How to make cocktails at home

A home bar does not start with twenty bottles. It starts with a few versatile ones, a way to measure, plenty of ice and an understanding of why a drink tastes balanced. With those, most classic cocktails are within reach, and the rest is practice. For adults of legal drinking age; enjoy responsibly.

A starter approach to bottles, tools and balance, then apps that match recipes to what is already in your cupboard, with a section for cocktail apps rising by visits on the Censuus ranking.

Cocktail apps rising by visits and sponsorship on Censuus

Younger apps from independent developers built around your own bottles:

Ranked by visit traffic and sponsorship on Censuus, not editorial opinion. The list changes as new apps appear and gain traffic.

Buy bottles for drinks, not for the shelf

Pick two or three cocktails you already enjoy and buy what they need. A gin, a whisky or rum, and either vodka or tequila cover a large share of the classics, and one bottle of a liqueur or vermouth opens many more. Adding bottles one recipe at a time keeps the cupboard useful instead of full.

Learn the balance, then the recipes

Many classics are built on the same idea: something strong, something sour, something sweet. Once you taste how lemon and sugar syrup balance a spirit, recipes stop being lists to memorise and become variations. Measure every time at first; free pouring is where home drinks go wrong.

Shake or stir, and use more ice than you think

Drinks with citrus, juice or egg white are usually shaken; drinks made only of spirits, vermouths and bitters are usually stirred. In both cases, fill the shaker or glass with ice. Ice is an ingredient: it chills the drink and adds the water that softens it.

Let the app read your cupboard

The hardest part at home is knowing what you can make with what is already there. Apps that track your bottles and filter recipes by them solve that, and many keep notes on what you liked. Compare them in cocktail recipe apps.

Compared from each developer’s own store description.
Start with	What it covers	Tip
A few base spirits	gin, a whisky or rum, a vodka or tequila	buy for the drinks you already like
Fresh citrus and sugar syrup	the sour and sweet side of most classics	syrup is sugar dissolved in water
A jigger, shaker and strainer	measuring, shaking and pouring cleanly	a jar with a lid can stand in for a shaker
Lots of ice	chilling and dilution	more ice melts slower, not faster

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to start making cocktails at home?

A few spirits you like, fresh citrus, sugar syrup, a jigger to measure, a shaker and strainer, and plenty of ice. Add bottles one recipe at a time.

When should a cocktail be shaken or stirred?

Shake drinks with citrus, juice, cream or egg white. Stir drinks made only of spirits, vermouths and bitters.

How do I find cocktails I can make with what I have?

Use a cocktail app that tracks your bottles and filters recipes by them, or start from a classic and swap within the same type of spirit.