Classic Cocktails at Home: 5 Easy Recipes

You don't need a speakeasy license or a drawer of weird bar tools to make a great drink. These five classics cover most occasions, and every ingredient is on our shelves. One shaker, one jigger, and you're in business.

1. Margarita

The Austin house cocktail. Skip the sour mix forever.

• 2 oz blanco tequila
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz orange liqueur (Cointreau or Naranja)
• 1/4 oz agave syrup (optional, to taste)
• Salt for the rim, lime wheel to garnish

Shake everything with ice, strain over fresh ice in a salt-rimmed rocks glass.

2. Ranch Water

West Texas's gift to hot afternoons — basically a margarita's minimalist cousin.

• 2 oz blanco tequila (or Desert Door sotol for the Texas power move)
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• Topo Chico, to top

Build in a tall glass with ice, top with Topo Chico, stir once. Some folks just pour the tequila and lime straight into the Topo bottle — we don't judge.

3. Old Fashioned

The drink that made whiskey famous. Simple, but precision matters.

• 2 oz bourbon or rye
• 1/4 oz simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube)
• 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange peel to garnish

Stir with ice for 20–30 seconds, strain over one big cube, express the orange peel over the top. Need a bottle? Our bourbon guide has picks at every price.

4. Paloma

Mexico's favorite tequila drink, and arguably better than the margarita for a crowd.

• 2 oz blanco or reposado tequila
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• Grapefruit soda (Jarritos or Squirt), to top
• Pinch of salt, grapefruit wedge to garnish

Build over ice in a tall glass, top with grapefruit soda, stir gently. Shortcut: Deep Eddy Ruby Red vodka plus soda water gets you 90% of the way there — more Texas swaps in our Texas Spirits Guide.

5. Espresso Martini

The dinner-party closer. Yes, it's back. No, it never really left.

• 1.5 oz vodka
• 1 oz coffee liqueur (Kahlúa or Mr Black)
• 1 oz fresh espresso (or strong cold brew), cooled
• 1/4 oz simple syrup, to taste
• 3 coffee beans to garnish

Shake hard with ice — harder than feels reasonable — and strain into a chilled coupe. The foam is the point.

Stocking a Starter Bar

If you're building from zero, this covers all five recipes: a blanco tequila, a bourbon, a vodka, orange and coffee liqueurs, Angostura bitters, agave or simple syrup, and a case of Topo Chico. Bring this list to either store (or order it all online) and you're one lime run away from a full home bar.