33 Crave-Worthy Cocktails Made With 3 Ingredients (or Fewer!)

POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry
A Cozy Kitchen

What's full of showstopping flavor, is easy to make, and might not even necessitate a stop at the liquor store to procure its limited ingredient list? Why, these cocktails that clock in at a mere three ingredients (or fewer), of course! Keep reading for the simplest inspiration to streamline your cocktail hour, whether your tastes run toward that which is light and floral (the Hummingbird), robust and indulgent (a Guinness milkshake), or something in between. Cheers!

Grapefruit Shandy
A Cozy Kitchen

Grapefruit Shandy

For day drinking, you can do no better than a grapefruit shandy, a low-octane concoction of grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and beer.

Gingersnap Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Gingersnap Cocktail

Cuddle up by the (real or imagined) fireplace with a sweet but not cloying tipple sourced from David Chang's famed Momofuku Ko.

Sparkling Lillet Grapefruit Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Sparkling Lillet Grapefruit Cocktail

This Champagne cocktail is refreshing and pretty to look at, so try it with your next fancy brunch.

Homemade Butterbeer
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Homemade Butterbeer

This Harry Potter-inspired drink is rich, warm, and flavorful — one might even call it magical.

French Martini
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French Martini

This popular martini variation only requires three ingredients!

Easy Mint Julep
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Easy Mint Julep

Sipping on this refreshing Southern cocktail will instantly inspire visions of the Kentucky Derby . . . or Disneyland.

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail

Ruby-colored, undeniably festive, and not too sweet, this pomegranate take on the Kir Royale — a classic Champagne and Chambord concoction — is sure to turn heads.

Guinness Milkshake
POPSUGAR Photography | Lauren Hendrickson

Guinness Milkshake

Will a frothy Guinness milkshake get you tipsy? Probably not, but that's hardly the point with a drink this luscious.

Martini
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Martini

Can you imagine a better drink for Mad Men marathons than a martini?

French Martini
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French Martini

This french martini couldn't be easier!

Cognac Sparkler
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Cognac Sparkler

For a light apéritif, try a cognac sparkler, which owes its golden hue to cognac and sparkling apple cider.

Gin and It
POPSUGAR Photography | Lauren Hendrickson

Gin and It

Gin and It is a simple yet complex-flavored concoction of gin and Italian vermouth (get it?). To cut through this sweet and strong cocktail, add a lemon wedge or twist as a garnish.

Grapefruit Mimosa
POPSUGAR Photography | Camilla Salem

Grapefruit Mimosa

For a bittersweet spin on the classic mimosa, pair zesty freshly squeezed grapefruit juice with Champagne.

Aperol Spritz
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Aperol Spritz

This Aperol spritz recipe is like orange soda all grown up.

Salty Dog
POPSUGAR Photography | Lauren Hendrickson

Salty Dog

The salted rim on this cousin of the Greyhound cocktail serves double-duty by providing visual interest and reining in grapefruit juice's bitter flavor.

Coffee Martini
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Coffee Martini

Combine two favorite drinks (coffee and vodka) into one drink, the coffee martini.

Beermosa
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Beermosa

Beer and orange juice? Sign me up. Pick a refreshing beer that compliments fruit, such as a Blue Moon or Corona, and stir in some OJ for a refreshing beermosa.

Hibiscus Sparkling Wine Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Hibiscus Sparkling Wine Cocktail

It only takes two ingredients to make this beautiful floral cocktail, but it's sure to impress any guest!

Dark and Stormy
POPSUGAR Photography | Nancy Einhart

Dark and Stormy

Robust dark rum plays nicely with tangy lime juice and fiery ginger beer for a low-fuss, high-impact cocktail.

Pared-Down Margarita
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Pared-Down Margarita

Throw away the sweet-and-sour mix and any notions you might have of cloyingly sweet, hangover-inducing margaritas, and instead shake up a pared-down and oh-so-refreshing version sourced from a much-lauded San Francisco tequila bar.

Mango-Grapefruit Mimosa
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Mango-Grapefruit Mimosa

Add a tropical twist to your favorite brunch cocktail with this mango-grapefruit mimosa recipe.

Gimlet
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Gimlet

This simple gimlet recipe is a twist on a classic gin-and-tonic.

Cranberry-Infused Vermouth Martini
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Cranberry-Infused Vermouth Martini

While this cranberry-studded stunner requires some (minor) advance planning in order to infuse the vermouth with cranberry flavor, it's quite easy to construct, and is well worth the minimal foresight involved.

Hummingbird
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Hummingbird

Delicate like the eponymous bird, the Hummingbird requires little but St. Germain, Champagne, and club soda (though a lemon twist can't hurt).

Gimlet
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Gimlet

Take a card out of Katy Perry's book by sipping on some gin and juice . . . lime juice, that is! This classic green Gimlet is the perfect cocktail for any occasion.

Negroni
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Negroni

This Negroni cocktail is made with a touch of a bittersweet aperitif that will grow on you with every sip.

Classic Mimosa
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Classic Mimosa

Few drinks bring to mind the phrase "if it ain't broke . . ." than the classic mimosa, which clocks in at a mere two ingredients. Although, if you don't feel like taking advice from trite idioms, a splash of Grand Marnier in each glass certainly won't hurt.

Stinger
POPSUGAR Photography | Nancy Einhart

Stinger

Sourced from a classic cocktail bible, The Savoy Cocktail Book, the Stinger is a two-ingredient stunner that's most at home as a postmeal drink.

Irish Whiskey Highball
POPSUGAR Photography | Lauren Hendrickson

Irish Whiskey Highball

It doesn't get much simpler or more satisfying than a concoction of Irish whiskey, ginger ale, and a lemon twist.

Grapefruit St. Germain Champagne Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Grapefruit St. Germain Champagne Cocktail

Floral St. Germain liqueur balances out bittersweet grapefruit juice in this bright and fruity Champagne cocktail.

Cranberry Vodka Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Cranberry Vodka Cocktail

The old-fashioned meets cranberry vodka in this classic cocktail-inspired drink, and it's a glorious reunion indeed.

Tinto de Verano
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Tinto de Verano

This red wine spritzer is an inexpensive Spanish version of sangria, so it's a great option for party drinks.

Redheaded Ginger
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Redheaded Ginger

If you're looking for a drink that's fruity, complex, and satisfying, this Lillet Rouge cocktail is the perfect pick.

POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry