12 Iconic 3-Ingredient Cocktails Every Home Mixologist Should Know

There are certain 3-ingredient drinks that form the Hall of Fame in mixology. They're often easy to make, bold in flavor, and most importantly, perfectly balanced. Any budding home bartender should know how to make them, too. 

Three is actually the minimum number of ingredients required to call something a cocktail and not a mixed drink. According to Jarred Rozansky, the curator behind the Best Cocktails Instagram account and the founder of the Best Cocktails Spirits Competition, three is the magic number when it comes to mixology. "They're easy to make, the spirits generally stand out in them, most of the time they're spirit-forward, and it's a good way to showcase a spirit you like," says Rozansky. "In general, the better the spirit, the better the quality of the drink, but everyone's budget is different."

The anatomy of a 3-ingredient drink is simple. First, you have 1.5 to 2 ounces of your base layer — a gin, vodka, tequila, or any major spirit. Then comes the aperitif, like a vermouth, an amaro, or a low-alcohol percentage drink. The third ingredient can vary, and that's often where the character of a cocktail becomes pronounced. Some will use bitters, some use lemon juice, and some use simple syrup. "You look for a good balance of flavor, stuff that can stand out," says Rozansky. From whiskey to tequila, these are the 12 iconic 3-ingredient cocktails every home mixologist should know.

A Negroni is one of those classics that seems to be every bartender's favorite. In some cities, there is even a Negroni week or month these days, and in 2025, it was voted the world's best-selling cocktail for the fourth year in a row. Made out of equal parts gin, vermouth, and Campari, it is one of the most balanced cocktails on the market. "You get your little bitter, your sweetness, and your kick from the gin. It's a good intro cocktail to bitter liquors," says Jarred Rozansky.

The legend behind the Negroni goes that in 1919 in Florence, Italy, Count Camillo Negroni walked into a bar and, instead of becoming the butt of a joke, he invented a legendary cocktail. Allegedly, he ordered a stronger variation of the then-famous Americano, a drink that combined soda water, sweet vermouth, and Campari. The rest, as they say, is history.

According to Rozansky, the popularity of a Negroni stems from the fact you can easily elevate it. First, you can vary your gin base, opting for a bolder gin to give it a different flavor profile. You can even pour more of the gin and mess with the ratio, like Anthony Bourdain famously did to his favorite drink on a late-night talk show. Otherwise, you can swap the gin with Prosecco for a Negroni sbagliato, top it up with a splash of soda and lemon juice for a Negroni spritz, or even add a splash of beer. It may no longer number just 3 ingredients, but these fancy Negronis will make you appreciate the classic.

Love whiskey but don't want to sip it like your dad? Then the whiskey sour may be just the drink for you. "It's a very fun, easy cocktail for the person who likes whiskey but doesn't want to drink it straight or on the rocks," says Jarred Rozansky. "It's very refreshing and lasts a while longer." The drink is very simple. A whiskey base is lightened up with a dash of lemon juice and simple syrup, and the drink is occasionally topped with whipped egg white. The flavor is sweet-and-sour, aromatic, and easy to drink. Just remember that fresh lemon juice is best in a whiskey sour, and maybe skip the pre-made sour mix.

Of course, there are plenty of ways to take your whiskey sour to another level. Good choices are toasting your sugar before making the syrup to add a smoky dimension, or adding a stir of salted caramel to amplify the butterscotch flavors of the whiskey. Finally, don't forget to garnish your whiskey sour with a play of cherries and lemon or orange peel, to truly do the drink justice.

Made famous by everyone's idea of an all-inclusive beach vacation, the classic daiquiri is actually a far cry from the frozen, commercially-produced, mix-based concoctions of our youth. At its core, a daiquiri has three ingredients: Rum, lemon juice, and simple syrup. It's essentially a rum sour in a tropical disguise. "It's a nice, refreshing cocktail for the summer that has some serious tropical vibes with minimal ingredients," says Jarred Rozansky.

Of course, from there, this drink is ripe for adaptations. Made popular by author Ernest Hemingway, who allegedly drank 16 of them during one famous interview, the Hemingway daiquiri is known as a Papa Doble. It contains Bacardi White Label rum, lime and grapefruit juice, and six drops of maraschino liqueur in place of the simple syrup. The strawberry daiquiri just adds a fresh berry and muddles it with the rest. You can even make a good frozen daiquiri if you work with homemade ingredients. But whatever you do, avoid using cheap rum or adding too much sugar, lest you turn your 3-ingredient masterpiece into a vacation cliché.

The drink that gets a bad rep from too many drunken movie scenes or rowdy bachelorette parties is actually an understated classic when made right. In fact, its main fault is how easily this tequila sour masks the alcohol, often resulting in those fabled hangovers.

Jarred Rozansky recommends mastering the classic margarita for its versatility. "You've got a little tequila action, a little lime juice, and triple sec or cointreau." He explains that he prefers triple sec for its sweetness, "but that's just me, there's no wrong answer for that." The secret to a perfect margarita is the 3-2-1 ratio, with tequila leading the charge, followed by lemon juice and orange liqueur.

"It's a great cocktail for those who associate tequila with just shots," he says. And if you've got a party, don't avoid the margarita just because of its reputation; instead, make a batch of them in an icy, tall pitcher and give yourself a well-deserved mixology break.

If we didn't love the Coen Brothers for their contributions to modern-day cinema, then we'd owe them a debt of gratitude at the very least for bringing White Russians to the public eye, courtesy of the movie, "The Big Lebowski." The favorite drink of the main character, Jeff Lebowski, is equal parts vodka, cream, and coffee-flavored liqueur like Kahlúa. It tastes like toasted nuts, or a very boozy espresso martini.

"It's a good cocktail for people who like coffee," says Jarred Rozansky, advising all home bartenders to keep this easily drinkable classic in their holiday brunch repertoire, especially if you swap the cream for eggnog or add a pinch of pumpkin spice. It differs from a Black Russian in that it is much smoother and mellower, just like adding cream or milk to your coffee transforms it into something else entirely.

A White Russian is an easy classic that may sound surprising, but tastes surprisingly decadent. It also happens to be the base of Colorado's unofficial state drink, which means it's perfect for lovers of the outdoors, rustic cabins, and après ski weekends.

Our next 3-ingredient cocktail is one you may not immediately think of — a riff on the drink that became the brunch darling, the classic 2-ingredient mimosa. Jarred Rozansky recommends taking the original drink and adding flavor or a higher-proof alcohol to make it stiffer. "It's a refreshing breakfast cocktail," says Rozansky. "You take the basic champagne-orange juice combo, and throw in a little raspberry liqueur or vodka to make it stronger."

You don't need fancy champagne to make a great mimosa; in fact, a simple cava or Prosecco is the perfect base. You can play with the ratios to your liking, adding more or less flavoring to the sparkling wine, but remember that if you add half an ounce of vodka at the base, per Rozansky's suggestion, you may want to dial up the orange juice. Avoid regular ice cubes from diluting your drink by instead chilling the glasses before pouring, or making orange juice cubes in advance.

Luckily for tequila fans, the world of 3-ingredient cocktails has another vehicle for enjoying their preferred liquor beyond slammers, and that's the bittersweet paloma. Spanish for "dove," this light drink is a mix of tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime, garnished with salt around the rim. This cocktail tastes exceptionally refreshing on a hot summer's day.

"It's a nice balance between sour and salty," says Jarred Rozansky. The drink's key is to use an unaged blanco tequila like Gran Centenario Plata or Cuervo Tradicional Blanco, and fresh lime juice instead of preserved. But if you want to experiment, the canvas is open for interpretation. You can also take your paloma towards new horizons by mixing orange and grapefruit juices with the lime and making a cantarito, a Mexican drink named for the clay cup in which it's traditionally served. Add beer and make it a paloma shandy, or some watermelon juice for a super-hydrating watermelon paloma.

To take whiskey from a sour into a woodsy, smoky, and much richer direction, try a boulevardier, a bartender's favorite that home mixologists rarely make. It's an equal parts mix of whiskey, Campari, and some rosso vermouth, and using either rye whiskey or bourbon gives the drink a unique character.

Jarred Rozansky considers this an excellent drink to show off the versatility of whiskey, saying, "it goes against the stereotype that it should be drunk neat or on the rocks." A boulevardier should still be served in a whiskey tumbler on ice, but it's much richer than a simple pour of whiskey can be.

If the classic boulevardier recipe tastes a bit similar to Negroni, that's because the ingredients here are mostly the same, except for the base liquor, meaning that the two drinks share a bittersweet, nuanced flavor profile. Just like the Negroni, this drink is a favorite among culinary giants like Alton Brown which, to us, is a ringing endorsement.

If you want another strong spin on a mimosa, try a French 75, a 1920s favorite among flappers that would be right at home at every Great Gatsby-inspired party. This effervescent coupe combines gin, sparkling wine, and lemon juice in a champagne flute, often garnished with a lemon curl. "For the person who wants to look elegant at a party," says Jarred Rozansky, "it's an easy, light, refreshing cocktail for the champagne lover."

The French 75 is named after the French 75 mm field gun used in World War I, as the drink was said to have such a kick that it felt like being hit by powerful artillery. Despite what this comparison may suggest, the cocktail itself is rather refined and balanced. The lemon juice's bright citrus notes complement the gin's botanical profile, with the Champagne lending a sparkling lightness to the whole drink. To make the best French 75, we recommend using fresh lemon juice and a dry Champagne or sparkling wine.

According to Jarred Rozansky, a dirty martini is "one of the best cocktails out there, because there is no wrong way to make one." "You can use vodka, you can use gin. You can use more or less of the dry vermouth. You can use more olive brine, you can use less olive brine. Every one is different," he explains.

The traditional recipe calls for gin or vodka, dry vermouth, and olive brine, with an olive garnish. The proportions, however, are entirely up to personal preference. Some prefer their martini extra dirty with a generous pour of olive brine, while others want just a whisper of brine, or a gentle fluttering of the vermouth over the glass.

The dirty martini gets its characteristic saltiness from the olive brine. It's this not-so-secret ingredient that makes the dirty martini so filthy, in the best way possible. If you're a brine lover, we recommend grabbing extra from the closest olive bar — or consider swapping it for pepperoncini juice. Whichever flavor you choose, the best dirty martini is just a chilled glass and a few shakes away.

A 3-ingredient cocktail that came out of the Prohibition era comes with a rather enigmatic name: the bee's knees. This drink which, as the name suggests, is rather fabulous, combines gin, honey, and lemon juice for a result that feels floral but packs a punch.

"For the gin fan who is looking for a sweeter cocktail," notes Jarred Rozansky. The legend behind the drink says that it came about as a result of many people brewing homemade "bathtub gin," which tended to taste rather vile. To hide the bitter, alcoholic flavor, people began adding honey and lemon to the drink, just like you would to a cup of tea. But who could have guessed that when you combine gin, homemade honey syrup and lemon juice, you'll end up with a rather elegant-feeling sipper? The bee's Knees is a cocktail that's refreshing, slightly sweet, and sophisticated without being overpowering. Perfect for when you want to showcase gin in a different light.

To round up our trip down memory lane into the world of iconic 3-ingredient cocktails, we come across the Manhattan, and this drink is as legendary as the city it celebrates. "It's a good all-around balanced cocktail using rye whiskey," explains Jarred Rozansky. Traditionally served in a coupe glass and garnished with a brandied cherry, the Manhattan is just the drink to make if you're a whiskey aficionado who appreciates nuance. The sweet vermouth adds complexity and a touch of sweetness, while the bitters tie everything together with aromatic depth.

The Manhattan proves that when it comes to cocktails, simplicity often leads to perfection. With just three ingredients, it continues to captivate drinkers well over a century after its creation.