Turn it into a shot of cheap deliciousness. For you pickle juice lovers yes, you , we bring you the bar favorite, the pickleback shot. For whiskey lovers who are sipping on a budget, the Angry Badger combines the intensity of cinnamon whiskey with the pleasantness of honey whiskey for a well-rounded, absolutely boozy shot.

Keep it simple with vodka, gin, iced tea, and cola. All Recipes. Super Bowl Drinks. Drinks By Liquor. You could always order it the other way around, too: Ask for a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry.

It's a lower-carb option, and it'll taste better than vodka and soda alone. If you're in the mood for whiskey, bourbon, or rye, look to the Old Fashioned. It's a simple drink made with whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water, but it will make inexpensive whiskeys taste significantly better than ordering them on the rocks.

It's also a good drink to sip slowly, so you can drink one for every two beers your friends order. If you want to make the drink go a little further, ask the bartender to use crushed ice instead of a giant cube. It'll melt more quickly and water down the drink. You could also ask for a splash of soda water, too, if the flavor is too strong for your liking.

Traditionally, an Old Fashioned is made with a sugar cube dotted with a few drops of Angostura bitters. If you add a splash of water and crush the cube with a cocktail muddler, it will completely dissolve into the whiskey.

Today, many bars use simple syrup instead of a sugar cube because it's easier to incorporate into the drink, preventing any gritty sips. No matter what you do, don't ruin this cocktail by asking for sugar substitutes like Splenda or Stevia; the sugar's purpose is to balance out the spicy alcohol flavor, and the cocktail just won't taste the same with artificial substitutes.

The Seven and Seven is one of those drinks that will taste exactly the same, no matter where you order it. It's simple in flavor because it's made with only two ingredients, so it drinks as easy as a Jack and Coke or gin and tonic. You'll also find the components at almost every bar you visit: Seagram's 7 Crown Blended Whiskey and 7Up soda.

Mix them together, serve it over ice, and garnish it with a lime wedge to create a sparkling whiskey drink that's ridiculously refreshing.

The pairing has been a classic since the '70s because it's so easy to make. It doesn't hurt that the sweet flavor of 7Up covers up the mediocre flavor of the blended whiskey, too. American blended whiskeys are so inexpensive because they only have to contain 20 percent whiskey; the rest can be made up of neutral grain spirits, colorings, and flavorings.

That makes Seagram's a go-to whiskey for buget-seekers, but the company doesn't seem to be bothered by this reputation.

In fact, they embraced the divey nature of this cocktail by launching National Dive Bar Day on July 7, Get it: 7 and 7? Gin has a love-it-or-hate-it kind of reputation.

Some people dig its citrusy, piney flavor and aroma while others find drinking it to be akin to chewing on a handful of pine needles. If you're not a gin fan, you'll want to skip right past this drink; there's really no covering up gin's assertive flavor by mixing it with the eclectic flavors in tonic water.

You could always order a vodka tonic, but the gin and tonic is one of our favorite cheap mixed drinks to order at a bar. There are some great gin brands out there, and most of them won't break the bank like tequila or whiskey.

Many bars use New Amsterdam as their well gin, which is not only super inexpensive but it's also an award-winning gin. It received excellent scores from Beverage Testing Institute and Wine Enthusiast, and it also earned medals at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Mix a gin like this with the bitter-sweet flavors of tonic water, add in a spritz of fresh lime, and you'll be drinking on the cheap all night long. If you notice any copper mugs behind the bar, you should do yourself a favor and order up a Moscow mule. Believe it or not, the mug itself is actually an integral ingredient in this inexpensive cocktail.

When it's not served in copper, a Moscow Mule is just a refreshing combination of vodka, ginger beer, and lime.

Put it all together in a copper mug with crushed ice, and this drink becomes legendary. The copper keeps the drink extra cold , chilling your lips from the moment you take a sip. It also keeps the ginger beer as fizzy as possible, as cold temps help carbon dioxide bubbles stay in suspension.

Like other inexpensive vodka drinks, the flavor of the ginger beer can cover up the lackluster flavor of cheap vodka, so sip away without blowing your budget. The other great thing about a Moscow mule is it's often featured during happy hour, so this inexpensive drink can become even more affordable if you time it out right.

Margaritas might be featured at Mexican restaurants, but almost every bar you visit has everything they need to whip up this classic drink. You don't need to be drinking top-shelf tequila with fancy additions like Grand Marnier to make a margarita taste great, either.

There are a ton of cheap tequilas out there. If you choose one that's made with percent agave like Milagro or Sauza , you'll save a ton of money and still get a great tasting drink. Keep in mind that many people find that "mixto" tequilas that aren't made with pure agave like Jose Cuervo Gold can lead to headaches the next day, so you'll have to decide for yourself if it's really worth it to go super cheap here.

If you happen to be at a bar with fresh lime juice, all the better. Margaritas are often made with sours mix , a concoction made from sugar and citrus juice. Unfortunately, commercial sours mix also has a ton of additives and preservatives, and it can taste cloyingly sweet.

If your bartender mixes up your margarita with real lime juice and a splash of simple syrup, that cheap marg will taste so much better.

Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Cocktails Cocktail Party Drinks Recipes By Course. By Colleen Graham. Colleen Graham.

Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process. Fact checked by Elizabeth Brownfield.

Elizabeth Brownfield is a writer, editor, and researcher who specializes in food, travel, home, and lifestyle content. She's worked on the staffs of Domino, Martha Stewart, Metropolitan Home, and Every Day with Rachael Ray magazines, and was Senior Digital Editor at Food Network.

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Rum Daiquiri Tequila/Margarita Bourbon/Mint Juleps

Economical drink options - Vodka/Cape Codder Rum Daiquiri Tequila/Margarita Bourbon/Mint Juleps

Combine vodka, triple sec, mixed berry Powerade, and lemon-lime soda for a boozy blue cocktail. You gotta do the Dew with Mountain Dew, vodka, and Hawaiian punch. Vodka lemonades are such underrated cheap drinks, but it makes sense, right? Just combine vodka, beer, and pink lemonade concentrate. Drop a few of these bite-sized party drinks.

For all our vegan friends throwing parties, we gotchu. Yeah, we know most cheap drinks are made with vodka, so this one goes out to all our whiskey fans who love to party. Drop a shot of whiskey into half a pint of beer, and BANG!

There you have it! Easy mixed drinks are the name of the party game, baby. Gin, lemon-lime soda, and tonic water are great for partygoers watching their macros. Bottles of wine can cost anywhere from 5 cents to an arm and a leg. Luckily no one can tell the difference with the best sangria recipes.

Brandy, dry red wine, and lemon-lime soda will do your party some good. A whiskey bucket recipe will do you some good for those smaller parties. All you need is whiskey, Red Bull, and soda. If the flavor is too strong for your liking, ask the bartender to add a splash of soda water.

You could always order it the other way around, too: Ask for a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry. It's a lower-carb option, and it'll taste better than vodka and soda alone. If you're in the mood for whiskey, bourbon, or rye, look to the Old Fashioned. It's a simple drink made with whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water, but it will make inexpensive whiskeys taste significantly better than ordering them on the rocks.

It's also a good drink to sip slowly, so you can drink one for every two beers your friends order. If you want to make the drink go a little further, ask the bartender to use crushed ice instead of a giant cube. It'll melt more quickly and water down the drink. You could also ask for a splash of soda water, too, if the flavor is too strong for your liking.

Traditionally, an Old Fashioned is made with a sugar cube dotted with a few drops of Angostura bitters. If you add a splash of water and crush the cube with a cocktail muddler, it will completely dissolve into the whiskey. Today, many bars use simple syrup instead of a sugar cube because it's easier to incorporate into the drink, preventing any gritty sips.

No matter what you do, don't ruin this cocktail by asking for sugar substitutes like Splenda or Stevia; the sugar's purpose is to balance out the spicy alcohol flavor, and the cocktail just won't taste the same with artificial substitutes.

The Seven and Seven is one of those drinks that will taste exactly the same, no matter where you order it. It's simple in flavor because it's made with only two ingredients, so it drinks as easy as a Jack and Coke or gin and tonic. You'll also find the components at almost every bar you visit: Seagram's 7 Crown Blended Whiskey and 7Up soda.

Mix them together, serve it over ice, and garnish it with a lime wedge to create a sparkling whiskey drink that's ridiculously refreshing. The pairing has been a classic since the '70s because it's so easy to make.

It doesn't hurt that the sweet flavor of 7Up covers up the mediocre flavor of the blended whiskey, too. American blended whiskeys are so inexpensive because they only have to contain 20 percent whiskey; the rest can be made up of neutral grain spirits, colorings, and flavorings.

That makes Seagram's a go-to whiskey for buget-seekers, but the company doesn't seem to be bothered by this reputation. In fact, they embraced the divey nature of this cocktail by launching National Dive Bar Day on July 7, Get it: 7 and 7?

Gin has a love-it-or-hate-it kind of reputation. Some people dig its citrusy, piney flavor and aroma while others find drinking it to be akin to chewing on a handful of pine needles. If you're not a gin fan, you'll want to skip right past this drink; there's really no covering up gin's assertive flavor by mixing it with the eclectic flavors in tonic water.

You could always order a vodka tonic, but the gin and tonic is one of our favorite cheap mixed drinks to order at a bar.

There are some great gin brands out there, and most of them won't break the bank like tequila or whiskey. Many bars use New Amsterdam as their well gin, which is not only super inexpensive but it's also an award-winning gin. It received excellent scores from Beverage Testing Institute and Wine Enthusiast, and it also earned medals at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Mix a gin like this with the bitter-sweet flavors of tonic water, add in a spritz of fresh lime, and you'll be drinking on the cheap all night long. If you notice any copper mugs behind the bar, you should do yourself a favor and order up a Moscow mule.

Believe it or not, the mug itself is actually an integral ingredient in this inexpensive cocktail. When it's not served in copper, a Moscow Mule is just a refreshing combination of vodka, ginger beer, and lime. Put it all together in a copper mug with crushed ice, and this drink becomes legendary.

The copper keeps the drink extra cold , chilling your lips from the moment you take a sip. It also keeps the ginger beer as fizzy as possible, as cold temps help carbon dioxide bubbles stay in suspension.

Like other inexpensive vodka drinks, the flavor of the ginger beer can cover up the lackluster flavor of cheap vodka, so sip away without blowing your budget. The other great thing about a Moscow mule is it's often featured during happy hour, so this inexpensive drink can become even more affordable if you time it out right.

Margaritas might be featured at Mexican restaurants, but almost every bar you visit has everything they need to whip up this classic drink.

You don't need to be drinking top-shelf tequila with fancy additions like Grand Marnier to make a margarita taste great, either. There are a ton of cheap tequilas out there. If you choose one that's made with percent agave like Milagro or Sauza , you'll save a ton of money and still get a great tasting drink.

Keep in mind that many people find that "mixto" tequilas that aren't made with pure agave like Jose Cuervo Gold can lead to headaches the next day, so you'll have to decide for yourself if it's really worth it to go super cheap here.

If you happen to be at a bar with fresh lime juice, all the better. Margaritas are often made with sours mix , a concoction made from sugar and citrus juice.

Unfortunately, commercial sours mix also has a ton of additives and preservatives, and it can taste cloyingly sweet. From fruity punches for adults to classic margaritas and pitcher mojitos, you'll find a boozy new party favorite in this collection of our best affordable big-batch cocktails.

You need just club soda and white wine to make this cheap and easy party punch. Recipe creator ANNARK recommends adding peach schnapps or orange soda for a bit more flavor. Here's a creamy, decadent, and tropical-tasting drink that's perfect for sipping by the pool. A two-liter bottle of lemon-lime soda adds welcome fizz and flavor.

Here's a classic lemonade made with just lemons, sugar, water, and ice that serves This recipe is non-alcoholic, but you can easily add vodka to the mix for a boozy bite. It doesn't get much more refreshing than this classic big-batch mojito recipe.

Rum and club soda are poured over a mixture of muddled sugar, limes, and fresh mint leaves. You only need two ingredients cola-flavored carbonated beverage, such as original Coca-Cola, and a bottle of red wine to make this classic Spanish cocktail that serves Perfect for bridal showers and bachelorette parties, this fun rosé-based drink starts with a package of frozen lemonade concentrate and ends with a fizzy liter of ginger ale.

Looking for the perfect poolside sipper? Your search ends with this four-ingredient cocktail made with raspberry lemonade, watermelon vodka, coconut-flavored rum, and triple sec. It couldn't be easier to mix up this big-batch drink with just a can of frozen orange juice concentrate, bourbon whiskey, a bottle of chilled lemon-lime soda, and a tray of ice cubes.

Recipe creator CHERYL BLUE calls this fruity drink "a wonderful change from the everyday orange juice and Champagne mimosa. Everyone at your get-together will enjoy this three-ingredient champagne cocktail flavored with strawberries and ginger-ale. Here's an old-fashioned, festive punch that is sure to make your season merry.

Orange juice is combined with lemonade concentrate, limeade concentrate, vodka, and water in a large punch bowl to make this five-minute drink. Chilled and sliced peaches are blended with a bottle of Champagne. This Mexican mocktail is ideal for strawberry season.

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Economical drink options - Vodka/Cape Codder Rum Daiquiri Tequila/Margarita Bourbon/Mint Juleps

Get the Kalimotxo recipe. Is there any whiskey cocktail more iconic and simple than a whiskey ginger? Not only does it look great atop a drink, but it's also great for snacking. Get the Whiskey Ginger recipe. Our classic version of sangria is light and bubbly with an addition of seltzer water and the perfect ratio of wine to brandy.

It's also perfect all year round: Skip the summer berries and swap in fall fruits like pears and apples to keep enjoying this summer classic whenever the craving strikes.

Get the Red Sangria recipe. The margarita, now one of the most popular cocktails in the world, is thought to have started out as the variation on another prohibition-era drink called the "Daisy. Get the Classic Margaritas recipe.

Created in the s at the Soggy Dollar Bar in British Virgin Islands, the Painkiller lives up to its name, delivering plenty of booze in a frothy, nutmeg-dusted package. Get the Painkiller Cocktail recipe.

If you thought a can of White Claw was perfect on its own, you haven't given it a whirl in your blender. This recipe if you can even call it that! can be easily customized based on what flavors and fruits you prefer.

Get the Spiked Seltzer Slushies recipe. You can use a wooden spoon or any other kitchen tool that could be used to mash and grind in a glass.

For a mojito, you want to muddle mint just enough so that the leaves emit their natural oils, but not too much that they bruise or break into pieces. Get the Mint Mojito recipe. The mix of fresh and frozen strawberries in this recipe is the trick for a smooth, frosty daiquiri.

If you love this drink, then we think you'll really love our strawberry frosé. Get the Strawberry Daiquiri recipe. Crafted with ingredients you already have in your fridge, the gin rickey is as refreshing as it is simple to make and, not to mention, low-carb!

Get the Gin Rickey recipe. The Aperol Spritz, also known as the Spritz Veneziano, is an Italian classic that has an iconic bittersweetness reminiscent of burnt orange and tart rhubarb. When paired with Prosecco and a bit of soda water, it makes an amazing cocktail to drink in the warmer months.

Get the Aperol Spritz recipe. Basil-infused vodka? Sign us up. This lemonade cocktail brings out the sweetness of the herb and turns the spirit a vibrant green.

Get the Spiked Sparkling Basil Lemonade recipe. Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine. If wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.

Best Bloody Mary. Strawberry Daiquiri. The Ultimate Super Bowl Drinking Game. Blood Orange Mocktail Spritzer. Chocolate Martini. Black Russian Cocktail. Grapefruit-Rosemary Mocktail Spritz.

White Russian. Search Subscribe. sign in. Mardi Gras Cocktails Easy Chicken Dinners Valentine's Day Desserts Cajun Recipes Red Velvet Recipes. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Mackenzie Filson. These drink recipes use easy bartending techniques that anyone can pull off.

Those served on the rocks, for instance, require nothing more than a quick stir. Shaking martinis is also simple, and a Mason jar is an excellent substitute for a cocktail shaker. You can even pull off muddled drinks with the wooden spoon in your kitchen. And yet, the secret to great mixed drinks is ice.

Keep your ice trays topped off and toss old ice to ensure you're using the freshest cubes. You'll see a significant improvement in every cocktail. Easy and delicious, the black Russian is one of the best drinks for a tight budget. All you need to do is stir together vodka and coffee liqueur look for lesser-known brands to save more money.

With a few extras at hand, you can make any number of vodka drinks. Add cream, and you have a white Russian , or use Irish cream for a mudslide. Top it with club soda for a Smith and Wesson or cola for a Colorado bulldog.

Whiskey makes it a sneaky Pete , while tequila's an excellent option for a dirty bird. Pick up a six-pack of ginger ale, grab a whiskey bottle, then mix up the " highball " of all highballs.

Depending on your whiskey of choice, each drink costs just a dollar or two. Tall drinks save the most money because they naturally take longer to drink. Switching the soda or liquor creates a bunch of popular mixed drinks, too.

For instance, the Presbyterian adds club soda for extra sparkle without additional sweetness. The rum and Coke is one of the simplest drinks you can mix up. With those two ingredients, you can switch it up a bit.

The easiest variation is the Cuba Libre , which simply adds fresh lime. The lounge lizard pours a shot of amaretto, while the lime cola holds the rum for an old-fashioned soda fountain drink. The gin rickey is a simple gin highball with the tart taste of lime. One way to save money in the bar is to invest in a soda maker or siphon so you can skip buying individual bottles.

A well-stocked bar and a little soda can take you from the rickey to a myriad of other drinks, including the nonalcoholic lime rickey and the whiskey fizz. Another option is to explore the famous collins family of drinks , which can be made with gin, whiskey, vodka, or nearly any spirit. The shandy is a brilliantly simple drink and a wonderfully refreshing choice on hot summer days.

Use fresh lemonade or store-bought, then mix it with your favorite cheap beer , and you're done! The original serves as inspiration for a variety of other shandy recipes. You can swap out the citrus juice, mix in flavored syrup, or both. There are even some spicy shandies that are taste sensations.

The margarita is an incredibly simple drink of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. While it is better with top-shelf liquors, good budget-friendly options make an excellent drink, especially if you use fresh lime juice. There's no way to get bored with a margarita either.

Shake it, blend it, or toss in some extra flavor. A bottle of tequila offers many possibilities, and there are several margarita recipes to explore. The daiquiri is just as versatile as the margarita.

Rum is often cheaper than tequila, and this recipe requires lime juice and simple syrup. Stick with the original cocktail or diversify your drinking experience with nearly any flavor. The strawberry daiquiri is a favorite, and either fresh or frozen berries will do.

Toss a banana into the blender, and you have a banana daiquiri. You can also add fruit and herbal flavors to the syrup and create fascinating mixes like the rhubarb-rosemary daiquiri. Vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup combine for an elegant and low-cost drink.

The zing of a freshly-made lemon drop martini is a pure pleasure. The syrup is nothing more than sugar and water, so it costs just pennies to make. Use the lilac lemon drop martini recipe as inspiration for infusing it with extra flavor.

With a floral syrup or fruity vodka, you can enjoy an array of vodka martinis for far less than cocktails at the bar.

A favorite for many drinkers, the gin and tonic can be as reasonable or extravagant as you want to make it. You can find some great affordable gins and tonic water at any liquor store. With tonic, you can make a great variety of drinks. An obvious choice is the vodka tonic , though whiskey and tonic is excellent too.

Add a shot of flavored syrup like the one used in the strawberry gin and tonic , or pour a random fruit juice. Just look in the fridge and see what you have to use.

Spruce up a low-cost bottle of wine with simple wine cocktails. One delicious approach is the kir cocktail , in which an equally inexpensive bottle of crème de cassis adds a touch of flavor and sweetness to a dry white wine.

Sparkling wine gives it a lively twist, while red wine creates a cardinal cocktail. Sometimes it takes a few fresh herbs to liven up a drink. If you have a bottle of rum, some mint, sugar, lime, and club soda, you have a mojito.

There are many ways to tweak and change up the mojito. The easiest is by adding a little fruit to the muddle. Any berry works great, and the raspberry mojito is a favorite. You can also go the tropical route with a pineapple mojito or switch to mango, peach, or watermelon.

When your rum reserves dry up, switch to vodka or white wine. Whiskey makes it a mint julep , which is just as versatile. A bottle of grenadine can last a surprisingly long time, which gives you plenty of opportunities to mix up a tequila sunrise.

Make it with fresh-squeezed orange juice when you have the fruit, or go with the bottled juice, It's great either way. The "sunrises" don't stop there. Use the same ingredients to make a tequila sunrise margarita , skip the liquor for a sweet sunrise , or go with whiskey in a sour sunrise.

Other fruit juices work, too. Enjoy tart grapefruit in a ruby rum sunrise. Ginger beer is an excellent drink mixer with tons of potential.

It's most famous for the Moscow mule , which pairs the spiced brew with vodka and a hint of lime. From there, you can warm up ginger beer for a holiday-worthy Christmas mule or add cider and enjoy an apple-cinnamon mule.

The dark and stormy is rum's answer to the mule, the añejo highball takes that mix to an interesting new level, and the gin-gin mule features gin with a bit of mint.

When you have a bottle of sparkling wine, few drinks are better suited for it than the mimosa. Adding orange liqueur and juice is the perfect way to give an inexpensive bubbly new life. For instance, switch to peach for the equally fabulous Bellini.

The original recipe has also inspired countless fruity mimosas , so there's likely something in your kitchen you can use to create a wonderful drink. On cold days, few drinks are as satisfying as the hot toddy. The steaming brew of tea, honey, and lemon spiked with brandy, rum, or whiskey is sure to warm you up.

Like many popular drinks, the drink has inspired several toddy recipes. From warm apple cider to an aromatic gin toddy , there's so much you can do with the basic formula. Tired of drinking straight beer? Open up your spice cupboard and mix up a Michelada.

Traditionally made with Mexican beer, the recipe spices up the average lager with soy, Worchestershire, and hot sauces, a hint of lime, and a touch of black pepper.

You can customize it to suit your taste and add all sorts of seasonings. The cafe Caribbean is a perfect example of just how easy it is to spike your coffee. The recipe adds rum and amaretto, and it's just as satisfying without the whipped cream and shaved almonds.

A variety of other spirits work just as well in coffee cocktails.