Cocktail Maker · Sipping Classics
Tell us what’s in the cupboard and we’ll find the drinks you can make — or wander through the classics and discover why they’ve lasted. From the story behind the glass to the technique, ingredients and bottles that make it work, we’ll help you make it properly.
Sipping Classics
Browse by name or by the ingredient that gives the drink its backbone. Each published classic has its own Sipping-written story, method and product routes.
67 classics to explore
A good home cocktail starts with a recipe you can actually make. Use the ingredient picker above, then check the measures and method on the recipe page.
Select the spirits, liqueurs, juices and mixers in your cupboard. Choose the make-now filter to see recipes with no missing required ingredients, or explore drinks that need just one extra ingredient. Water and ice are treated as basics.
Browse classic cocktailsTick everything you have, including citrus, sugar and mixers as well as bottles. The finder compares your choices with recipe ingredients and shows what is missing. Open a match for the full method; optional garnishes and substitutions still deserve a quick check.
Plan a cocktail eveningTry soda with citrus and rosemary, chilled unsweetened tea, or an alcohol-free botanical drink with a dry mixer. Ginger, herbs and acidity can add interest without relying on syrup. Use the alcohol-free recipe filter above for more ideas, and check the labels of bought mixers and alternatives.
Explore alcohol-free recipesA handful of ingredients and a clear method can go a long way. These routes lead to recipes with measures, so you can choose a drink before buying extra bottles.
A classic Daiquiri uses rum, lime and sugar syrup; a Negroni uses gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Ice and garnishes are additional basics rather than part of that three-ingredient count. Pick a recipe that suits your taste instead of buying bottles simply to fill the cupboard.
Make a classic DaiquiriBuilt drinks such as a gin and tonic or a Cuba Libre are made in the serving glass. A Negroni can be stirred with ice rather than shaken. For recipes calling for a proper shake, use suitable equipment; simply stirring may change the chill, dilution and texture.
Try a stirred NegroniStart with a gin and tonic for a built drink, a Negroni for a stirred option, or a Tom Collins for a longer citrus serve. They show different sides of gin without needing a large home bar. Check each recipe's ingredients and measures before choosing your bottle.
Make a Tom CollinsA Cuba Libre combines rum, cola and lime in the glass. A Daiquiri takes rum in a brighter direction with lime and sugar syrup. A Mojito adds mint and soda but asks for a little more preparation. Choose the style of rum specified in the recipe.
Make a Cuba LibreA Screwdriver is a simple vodka-and-orange starting point; a Moscow Mule adds ginger beer and lime. More elaborate drinks such as a Cosmopolitan bring extra ingredients and technique. Good ice, fresh citrus where needed and measured pours make the simple options more satisfying.
Make a Moscow MuleUse these ideas to choose a recipe, then check its ingredient list, measures and method before you start.
An Aperol Spritz brings a bittersweet direction, while a Bellini combines prosecco with peach. The wine's sweetness affects the finished drink, and sparkling ingredients are best added near serving to retain bubbles. Chill everything first and use the recipe's proportions rather than guessing.
Make an Aperol SpritzTry an Espresso Martini for a shaken coffee-led drink or a Black Russian for a simpler vodka-and-coffee-liqueur combination. Coffee liqueurs vary in sweetness and strength, so use the specified measures and taste before adding extra syrup. A coffee flavour does not make the drink alcohol-free.
Explore the Espresso MartiniStart with chilled sparkling water, citrus and a small amount of cordial, or combine cooled unsweetened tea with citrus and soda. Add mint or another herb if it suits the flavour. Build sweetness gradually and check any bottled mixers or bitters for alcohol rather than assuming every ingredient is alcohol-free.
Find alcohol-free recipesOffer a deliberate pairing, such as sparkling tea with a light starter or a citrus-and-herb serve before dinner. Choose a drink with enough flavour for the food without overpowering it. Use attractive glassware, offer refills alongside water and check labels for ABV and dietary requirements.
Plan drinks for everyoneChoose a recipe you enjoy, measure the ingredients and use the full method. A familiar name still leaves plenty of room for differences in balance.
Sipping's cocktail generator matches your selected cupboard ingredients to existing recipes. It helps you discover drinks you can make now or with an extra ingredient, rather than inventing an untested recipe. Select your ingredients above and open a result for the measures and technique.
Explore the recipe collectionAn Espresso Martini combines vodka, coffee liqueur and espresso, with sweetness adjusted to the recipe and liqueur. Measure in millilitres, shake with ice and strain into a suitable glass. Fresh coffee, chilling and a proper shake help create its characteristic texture; follow the full recipe for quantities.
Open the Espresso Martini recipeA classic Margarita brings tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice together in a sharp, balanced drink. Use the recipe's millilitre measures and fresh lime where possible. A salted rim is optional; salt only part of the rim if you want a choice with each sip.
Open the Margarita recipeThe familiar Aperol Spritz ratio is three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda. For example, 75ml, 50ml and 25ml keeps that proportion. Build over ice and stir gently; use a smaller measured serve if preferred, keeping the same ratio.
See the Spritz methodStart with the Mojito recipe and multiply its measures by the servings you plan. Combine the rum, lime and sugar element first, handle the mint gently, then add ice and soda close to serving. A pitcher is not a fixed serving size: measure the portions rather than topping it up with more rum.
Get the Mojito recipe to scaleChoose a signature drink around the person's preferred flavours: citrus, coffee, fruit, spice or something alcohol-free. Sipping's Birthday Cocktail feature offers another playful starting point. Once you have chosen the drink, use its recipe and plan the rest of the menu around it.
Find a birthday cocktailBoth shaking and stirring mix, chill and dilute a drink. Shaking also aerates it and changes texture, which is useful in many citrus or juice-based recipes. Stirring usually suits spirit-led recipes where a clear, silky result is wanted.
Follow the recipe rather than treating either method as a sign of sophistication. A Negroni and a Daiquiri ask for different treatment. Use fresh ice for each preparation and strain as instructed; the water contributed by melting ice is part of the balance.
For a simple 1:1 syrup, weigh equal amounts of white sugar and water, such as 100g of each. Stir with gentle warmth until the sugar dissolves; there is no need to boil vigorously. Let it cool before using it in a drink.
A rich syrup uses two parts sugar to one part water by weight. It is sweeter per spoonful, so do not swap equal volumes without adjusting the recipe. Use clean equipment, label and refrigerate your syrup, make small batches and discard it if it shows spoilage.
Simple syrup commonly means equal parts sugar and water; rich syrup uses two parts sugar to one part water. Specify whether a recipe measures by weight or volume, since those approaches do not give precisely identical concentrations.
Rich syrup is sweeter per spoonful and can affect texture, so an equal-volume substitution may make a drink too sweet. Use the type specified in the recipe or adjust carefully. Label homemade syrup, refrigerate it and follow suitable preparation and storage guidance rather than assuming every concentration keeps equally well.
Clear ice is commonly made by directional freezing: insulating the sides and base encourages freezing from one exposed direction, pushing bubbles and dissolved impurities towards the last section to freeze. Purpose-made clear-ice moulds are a convenient home option.
Use drinking water and follow the mould's filling and freezer instructions. Boiling water alone does not guarantee clear cubes. Choose equipment sized for your freezer, and avoid improvised cutting of a large slippery ice block if you do not have suitable tools and a secure method.
Crushed ice gives a large contact area, packs around the drink and supports the texture of many swizzles and juleps. Solid cubes are useful for shaking, stirring and serving many other cocktails. Use the form specified because ice affects chilling, dilution and presentation.
Melting depends on temperature, surface wetness, movement and the whole drink, not just the cube's name. Do not replace a full glass of crushed ice with two cubes and expect an identical result. Use clean fresh ice and avoid reusing ice from a previous preparation.
There is no universal replacement for aromatic cocktail bitters. They contribute concentrated bitterness, aroma and spice in small amounts, and orange bitters differ from aromatic styles. Choose a similar type if available, or use a recipe designed without bitters.
A bitter aperitif is usually much more dilute and may add unwanted sweetness and liquid. Citrus zest can supply aroma in some drinks but does not replace all the functions of bitters. If preparing an alcohol-free drink, check the bitters and every alternative for stated alcohol content.
Check the measures, syrup concentration and mixer first. A drink made with rich syrup instead of simple syrup, or a sweeter liqueur than intended, may need a different adjustment. Taste after the planned chilling and dilution before deciding it needs correction.
For a citrus-led recipe, a small measured addition of the specified citrus may help; for a long drink, some unsweetened mixer may be more appropriate. Add gradually and note the change. Do not automatically pour in extra spirit, and use a tested recipe when scaling the corrected version for guests.
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