What cocktails can I make with gin, vodka, rum, tequila or whiskey?

The count

"On its own" means the spirit plus things from the kitchen and the corner shop: lemons, limes, oranges, sugar, honey, eggs, mint, soda water, tonic, ginger beer, cola and juice.

With gin

• Gimlet: gin, lime juice, simple syrup.
• Tom Collins and Gin Fizz: gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water.
• Bee's Knees: gin, lemon juice, honey syrup.
• Southside: gin, lime juice, simple syrup, mint.
• Gin & Tonic: gin and tonic water.
• Earl Grey MarTEAni: gin infused with Earl Grey tea, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white.

One more bottle. Dry vermouth adds the Martini, the Gibson, the Fifty-Fifty and the Dirty Martini. An orange liqueur adds the White Lady. Sparkling wine adds the French 75.

With bourbon or rye

• Whiskey Sour: whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white.
• Gold Rush: bourbon, lemon juice, honey syrup.
• Whiskey Smash: whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, mint.
• Mint Julep: bourbon, simple syrup, mint.
• Hot Toddy: whiskey, honey syrup, lemon juice, hot water.
• Whisky Highball: whiskey and soda water.

One more bottle. Aromatic bitters add the Old Fashioned. Grenadine adds the Ward Eight. Bitters and sweet vermouth together add the Manhattan.

With vodka

• Moscow Mule: vodka, lime juice, ginger beer.
• Screwdriver: vodka and orange juice.
• Bloody Mary: vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco.

One more bottle. An orange liqueur adds the Cosmopolitan, the Kamikaze and the Lemon Drop. A coffee liqueur adds the Espresso Martini, the Black Russian and the White Russian. Dry vermouth adds the Vodka Martini.

With rum

White rum makes the Daiquiri (rum, lime juice, simple syrup), the Mojito (the same, with mint and soda water) and the Cuba Libre (rum, lime juice, cola). Grenadine adds the Bacardi Cocktail, and maraschino liqueur the Hemingway Daiquiri.

Aged or dark rum makes the Dark and Stormy (rum, ginger beer, lime juice) and the Canchanchara (rum, lime juice, honey syrup).

With tequila

Tequila on its own makes the Paloma: tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup and soda water. An orange liqueur adds the Margarita, and crème de cassis the El Diablo.

With Scotch

Scotch and soda water make a highball. For the rest it wants a partner: amaretto for a Godfather, Drambuie for a Rusty Nail, sweet vermouth and bitters for a Rob Roy.

What to buy next

The second bottle matters more than the first. How to stock a home bar puts the bottles in the order that opens the most drinks, and most of the drinks above take three ingredients or fewer.

Updated 11 November 2026.