Pantry cocktails are drinks built from bottles and ingredients you almost certainly already own. No specialty liqueurs, no Italian aperitivi, no bartender's-shop runs. Below: ten cocktails that need a base spirit and one or two pantry staples. Sugar, lemon, lime, honey, mint, soda, eggs, and a single bottle of Angostura bitters.
The most expensive cocktail at home isn't the bottle of mezcal you don't own. It's the resentment of buying a bottle for one drink. Below: ten cocktails that work with the bottles already on your shelf and the pantry items already in your kitchen. None of them need a specialty liqueur, none of them need a fresh herb you don't already have, none of them need a trip out.
What to pour first.
Common questions.
What cocktail can I make with what's in my pantry?
Whatever base spirit you own plus sugar and lemon (or lime) gets you a sour. Plus Angostura bitters and a sugar cube gets you an Old Fashioned. Plus mint and crushed ice gets you a Smash. The same three pantry staples. Citrus, sugar, bitters. Unlock most classic cocktails.
What are the cheapest cocktails to make at home?
Daiquiri (white rum, lime, sugar), Whiskey Sour (bourbon, lemon, simple syrup), Tom Collins (gin, lemon, sugar, soda), and the Old Fashioned. Each one runs $1.50–2.50 per drink at home versus $14–18 in a bar.
What cocktails don't need specialty bottles?
Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Daiquiri, Bee's Knees, Whiskey Smash, French 75, Mint Julep, Gin & Tonic, Cuba Libre, Hot Toddy. All ten use only base spirits, citrus, sugar, and (for some) Angostura bitters. No Chartreuse, no maraschino liqueur, no specialty bottles required.
What's the easiest cocktail to make with one bottle?
Whatever bottle you have plus sugar plus citrus. Bourbon + lemon + sugar = Whiskey Sour. Gin + lemon + honey = Bee's Knees. Rum + lime + sugar = Daiquiri. The grammar is the same; the spirit changes.