Cheap alcoholic drinks at home is easy to make – these easy recipes come together with a few ingredients. Much more impressive than just cracking open a beer the next time you have friends or family over.
Some of these recipes can be made directly into the glass over ice, but a few, namely the martinis, will need a good cocktail shaker.
1. Spiked Cold Brew
Looking for a way to combine a caffeine boost and a boozy milkshake? I’ve created the perfect spike cold brew recipe.
This is an easy drink to make, even if you haven’t already had your morning coffee.
Combine freshly brewed cold brew, vanilla vodka, Kahlua, cream and top with cream and caramel topping. You can also skip the cream and vanilla syrup and add in vanilla cold foam instead.
2. Long Beach Iced Tea
Looking for a way to combine fruity flavors with a strong and bold drink? Perfect for warmer weather, this refreshing cocktail not only will clear out (all) of those leftover bottles you have laying around, but the cranberry juice covers the five(!) different liquors in this beverage so well, you might think this is just a cooler.
Combine equal parts gin, vodka, tequila, rum, a splash of triple sec and then top with sweet and sour and cranberry juice. Garnish with lime or lemon.
Go easy with this one – it’s a killer.
3. Cold Brew Martini
The sophisticated Cold Brew Martini – a bit more polished than a Spiked Cold Brew but every bit as boozy. Perfect for any time of day – just remember how many you’ve had, or how many you’ve served to any one guest, as this drink does have alcohol and caffeine in the drink, which can be a dangerous combination.
Combine vanilla (or plain) vodka, Kahlua and cold brew into a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass and serve.
Serve day or night for a boost or pick me up.
4. Pickleback Cocktail
Some call this drink (or shot) weird and others call it enticing. It’s a whiskey shot chased with a shot of pickle juice!
Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day – this drink has everything to give you the luck of the Irish. It has a shot of whiskey and a hearty sip of green pickle juice to chase it down with. Simple and cheap to make, it’s only two ingredients that you probably already have.
If you’re unsure of this drink, bring it out as a fun drink on the next holiday and see who will try it first. You can also make your own pickles and use the brine for this pickleback recipe.
5. Peanut Butter & Jelly Cocktail
One of my favorite new discoveries in the last couple years has been this Skrewball Whiskey. It’s a peanut butter flavored whiskey that pairs well with a multitude of different mixers, such as fruit juices and seltzers, coffee and even colas.
I enjoy adding this whiskey to fruit-flavored seltzers and turning my drink into a PB&J cocktail.
Making this cocktail can replace anytime you reach for a regular seltzer out of the fridge. It might sound a little strange, but it’s delicious and easy to make. This cheap alcoholic drink is easy to make right at home – and it’s only two simple ingredients!
6. Bloody Mary with Bacon
One of my all-time favorite drinks is a well-garnished Bloody Mary. This is one of my favorite cheap alcoholic drinks at home to make when making it from scratch It’s easy to serve it directly from your blender. While the ingredient list can be a bit long, most of what goes into a Bloody Mary is stuff you probably already have or is easy and cheap to grab from the grocery store.
Combine tomato juice, vodka, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, cucumber and celery salt into a blender. Blender until smooth and serve over ice.
Garnish your Bloody Mary as desired – I like adding pig candy, stalks of celery, lime wedges and olives to mine.
7. Lychee Martini
Perfect for lazy summer days, or when you want to especially wow your guests, make this lychee martini with your homemade lychee liqueur.
Combine vodka or gin, lychee liqueur, sweet & sour, sweet vermouth in a shaker full of ice and then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lychee fruit or another fresh fruit you have on hand such as a wedge of watermelon or wheel of lemon or lime.
Serve on hot summer days or warm nights. Easily part of a fun and impressive cocktail list, this martini is sure to keep company entertained.
8. Kentucky Mule
A close cousin to the Moscow Mule, the Kentucky Mule is made with bourbon instead of vodka. Adding whiskey to ginger beer will make it a “warmer” drink, making it more pleasant for sipping next to the fireplace during the holidays. You could also add a cinnamon stick in addition to a lime wedge as a garnish.
In the classic mule mug, a copper cup, combine bourbon (ideally Bullet) with ginger beer and a generous amount of lime.
9. Long Island Iced Tea
A classic drink is the Long Island Iced Tea – it’s a drink I actually prefer to make at home so I know it’s made correctly.
Combine equal parts gin, vodka, tequila, rum, a splash of triple sec and then top with sweet and sour and Coke. Garnish with lime or lemon.
Be careful drinking this drink – it has five different types of alcohols in it!
10. Peanut Butter Pickleback
Very similar to a regular Pickleback shot – the peanut butter pickleback is a pickleback but with a peanut butter flavored whiskey!
If you’re looking for a bit more novelty when making this shot – as if the pickleback isn’t novel enough – make it with a flavored whiskey.
If you have guests that have difficulty taking shots, using a flavored whisky that is a bit sweeter and palatable might be easier for them to shoot. Try it out for St. Patrick’s Day or just for a fun summer drink!
Gummy Bear Shot
Juicy and sweet, this Gummy Bear shot is refreshing and tastes just like your favorite candy. Make this drink with a combination of raspberry vodka, peach schnapps, sweet and sour mix and then top with a lemon lime mixer, such as a white claw or Sprite.
Pour the mixture over ice or serve cold in a large shot glass.
