26 Drinks To Make When You’re Feeling Lazy

February 12, 2018

There are nights at home when I am excited to pamper myself with a labor-intensive craft cocktail, and there are nights when I barely have the energy to pour something out of a bottle. On one of those second nights (while I was drinking my favorite lazy “cocktail” of choice: bourbon, frozen peaches, water, and cloudy ice) I wondered what everyone else drank when they were in this state:

Understandably, we’d rather show off our prettiest and most effort-intensive cocktails on Instagram than our “what pairs well with last night’s take out” drinks of shame, so these tasty (yet often tasteless) drinks don’t get a lot of attention. But while they might not be too photogenic, but there’s a lot to be said for them: they’re easy to make, enjoyable, and they can reveal something about the essence of what we really love in a drink.

So, while “make less of an effort” is generally the COMPLETE opposite of my mantra, I decided to ask my Instagram followers for their favorite casual cocktails so that I could catalogue and share our wealth of garbage-y cocktail expertise. Here’s what they said:

@alan_thornton28: A French 75 with PBR instead of champagne.
@andrewgura: La Croix grapefruit and whatever rosé is already open.
@beaucolburn: 1:1 rye/amaro.
@boozehoundcc: Krogstad aquavit or Green Chartreuse with root beer.
@Bryanmgreen: Fernet & Coke, or a Mamie Taylor.
@cheerstohappyhour: Last Word and Aviation.
@cwillingworth: 2 oz gin, pamplemousse La Croix, and a mint leaf.
@danielmajid, @ghostquiche: Fernet + Coke.
@uncorked_oc: Suicide Sangria: wine past its prime, whatever juice is around, flavored vodka, liqueur, soda water, fresh fruit. To be enjoyed with your mother-in-law.
@friar_stu: Whiskey sour without measuring (and considering trying out a “red neck margarita” made with Mountain Dew and tequila).
@gastronomcocktails: spiced rum and apple cider.
@garnishcraftcocktails: Whiskey + glass.
@heart_r: “Whatever is in the Fridge” cocktail: rum, pineapple juice, coco Lopez, lime, ice, shake in Mason jar. Or vodka, juice, and La Croix.
@holycityhandcraft: Good vermouth, a big rock, and a lemon twist.
@jake.on.the.rocks: “I’ve Had a Long Day and am Ready to Party but More Whiskey Will Probably Kill Me:” a lot of tequila, ginger ale, lime, and ginger shot concentrate.
@jaredlead: Premixed Boulevardiers.
@mikegilbs: Drinking directly from the Bulleit bottle.
@nicolasreines: White Russian.
@oliver.hiller: Cheeky Vimto.
@ongodavid: Trader Joe’s tea lemonade in summer, pear cider and bourbon in the winter.
@richardlossing: Manhattan or Martini, without measuring anything and a double garnish.
@robert_mcgee_: 2 oz cognac, .5 oz Benedictine with ice.
@spiritedla: frozen peaches, water, ice, and bourbon.
@the_barleo: gin and tonic with homemade tonic solution and sweetened with whatever syrup or shrub they’re in the mood for.
@thefrenchmixologist: The White Spider
@zerospecbebop: PBR and a shot of Mellow Corn whiskey.