By Becka Wall – @beckawall

This summer, on an Ikea trip to buy a new bookshelf, I walked out with two incredibly important additions to my life: my pet cactus, Murray, and a RASKOG Utility Cart,  which I promptly turned into a bar cart. It’s about the little things in life.

My beloved bar cart.
My beloved bar cart.

See, I am a lover of fancy-pantsy cocktails. I feel straight out of a speakeasy, or like a glamorous, high society, sophisticated lady all while rocking out in my pajamas at home. It’s about the experience of trying new things, plus, booze!

The bar cart has saved me LOADS of money, and I have realized something important: you can make an amazing cocktail and wow your guests with just a few ingredients – many of which you probably already have in your house. The one tool you might find handy is a cocktail shaker kit – the one I bought (which I love) is only $13 online.

Here are three crowd-pleasing beverages to impress your friends with that won’t put a huge dent in your wallet.

Old Fashioned

1

2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey

1 teaspoon sugar or 1 sugar cube

2-3 dashes of bitters

Optional garnish: orange peel

Manhattan

2

3 ounces rye whiskey

1 ounce sweet vermouth

3 dashes of bitters

Optional garnish: 1 maraschino cherry

Lillet & Grapefruit Cocktail

3

2 ounces Lillet Rosé

4 dashes grapefruit bitters

4 ounces brut Champagne or sparkling wine

Optional garnish: orange twist

Gin Buck

4

1.5 ounces gin

juice of half of a lemon or lime

Ginger Ale
Cheers!