31 Easy, Beautiful Cocktail Recipes To Try This Weekend

This easy cocktail recipe is like a cucumber face mask for your palette —refreshing and relaxing. Just a few sips and you'll be ready to put on lounge music and sink into your comfiest chair.

Recipe: Invigorating Cucumber Mint Cocktail

You don't have to be in K-Town at 2 a.m. with a basket of Korean fried chicken wings to enjoy this tasty cocktail. (Although, why not? 😉) You'll just need soju, some fresh watermelon, and a few mint leaves.

Recipe: Watermelon Mint Soju Cocktail

Why does an ombré gradient make everything taste so much better? We made this cocktail to get to the bottom of this question, and the results are in: We eat (and drink!) with our eyes first. 

Recipe: Mango Guava Ombré Cocktail 

Looking for a cocktail that can also serve double-duty as dessert? With its combination of hazelnut, white chocolate liqueur, and vanilla vodka, this cocktail is just as decadent as the treat it's based on.

Recipe: Crème Brûlée Cocktail

This cocktail will surely be your Halloween party's biggest talking point. And you can easily swap out the vodka for Sprite for a non-alcoholic version, as well!

Recipe: Candy Corn Cocktail

Sometimes, you just need a burst of color to liven up your day. For those occasions, try this cocktail, which layers red, orange, yellow, green, and blue shots — all topped with a cloud of sweet aquafaba foam. 

Recipe: Over The Rainbow Cocktail

In the words of my Asian mom, this cocktail is "not too sweet." Ergo, it is perfectly flavored. 

Recipe: Soju Lemongrass Pomegranate Cocktail

Care to make this beverage non-alcoholic? Simply swap out the alcohol with some lemonade. 

Recipe: Berries And Cream Cocktail 

It's all about presentation with this vampire cocktail, which strategically uses corn syrup and red sanding sugar to create its dramatic look.

Recipe: The Vampire Cocktail

This elaborate cocktail isn't finished until it's time to imbibe. Pour your beverage in a martini glass filled with cotton candy and watch as it melts to reveal a strawberry wedged inside. 

Recipe: Strawberry Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktail

There's nothing better than a cocktail that tastes more elaborate than it actually is — and for this recipe, it's the clever addition of jam as a sweetening agent that elevates the experience. 

Recipe: Vodka Blackberry 

I can't drink this without picturing myself in a rocking chair on a giant wraparound porch in the middle of a Sunday afternoon in Georgia. Can't find peach jam? You can easily swap in apricot or strawberry for an equally scrumptious result.

Recipe: Whiskey Peach

You'll need a mixer for this cocktail recipe, in order to blend together chilled coconut milk and powdered sugar. But the result — decadent, fluffy coconut whipped cream floating atop your drink — will be worth any extra effort.

Recipe: Ice Zombie

Some cocktails just have so much flavor that they're best sipped slow. This tequila raspberry drink, which comes together in a shaker with just three ingredients, is one of them.

Recipe: Tequila Raspberry 

If there's any cocktail that embodies a state fair, this is it — I can totally see this being sold right next to funnel cakes, caramel-dipped apples, and fried Twinkies. 

Recipe: Salted Caramel Apple Cocktail 

This beautiful, deep purple-colored drink is named after the wisest and oldest of Smurfs. If you follow the recipe carefully, you might even see his likeness in your drink! (Watch the video for a sneak peek.)

Recipe: Papa Smurf 

If you like Bloody Marys, you'll love this cocktail, which combines tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, tequila, lemon juice, and a whole lot of garnishes for a jam-packed beverage that feels like a whole garden in one. 

Recipe: Taste Of The Garden Cocktail 

The slightly tart orange flavor helps to balance out the taste of alcohol, while simultaneously pairing wonderfully with the sweet, toasted flavor of rum. 

Recipe: Rum Orange 

I love the taste of mezcal because it's smokey and rich and a drink on its own. Pair it with a juicy fruit like grapefruit, though, and you have yourself a cocktail that'll elevate any dinner party. 

Recipe: Grapefruit Mezcal Cocktail 

It's Saturday afternoon, the weather is a balmy 78°F, and you haven't made a single plan because you were too busy surviving the week. What do you do? Dig out your sun hat, make this cocktail, and exhale. You deserve this. 

Recipe: Sparkling Rose Cocktail 

Pro tip: Make double or triple the amount of the lemon syrup you'll need for this cocktail to use in water later — just add a few drops of it to soda water for a refreshing, lightly-sweetened seltzer. Hydration never tasted so good. 

Recipe: Crystal Spritz Cocktail 

This Valentine's Day cocktail can honestly be enjoyed on any day when you're feeling yourself. Serve with a bowl of fresh cherries if you really want to feel like royalty.

Recipe: Cherries Jubilee Cocktail 

Made of fermented sugarcane juice, Cachaça is most famously known as the liquor used in caipirinhas. Here, it combines with pineapple juice, lime juice, and a grilled pineapple garnish for a cocktail that'll have you making a beeline for the nearest beach.

Recipe: Pineapple Cachaça Cocktail

If you don't have access to dry ice, then I promise you this recipe is still worth it, if only for the sage simple syrup you'll want to use in all your cocktails from here on out. 

Recipe: Spicy Smokey Potion 

You know how glitter seems to have adhesive powers that defy the laws of physics? Well, this cocktail, with its triple threat of Goldschlager (a gold-flecked cinnamon schnapps), gold sprinkles, and gold glitter will make sure you're covered in glitter both inside and out. 

Recipe: The Debt Payer 

This cocktail takes all the best parts of a White Russian — its creaminess, its indulgent flavor, and irresistibility — and kicks them up a notch with dark chocolate, chocolate liquor, and, of course, mini marshmallows.

Recipe: S’mores Cocktail 

Made with gin, blue curaçao, and grenadine, this drink is equal parts sweet and boozy. Proceed as if you were entering the actual Black Forest: slowly and with a bit of caution.

Recipe: The Black Forest 

Made from the dried peel of the Laraha citrus fruit, curaçao is actually naturally clear. Someone had the idea to dye it blue as a marketing tactic — a brilliant one, as it turns out! This recipe pairs blue curaçao with tamarind syrup, lime juice, pineapple-infused rum, and pineapple juice for an explosion of tropical fruit flavor.

Recipe: Blue Piñata 

Once you try toasted coconut syrup in a cocktail, you'll never want to go back to beverages without this decadent sweetener. 

Recipe: Swimming Pool 

I know fig trees are pollinated by tiny wasps, but they're my favorite fruit and this cocktail, by extension, is my favorite new thing!

Recipe: Spiced Fig Cocktail 

If you've ever wondered what Butterbeer tastes like, this buttered rum cocktail might be the closest approximation of the magical beverage. Try it today for an enchanted time.

Recipe: Buttered Rum Cocktail