vodka and Kahlúa
3. Top with cream and stir or shake vigorously

Lemon Drop

Invented in the 1970s by San Francisco bar owner Norman Jay Hobday, a lemon drop is a sweet and sour concoction made using lemon juice, triple sec and simple syrup. A twist on the classic martini, it's ideal for those who want a strong cocktail without an overwhelming taste.

Ingredients

• 50ml vodka
• 25ml simple syrup
• 25ml triple sec
• 25ml lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white caster sugar
• Zest of ½ a lemon
• A handful of ice

Method

1. Put a martini glass in the fridge to chill
2. Combine white caster sugar with lemon zest and set aside
3. Pour the vodka into a glass or cocktail shaker before mixing in the triple sec, simple syrup, lemon juice and a handful of ice
4. Shake or stir well
5. Take the martini glass out of the fridge and dip into the sugar and lemon zest mix
6. Strain the triple sec, lemon juice and ice into the martini glass and drink

Gin cocktail recipes

Some of the most iconic cocktails around are made with gin, including these three favourites. Browse our gin delivery collection for same-day delivery across London.

Negroni

The Negroni is a quintessential Italian cocktail made from gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, balancing sweet, bitter and strong flavours. While its origins are unknown, Negroni is thought to have first been made in Florence in 1919 — here's how to make it yourself.

Ingredients

• 25ml gin
• 25ml sweet vermouth
• 25ml Campari
• Ice
• A slice of orange

Method

1. Mix the gin, vermouth, Campari and ice in a glass until the outside of the glass feels cold
2. Strain into a tumbler and add more ice if desired
3. Add an orange slice for garnish

Martini

The Martini is one of the world's most famous cocktails, and consists of gin, vermouth and a garnish of choice. It can also be made with vodka, which is exactly how James Bond has it in the movies.

Ingredients

• 60ml gin (or vodka)
• 1 tbsp dry vermouth
• Olive, lemon or orange peel
• A handful of ice

Method

1. Chill a Martini glass in the fridge
2. Put the gin, vermouth and ice together in a glass or cocktail shaker before stirring
3. Strain into the Martini glass
4. Add the peel and drink

Gimlet

Said to take its name from Sir Thomas Gimelette, the Royal Navy's Surgeon General who added lime juice to gin to help his sailors stave off scurvy, this cocktail is an undisputed classic and an easy one to drink.

Ingredients

• 50ml gin
• 50ml lime cordial
• A handful of ice
• A slice of lime

Method

1. Chill a martini or coupe glass in the fridge
2. Mix the lime cordial into a jug or large glass with the gin and the ice
3. Stir until the outside of the glass feels cold
4. Strain the mixture into the glass
5. Garnish with the lime slice and enjoy

Whisky cocktail recipes

While whisky on the rocks is perhaps the most popular way to enjoy a dram, many first-class cocktails have whisky as their prime ingredient. Browse our whisky delivery collection for same-day delivery across London.

Manhattan

Combining the spiciness of whisky with the sweetness of vermouth, the Manhattan is a great option for whisky newcomers and connoisseurs alike. Traditionally made with rye whisky, other commonly-used types include Canadian whisky, bourbon, and blended whisky.

Ingredients

• 50ml rye whisky
• 25ml sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• A handful of ice
• Brandied cherry

Method

1. Add the whiskey, sweet vermouth, the bitters and ice into a mixing glass
2. Stir until the outside of the glass feels cold
3. Strain into a cocktail glass
4. Garnish with the brandied cherry before drinking

Mint Julep

Few cocktails are as refreshing as a mint julep, with the coolness of the mint offsetting the slow heat of the bourbon. Originating in the Southern States of America, it is heavily associated with the annual Kentucky Derby horse race.

Ingredients

• 65ml bourbon
• 10 mint leaves
• 12.5ml 2:1 sugar syrup
• Ice
• A big mint sprig

Method

1. Mix the bourbon, mint leaves, sugar syrup and ice in a glass
2. Shake until the outside of the glass is cold
3. Strain into a highball glass or julep tin, filled with crushed ice
4. Mix softly with a spoon before adding more ice
5. Add the mint sprig garnish and enjoy

Irish Coffee

The archetypal cold-weather cocktail, Irish coffee is made up of coffee, whisky and cream. Providing the perfect way to end a meal, here's how to make an Irish coffee yourself.

Ingredients

• 50ml Irish whiskey
• 150ml freshly brewed black coffee
• 2 tbsp double cream
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. Lightly whip the cream to thicken it, and set aside
2. Pour the coffee into a mug or heat-proof glass, before adding the whisky and sugar
3. Stir until the sugar has dissolved
4. Carefully decant the cream onto the coffee before sprinkling the nutmeg over the top

Rum cocktail recipes

Rum is one of the most versatile spirits for cocktails. Browse our rum delivery collection for same-day delivery across London.

Mojito

The Mojito is one of the world's most popular cocktails — a refreshing blend of white rum, lime, mint, sugar and soda water.

Ingredients

• 50ml white rum
• 25ml fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• A handful of fresh mint leaves
• Soda water to top
• Ice

Method

1. Muddle the mint leaves and sugar in the bottom of a glass
2. Add the lime juice and rum
3. Fill with ice and top with soda water
4. Stir gently and garnish with a mint sprig and lime wedge

Order Your Cocktail Ingredients Tonight

Ready to shake up one of these classics? Drinks House 247 delivers vodka, gin, whisky, rum, and all the mixers you need across London in just 30–45 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No minimum order — just great drinks delivered fast to your door.