If you are organizing an event (wedding, anniversary…), and you want to offer cocktails but your budget is tight, you are at the right place. There is a multitude of drink recipes, alcoholic or not, at very affordable prices. You will save a lot of money by opting for one of the cheap cocktail recipes presented in this article. You will spend a good evening with friends for sure.
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12 Ideas of cheap cocktails to make yourself
When ordering a cocktail at a bar, the best way to save money is to choose drinks made with as few ingredients as possible. For your homemade cocktails, you can save money by buying cheap brands of your favorite spirits.
The recipes below are cheap but delicious cocktails that you can make very easily at home.
No. 1: Rum and Coke / Cuba Libre
In general Rum and Coke is one of the cheapest drinks you can make or order in a bar.
Add a little lime juice to get a Cuba Libre. It will cost you almost nothing.
Recipe:
Simply mix 6cl of white rum, 15cl of coca-cola and 4cl of lime juice. Add ice cubes for freshness, and it’s done.
N°2 : Vodka Tonic
To make a Vodka Tonic cocktail, you don’t need to use premium vodka. Regarding tonic (Schweppes type), it is extremely cheap. You can garnish your drink with a wedge of lime.
Recipe:
- 1,5cl of lemon juice
- 5cl of vodka
- Complete at your convenience with Schweppes
- Ice cubes
N°3 : Gin Tonic
For a homemade Gin Tonic, you can choose an inexpensive gin but with a good value for money. Just add a little lemon juice to get an even tastier gin and tonic.
Recipe:
- 5cl of Gin
- 12cl of Schweppes
- Ice cubes
N°4 : Sangria
The price of sangria is generally reasonable because this cocktail is made with cheap fruity wine, fruits and fruit juice. A 7-up type soft drink is added.
Recipe:
- 1 bottle of cheap fruity red wine
- 25cl of lemonade
- 20cl orange juice
- 10cl of rum or Cointreau
- 2 oranges
- 1 lemon
- 50 grams of powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- Cinnamon
N°5 : Cape Codder
The Cape Codder is also a cheap cocktail. It is composed of cranberry juice which is a cheap ingredient. It is simply cranberry juice and vodka. You can choose to garnish it with a lime wedge. But if you want to save even more money, you can leave it as is.
Recipe:
- 5cl vodka
- 16cl of cranberry juice
- Ice cubes.
N°6 : Vodka Martini
A vodka martini is a simple combination of vodka and dry martini. These two ingredients can be quite inexpensive, especially if you’re not looking to use the higher end brands. If you make them at home, you can save even more by omitting the traditional olive garnish.
Recipe:
- 6cl vodka
- 2cl Martini
- 1 green olive
- 1 lemon peel
No. 7: Moscow Mule
If you use a cheap vodka, the most expensive ingredient in a Moscow Mule is usually ginger beer. You can replace the beer with ginger ale to save money.
Recipe:
- 6cl vodka
- 1,5cl of lime juice
- 12cl of ginger beer
- Ice cubes
N°8 : Rum and ginger ale
The rum and ginger ale combination cuts costs by using a cheap rum instead of a more expensive dark rum. As with the previous cheap cocktail, you can replace the ginger beer with a cheap ginger ale. No garnish is necessary.
N°9 : 7 & 7
The 7 & 7 is a combination of cheap whiskey (Seagram’s Seven Crown) and 7-up soda.
Recipe:
- 1/4 bottle of whiskey
- 3/4 bottle of 7-up lemonade
- Ice cubes
N°10 : Whisky Cider
The Whisky Cider cocktail is a combination of Fireball whisky and apple cider. It’s a delicious blend of apples and cinnamon.
Recipe:
- Ice cubes
- 12cl of cider
- 1,5cl of Fireball whisky
N°11 : Screwdriver
A delicious alcoholic blend of orange juice and vodka.
Recipe:
- 5cl of vodka
- 15c of orange juice
- Ice cubes
You don’t have to spend a fortune on alcoholic drinks. These inexpensive drinks are often quite simple, yet satisfying.
No. 12: Mojito
The Mojito is one of the most popular cheap cocktails. So we had to put the recipe in this article.
Recipe (for 2 persons):
- 4cl of white rum
- 6 mint leaves
- Soda water
- 2cl of cane sugar syrup
- 1/2 lime
- Ice cubes
You don’t have to spend a fortune on alcoholic drinks. These cheap cocktail recipes are very simple to make, and are sure to please.
Tips for saving money with cheap homemade cocktails
Making homemade drinks is obviously a great way to save money. Bars make a hefty markup on drinks, so you’ll tend to pay a lot more for your cocktail.
A few more tips if you want to save more money at home to create your cocktails:
- Look for special deals on alcohol and stock up when you can.
- Buy alcohol in cubes. It’s usually cheaper to buy a 3-liter cube than a 700-ml bottle of the same alcohol.
- Avoid the top shelf in the liquor section. The cheapest liquor is usually on the bottom shelf.
- Mix cheap liquors that tend to be stronger with sodas, fruit or fruit juices.
- Skip the garnishes and decorations in the glasses.
- Fresh mint can help you make a cocktail much more flavorful. Grow your own mint and mix it with cheap booze for delicious, inexpensive cocktails.
- Just because you can’t afford expensive cocktails doesn’t mean you have to settle for bad ones. As seen above, there are many affordable and tasty combinations of spirits, drinks and juices. I am sure you will find the cocktail that suits you in the recipes above.
If you have other ideas of cheap cocktails, do not hesitate to share the name or the recipe in the comments below.
