Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Gin Cocktails

7 Easy Two-Ingredient Drinks to Make in a Flash

For when you just want a quick, easy, delicious drink.

By
Tyler Zielinski
Tyler Zielinski
Tyler Zielinski
Tyler Zielinski is a freelance writer specializing in cocktails and spirits and a bartender at Lawrence Park in Hudson, NY.
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Published 04/13/20
gin & tonic

 Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Making cocktails at home often can be fussy and overly challenging. If you don’t have the proper ingredients on hand or the right glassware for a particular drink, it’s easy to fall back on a glass of wine and give up on cocktails altogether.

The reason why so many people enjoy drinks such as a Gin & Tonic at home is that it takes only two ingredients to make—and it gets the job done and is still delicious. There is, of course, a time and place for more complex cocktails, but sometimes a two-bottle pickup is the way to go. These are a few easy two-ingredient cocktails to enjoy when you want a quick, simple and tasty drink. 

  • Dark ’n Stormy

    Dark & Stormy

     Liquor.com

    If ginger is among your favorite flavors, the Dark ’n Stormy should be your go-to. Gosling’s Black Seal dark rum, which launched in Bermuda in 1806, owns the trademark on this highball, meaning that unless you’re using that specific rum, it technically can’t be called a Dark ’n Stormy. No matter which rum you’re using, though, the drink is delicious. Fill your highball glass with ice, pour in a good-quality craft ginger beer (try Q Mixers), float the rum on top (per the “Stormy” part of the name) and garnish with a lime wedge. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Cuba Libre

    Cuba Libre

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This highball-style cocktail is really just a rum & Coke plus lime—a drink you’ve likely ordered at least once in your life. The Cuba Libre was awarded its name because this two-ingredient cocktail was Cuba’s victory drink after the Cuban War of Independence and the Spanish-American War.

    Get the recipe.

  • 50/50 Martini

    50-50 Martini

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    Martinis can be dangerous in their conventional gin-heavy form. Sometimes, you might wish to have two or three in one sitting because you enjoy the flavor, but then you run the risk of becoming incoherent. The 50/50 Martini solves this problem with its equal split of gin and dry vermouth, creating a lower-ABV cocktail that’s both delicious and sessionable. The key to this cocktail’s extraordinary deliciousness is the vermouth—make sure to buy the highest quality you can. With one taste, the 50/50 may become your new go-to two-ingredient sipper.

    Get the recipe.

  • Mimosa

    Mimosa

    Liquor.com

    This popular brunch cocktail doesn’t need much of an introduction, but it’s worth appreciating for its quaffability and effervescence. Store-bought orange juice is a common ingredient in many fridges, but you can vastly upgrade this two-part cocktail with little effort by using freshly squeezed juice. Grab a decent bottle of prosecco or other bubbly, mix the two, and drink away.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 5 of 7 below.

  • Vodka Tonic

    Vodka Tonic

    Liquor.com 

    Vodka is loved by many but often abused. It's frequently tossed into a mix merely for its alcohol content, and there absolutely are quality vodkas on the market with nuanced flavor and character. Depending on the vodka you’re using, the best move to produce a delicious version of this simple mix is by buying a flavored craft tonic, such as Fever-Tree, and allowing the tonic to shine. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Cape Codder

    Cape Codder

     Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    We’ve all had a vodka-cran at some point, and that’s exactly what the Cape Codder is: a mixture of vodka and cranberry cocktail juice. Make sure you have a lime on hand to use as a garnish, because the squeezed lime wedge adds an essential acidic element to this vodka highball. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Gin & Tonic

    Gin & Tonic

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This iconic two-ingredient cocktail is one of the most versatile in that each particular gin with its unique botanicals, and each tonic it’s paired with, together can express myriad flavors. The Gin & Tonic was first concocted as a malaria remedy, with its mixture of quinine, gin and lime, as early as 1857, and has truly stood the test of time. The key to a great Gin & Tonic is a quality gin that’s at least 90-proof, a good craft tonic (such as Fever-Tree) and a garnish that complements the botanicals in the gin. Although it’s easily crafted, it can take some practice to perfect, so feel free to get creative with this fan favorite.

    Get the recipe.