The case for a two-ingredient cocktail is simple, because all you need is one bottle and one mixer, and chances are you already have a few mixers in your house and you don’t even know it.

No shaker required, no specialty ingredients, and probably my favorite (and the most annoying thing about craft cocktail making) no obscure liqueur that costs $40 and gets used once.

Every drink on this list is built from two things you can find at a regular grocery store or liquor store. Each one also includes a three-ingredient upgrade for when you want to take it a step further without turning it another drive to the store.

I’ve organized everything by spirit so you can go straight to what’s already open on your counter.

Three things apply across every drink:

• Always add ice after your liquids so you don’t over-dilute
• Pour tonic and soda down the side of the glass to keep the carbonation alive
• If anything tastes flat or too sweet, a squeeze of citrus will fix it almost every time.

All the bar tools I use are in my Amazon shop. For more beyond this list, browse all of my cocktail recipes, especially when you are ready to get creative.

Vodka Cocktails

Vodka is the most forgiving spirit for two-ingredient drinks because it steps back and lets the mixer flavor take over. That makes the mixer the most important decision for this type of cocktail.

1. Vodka Soda

All you need is 2 oz vodka, sparkling water, and a lime wedge.

Topo Chico stays crisper longer than most American club sodas and is worth seeking out. The citrus upgrade adds fresh lime juice and takes about 30 extra seconds.

Full recipe: Vodka Soda

2. Screwdriver

Vodka and orange juice.

Fresh-squeezed OJ makes a noticeably better drink than the carton version. In season, I use fresh orange or tangerine juice from my yard, and it’s amazing! The sunset upgrade floats grenadine for a gradient effect.

Full recipe: Screwdriver

3. Vodka Cranberry

A Vodka Cranberry is also called a Cape Cod. Real cranberry juice, not the sweetened cocktail blend, is what makes this worth drinking. The upgrade adds lime juice, turning it into a proto-Cosmo with an orange twist.

Full recipe: Vodka Cranberry

4. Vodka Lemonade

A pitcher drink that requires almost no effort. Keep the lemonade tart, not sweet, or the vodka disappears. The berry upgrade with muddled strawberries is a perfect for a summer picnic.

Full recipe: Vodka Lemonade

5. Vodka Iced Tea

An underrated combination. Earl Grey works especially well because the bergamot adds a citrusy floral note. The peach upgrade with muddled fresh peaches makes it a great summer drink.

Full recipe: Vodka Iced Tea

6. Vodka Apple

Fresh-pressed cloudy apple juice is dramatically better than shelf-stable clear juice. The caramel drizzle upgrade leans it toward fall cocktail land. A squeeze of lemon in place of the caramel makes a year-round version.

Full recipe: Vodka Apple

7. Vodka Pineapple

Sweet, tropical, and easy. Coconut vodka is a good option if you want to lean further into the tiki direction. The coconut rim and lime juice upgrade is worth the effort, especially if you like a little snack with your cocktail.

Full recipe: Vodka Pineapple

8. Vodka Guava

Guava’s floral quality comes through cleanly against neutral vodka. Pink guava juice gives the drink a soft color that looks great in a highball glass. The mint upgrade takes about 30 seconds and adds real aroma.

Full recipe: Vodka Guava

9. Vodka Tonic

More character than a vodka soda because tonic adds bitterness and subtle sweetness that plain soda doesn’t. A flavored tonic, elderflower especially, makes this much more interesting. The citrus twist upgrade is a four-second improvement.

Full recipe: Vodka Tonic

10. Vodka Sprite

This is a super easy, casual party drink, because it is sweet, citrusy, and easy to batch. Muddled berries in the upgrade version add tartness and color, offsetting the soda’s sweetness.

Full recipe: Vodka Sprite

11. Vodka Coffee

Two ingredients that get you most of the way to an Espresso Martini without an espresso machine or shaker. Cold brew concentrate makes a better drink than regular iced coffee. The cream float upgrade adds extra richness.

Full recipe: Vodka Coffee

12. Vodka Watermelon

Fresh-blended watermelon juice is essential here. A ripe melon yields a pink, refreshing drink (if I can get to the watermelon before my kids devour it all in one sitting). The mint upgrade is one of the best in this whole list because mint and watermelon are such a beautiful pairing.

Full recipe: Vodka Watermelon

Gin Cocktails

Gin has actual flavor, which means two-ingredient gin drinks are more interesting than most. The botanical profile changes noticeably based on which gin you use, so selection matters more here than it does with vodka.

13. Gin and Tonic

Tonic quality is the single most important variable. Fever-Tree or Q Tonic makes a noticeably better G&T than store-bought generic brands. The herbal basil upgrade takes four extra seconds and is worth every one of them.

Full recipe: Gin and Tonic

14. Flavored Gin and Tonic

Swapping plain tonic for a flavored variety changes the character of the drink more dramatically than switching gin brands. Elderflower tonic with Hendrick’s is the combination worth trying first.

Full recipe: Flavored Gin and Tonic

15. Gin and Lemonade

Lemonade brightens gin’s botanicals in a way other mixers don’t. A lighter, floral gin like Hendrick’s works better here than a heavy London Dry. The basil garden upgrade is one of my personal favorites in this series, especially when I have basil growing like crazy in my garden.

Full recipe: Gin and Lemonade

16. Gin and Grapefruit

For people who like bitter, you can grab a London Dry gin and grapefruit juice. The Salty Dog upgrade adds a salted rim, enhancing the drink’s overall flavor.

Full recipe: Gin and Grapefruit

17. Gin Apple Highball

Fresh-pressed cloudy apple juice is the key to this two-ingredient cocktail tasting good. The botanical profile of gin and the natural tartness of apple juice complement each other in a way that’s easy to overlook. A cinnamon stick in the glass adds warmth to an autumn cocktail.

Full recipe: Gin Apple Highball

18. Gin Guava

Guava’s floral quality doesn’t fight gin’s botanicals, it goes with them. A floral gin like Hendrick’s or Empress 1908 amplifies the effect. The basil upgrade is excellent, and this drink also works beautifully strained into a coupe glass. It’s my go-to drink when I have an excess amount of guava from my trees.

Full recipe: Gin Guava

19. Gin Pineapple

This is one combination most people haven’t tried yet. Gin’s botanicals cut through pineapple’s sweetness and add complexity that a vodka pineapple doesn’t have. Freshly cracked black pepper on top is an easy upgrade if you want to get fancy.

Full recipe: Gin Pineapple

20. Gin and Soda

For when you want the gin without the tonic’s bitterness. Soda water lets the botanical profile come through clearly. This is best with a floral or citrus-forward gin. Personally, if I have a good sipping gin that I want to cut just a tiny bit, I use soda water so I still get the gin flavor. Cucumber slices or fresh mint add a little something extra to the drink if you have any on hand.

Full recipe: Gin and Soda

21. Gin Sprite

A gin and Sprite is the entry point for people who think they don’t like gin. Sprite’s sweetness softens the botanicals without erasing them. Fresh mint in the glass makes it smell as good as it tastes.

Full recipe: Gin Sprite

22. Gin Watermelon

Floral and citrus-forward gins find something interesting to do against watermelon’s clean sweetness. The basil upgrade is the version worth making for guests. This one also works beautifully, strained cold into a coupe.

Even better, make a sorbet with the watermelon juice, and pour your gin over it! My ice cream maker gets a big workout in the summer when all of those gorgeous fruits are in season, and it only takes 20 minutes to make sorbet.

Full recipe: Gin Watermelon

Rum Cocktails

Rum has a natural sweetness from its sugarcane base, which means it plays well with both sweet and tart mixers. Dark rum and white rum behave almost like different spirits in two-ingredient drinks, so pay attention to which rum you are using.

23. Rum and Coke

Dark rum makes a richer, more interesting version than white rum. The upgrade with Angostura bitters and an expressed orange peel is worth trying if you have both (or even just one) on hand at home.

Full recipe: Rum and Coke

24. Dark ‘n Stormy

Gosling’s Black Seal and ginger beer are the traditional pairing, and Gosling’s has trademarked the name with their rum specifically. The lime upgrade integrates citrus directly into the drink rather than just squeezing it on top.

Full recipe: Dark ‘n Stormy

25. Rum Pineapple

Rum and pineapple draw on the same tropical source material. Dark rum with pineapple juice is a richer, more complex version than white rum. The lime and coconut rim upgrade not only gives you a pretty drink, but also a little snack in your sip.

Full recipe: Rum Pineapple

26. Rum Mango

Dark rum adds a molasses depth underneath mango’s sweetness that makes the combination more interesting than white rum does here. A Tajin rim and lime juice upgrade is excellent.

Full recipe: Rum Mango

27. Rum Lemonade

When you are planning your summer picnic, this rum combination is best suited for a crowd. Keep the lemonade tart. The berry upgrade, with muddled strawberries or raspberries, adds a touch of seasonal flair to this easy batch cocktail.

Full recipe: Rum Lemonade

28. Rum Guava

Guava’s slight tartness complements the molasses notes of dark rum. Fresh guava juice is significantly better than bottled. If you have a guava tree at home, or you can grab some fruits from your neighbor its even better. The chili-lime upgrade is the standout version.

Full recipe: Rum Guava

29. Rum Iced Coffee

Dark rum and cold brew concentrate are a pretty good combination. The molasses and caramel notes of dark rum align with the coffee’s bitterness. Vanilla syrup in the upgrade brings in that sweet element you might need if you aren’t a black coffee drinker.

Full recipe: Rum Iced Coffee

30. Rum Tonic

The most overlooked spirit-tonic combination. White rum with Fever-Tree Indian Tonic is the cleanest version. Lime juice in the upgrade adds even more to the flavor.

Full recipe: Rum Tonic

31. Rum and Soda

A clear look at what rum actually tastes like without a sweet mixer in the way. Dark rum and Topo Chico is the version worth trying first. The lime and mint upgrade makes it a proper summer drink. You can play with white rums and other dark rums to see which you like the best, as the rum will be the dominate flavor here.

Full recipe: Rum and Soda

32. Rum Sprite

Lighter than rum and Coke, more tropical than rum and soda. Try it with white rum, fresh lime, and a coconut rim.

Full recipe: Rum Sprite

33. Rum Watermelon

Rum adds tropical depth to watermelon juice that vodka doesn’t. White rum keeps it fresh and light. Dark rum makes a richer version for an evening drink. The lime and fresh mint version is worth batching for a group.

Full recipe: Rum Watermelon

Tequila and Mezcal Cocktails

100% agave blanco tequila is what you will want for all of these tequila drinks. The mineral, grassy quality of good blanco is what makes tequila so good.

34. Tequila Soda

What you get when you want a vodka soda but with actual flavor. Blanco tequila’s mineral quality pairs with Topo Chico’s carbonation in a way plain club soda just can’t. Add lime and a pinch of salt, and you have Ranch Water (yes, that’s a real cocktail name).

Full recipe: Tequila Soda

35. Paloma

The paloma is more popular than the margarita in Mexico, which surprised me for sure. Jarritos Toronja grapefruit soda is the traditional option and my preference. The fresh citrus upgrade with lime juice gets you close to a proper fresh Paloma.

Full recipe: Simple Paloma

36. Tequila Sunrise

Tequila and orange juice with grenadine are poured slowly down the inside of the glass for the gradient effect. Do not stir. Let the grenadine rise through the drink as you sip. Blood orange juice makes an especially striking version.

Full recipe: Tequila Sunrise

37. Tequila Pineapple

Blanco tequila’s earthiness cuts through pineapple’s sweetness, giving the drink a backbone that vodka pineapple drinks don’t have. A Tajin rim makes the whole thing click.

Full recipe: Tequila Pineapple

38. Tequila Lemonade

Whip up a tequila lemonade when you want a margarita’s more relaxed cousin. Lemon works differently than lime against tequila, creating a drink that is softer and slightly sweeter. A salted rim adds savory that cuts through the sweetness. The lime upgrade gets you close to a fresh margarita without the triple sec.

Full recipe: Tequila Lemonade

39. Tequila Cola

The overlooked spirit-plus-cola combination. A reposado tequila, which picks up vanilla and caramel from barrel aging, makes a more interesting version than blanco. Fresh lime and a pinch of salt in the upgrade is worth a try at least once.

Full recipe: Tequila Cola

40. Tequila Tonic

Drier than a margarita and more complex than a tequila soda, the Blanco tequila’s mineral notes and tonic’s quinine bitterness share an earthiness that makes them good partners. Fever-Tree Grapefruit Tonic is a great twist on this one.

Full recipe: Tequila Tonic

41. Tequila Sprite

Sweeter and more approachable than a margarita, lighter than tequila cola. A Tajin rim is easiest, as the chili rim with fresh lime juice gets you close to a simplified margarita in about 90 seconds.

Full recipe: Tequila Sprite

42. Tequila Watermelon

The best watermelon cocktail I’ve created, well, at least one with two ingredients. Blanco tequila’s makes watermelon taste more interesting, and the watermelon softens tequila’s sharper edges. Add a Tajin rim for a little heat.

Full recipe: Tequila Watermelon

Whiskey and Bourbon Cocktails

Whiskey is the most versatile spirit when it comes to mixer variety. Bourbon’s caramel and vanilla go well with sweet mixers. Rye’s spice and dryness work better with tart or bitter mixers.

43. Whiskey Ginger

Ginger beer makes a dramatically better version than ginger ale, but it will taste different from what you have at the Irish pub. Lemon juice adds a citrus kick, upgrading the whole drink.

Full recipe: Whiskey Ginger

44. Whiskey and Coke

Using bourbon instead of Tennessee whiskey, a short pour of Mexican Coke, and an expressed orange peel make a big difference in the drink’s taste and quality. You also avoid all that high-fructose corn syrup in cola products in the USA. Add citrus to give the whole cocktail a fresh lift.

Full recipe: Whiskey and Coke

45. Bourbon and Sweet Tea

Homemade sweet tea is better because you can control how much sugar you use. Try using honey syrup instead of sugar in the tea, which adds a floral note that pairs well with bourbon. This one is an excellent batch cocktail in a pitcher.

Full recipe: Bourbon and Sweet Tea

46. Whiskey Lemonade

I like to call this a lazy whiskey sour with one fewer ingredient. Fresh-squeezed lemonade kept on the tart side gets you most of the way there. Honey in the upgrade adds a floral sweetness that works differently from simple syrup.

Full recipe: Whiskey Lemonade

47. Whiskey Apple

One of the strongest natural pairings, bourbon’s caramel and vanilla, and apple’s tartness, reinforce each other. Fresh-pressed cloudy apple juice is way better than the store-bought shelf-stable stuff. A cinnamon stick in the glass adds warmth.

Full recipe: Whiskey Apple

48. Bourbon Cola

More interesting than a standard whiskey and Coke because a quality bourbon has more complexity against a neutral mixer. An expressed orange peel over the glass is the upgrade that adds a lift and make it feel more like a craft cocktail.

Full recipe: Bourbon Cola

49. Whiskey Coffee

Finally, a warm drink with alcohol. This is the easiest version of an Irish Coffee. Irish whiskey is the traditional choice because it blends into coffee rather than fighting it. The lightly whipped cream float upgrade is worth making on a snowy day.

Full recipe: Whiskey Coffee

50. Bourbon and Soda

Let a quality bourbon stand on its own, while the soda water adds nothing but carbonation, which means the bourbon is the whole drink. Use a bourbon that you would drink neat. Add a lemon twist and a dash of bitters to create a deconstructed Old Fashioned.

Full recipe: Bourbon and Soda

A Few Notes That Apply to Every Drink on This List

Ice matters more than you think.

Every drink here is a highball or rocks drink, which means ice is melting into your glass the whole time you are drinking it.

Slow-melting clear ice keeps drinks colder longer and dilutes less. I use a clear ice cube maker at home, and the difference between the ice maker built into my refrigerator and this clear ice is significant.

Carbonation is fragile.

For any tonic or soda drink, pour slowly down the side of the glass and stir once or twice with a long cocktail stirrer. Aggressive stirring kills the bubbles quickly.

Garnish is not decorative.

A lime wedge squeezed in changes the flavor of a drink. An expressed citrus peel adds aromatics that change how the drink smells before you taste it. My cocktail garnishes guide covers the techniques you should know.

Grab a good channeling knife or citrus peeler, which makes a big difference in how those garnishes turn out.

Simple syrup opens everything up.

Every drink here is intentionally two ingredients, but a half-ounce of a flavored simple syrup added to almost any combination makes it more interesting.

Give these three a try:

• Rosemary in a gin and soda
• Mint in a rum and Sprite
• Cardamom in a bourbon and soda

Store your simple syrup batches in 4 oz glass jars in the fridge or freezer, and check out my full list of simple syrup recipes to try.

Start With What’s Open

Two ingredients is enough to make a good drink. Pick your spirit, pick your mixer, and go from there.

The upgrades, the garnishes, the syrups are all there when you want them, but they’re never required.