17 Easy (and Delicious!) Cocktails You Can Make in 5 Minutes or Less
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My partner and I have a precious ritual when bedtime doesn’t run too long: After we close the bedroom door to our little kids’ room, we creep downstairs and he makes me a cocktail. If it’s not too late, this might be a four-ingredient Negroni or an even easier Gold Rush. If it’s past our bedtime, it might just be Scotch on the rocks. We don’t drink every night — but on the nights we do, that sip of an adult drink and a few minutes of grown-up conversation are a sweet and important part of family life.
If you are also looking for a quick cocktail for your own evening ritual, allow me to offer these 17 classic, tried-and-true favorites. These are quick (five minutes or less) and only take a few basic ingredients. There are no complicated drinks here, and certainly nothing involving a loud blender. (Of course, if your housemates, small or large, are especially good sleepers, by all means try a piña colada or frozen margarita).
May I especially suggest the so-uncool-it’s-cool-again White Russian, along with one mom’s short-and-sweet love letter to post-bedtime White Russians.
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These recipes are curated by us here at Cubby, with an eye to what the caregivers of small children need in their lives, and the recipes are created and hosted by The Kitchn, our sister site, where all recipes are created and tested in home kitchens by practical people who know what it’s like to do their own dishes.
17 Easy Cocktails (5 Minutes or Less)
Sidecar Recipe
When you want a classic cocktail, make this drink with cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon.
Espresso Martini Recipe
Our rendition of this classic cocktail made with espresso and vodka is a keeper.
Paper Plane Cocktail Recipe
This modern classic is a balanced, refreshing combination of bourbon, Aperol, amaro, and lemon juice.
Paloma Recipe
Move over, margarita! This cocktail brings grapefruit into the mix for an unbeatable combo of citrus flavors.
Gimlet Cocktail Recipe
It’s a perfectly balanced drink made with gin and lime juice that's sweet-tart and refreshing.
French Martini Recipe
Try a colorful twist on a vodka martini with this fruity, crisp, and delightfully celebratory recipe.
White Russian Recipe
This rich and creamy cocktail is made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream.
Whiskey Sour Recipe
This cocktail is refreshing enough to keep up with a spritz during the warm summer months, and so appropriate during the colder seasons of the year.
Tequila Sunrise Recipe
Tequila, orange juice, and grenadine naturally produce the sunrise effect of this classic cocktail.
Negroni
My husband and I prefer what we call "old Italian gentleman" drinks, like the Negroni — a sweet and bitter classic.
The Screwdriver
The absolute simplest juicy cocktail: OJ with booze. Think of it as a boozier mimosa. An evening mimosa, if you will.
Siesta Cocktail
Say goodnight with this margarita-adjacent grapefruit drink, made a little more grown-up with Campari.
Kir Royale Recipe
This sip is light, fizzy, and pleasantly pink. It calls for champagne, so you can use a mini bottle or keep the bubbles fresh for a few days with a champagne stopper.
Further Reading
My Toilet Had Brown Stains I Couldn’t Get Rid Of – Then I Found This Amazing Trick
The Easy Italian Chicken Dinner I Make Over and Over Again (and It’s a One-Pan Meal!)
