Cocktails
Painkiller Cocktail
The classic Painkiller: navy rum, pineapple, orange juice and cream of coconut over crushed ice with fresh nutmeg. Includes frozen and mocktail versions.
- 5 min
- ≈ 320 kcal
- ≈ 10.9% ABV
THE DRINKS NOTEBOOK
Former writer. Sandra wrote for Better Sweet Drinks under its previous owners. These articles keep their original byline. The current team maintains them: Jim, the site’s editor, handles reviews and corrections.
121 recipes
Cocktails
The classic Painkiller: navy rum, pineapple, orange juice and cream of coconut over crushed ice with fresh nutmeg. Includes frozen and mocktail versions.
Cocktails
A classic appletini with vodka, green apple schnapps, apple juice and a little lemon, shaken and strained into a martini glass.
Lemonades & Sodas
Fresh lemon juice, sugar and cold water topped with Sprite: about 7 cups of fizzy homemade lemonade. Mix the base ahead and add Sprite just before serving.
Lemonades & Sodas
Homemade lavender syrup, fresh lemon juice and water topped with Sprite. Makes about 7 cups of floral sparkling lemonade for a crowd.
Lemonades & Sodas
Blueberry syrup, fresh lemonade and Sunkist orange soda poured over ice. Makes about 8 cups of fizzy purple lemonade for a party.
Cocktails
The Honey Deuce, the US Open's signature drink: vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur over crushed ice with honeydew melon balls.
Cocktails
Vodka or gin with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and a few dashes of bitters, topped with club soda. A tart, fizzy lemon cocktail.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A Dutch Bros Snickerdoodle copycat: espresso, milk, white chocolate sauce and cinnamon syrup, finished with cinnamon and optional whipped cream.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Steep one chai tea bag, add warm milk and a little sugar, and you have a chai latte in 15 minutes. Includes optional whole spices.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A Teavana-style chai concentrate: black tea simmered with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, star anise and vanilla. Makes a bit over 3 cups, about 6 half-cup servings.
Fruit Drinks
Blend a fresh pineapple, lemon and ginger drink with optional honey. A refreshing recipe and a clear look at what it can and cannot do for a cough.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A homemade pistachio coffee creamer with condensed milk, almond extract and vanilla. Blend and strain before using.
Fruit Drinks
Make a playful strawberry and vanilla drink inspired by Hello Kitty. This homemade blend is separate from Starbucks' 2024 apple-based collaboration.
Fruit Drinks
Blend a tart cherry smoothie with juice, banana, Greek yogurt and ice. Trader Joe's inspired recipe.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Cold brew with caramel sauce, vanilla syrup and a splash of cream over ice. A Starbucks-style caramel vanilla iced coffee in 10 minutes.
Lemonades & Sodas
Make a Milo’s Lemonade-inspired pitcher with fresh lemon juice, cane sugar and filtered water. Six servings, with tips for balancing sweetness.
Lemonades & Sodas
Blend frozen strawberries, acai puree, lemonade and ice into a slushy fruit drink. Adjust honey or agave to taste.
Milkshakes & Creamy Drinks
A Hardee's-style shake: two cups of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream blended with whole milk and topped with whipped cream.
Milkshakes & Creamy Drinks
Whip Greek yogurt with instant pudding mix and a little sweetener for a light, fluffy yogurt dessert. Add fruit or granola to serve.
Cocktails
Shake tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice and agave syrup with ice for a homemade margarita with an optional salt rim.
Mocktails
Fresh lime juice and a little simple syrup topped with club soda over ice. A tart, alcohol-free lime rickey in 10 minutes.
Lemonades & Sodas
Make classic lemonade with lemon juice, sugar and water. Chill it and serve over ice; fresh lemon and mint are optional garnishes.
Mocktails
Mix a nonalcoholic mojito with Waterloo Mojito sparkling water, fresh mint, lime and ice. Adjust sweetness to taste.
Fruit Drinks
Make a Prosecco mimosa with fresh orange juice and chilled sparkling wine. Includes the mixing ratio and a nonalcoholic variation.
Milkshakes & Creamy Drinks
Blend frozen pineapple, milk, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla into a creamy pineapple Frosty inspired by the Wendy’s frozen dessert style.
Milkshakes & Creamy Drinks
Make Yomies-style purple rice yogurt at home: soaked and cooked purple rice with homemade whole-milk yogurt, sweetened with honey. Mostly hands-off time.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Homemade cold brew topped with a whipped vanilla cream, inspired by Wendy's Frosty Cream Cold Brew. Steep the coffee overnight; makes 4 cups.
Milkshakes & Creamy Drinks
A homemade pumpkin milkshake: vanilla ice cream, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar, topped with whipped cream. Serves 2.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Coffee with almond extract, pumpkin pie spice and almond milk. Serve hot or over ice and sweeten to taste.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Make a Dunkalatte-inspired coffee milk latte with espresso, whole milk and coffee syrup. Includes hot and iced serving suggestions.
Shots
Brew concentrated espresso shots with ground coffee and water. Includes espresso machine and moka pot methods and optional sweetener.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Preparation guide for packaged RYZE Mushroom Hot Cocoa, a bedtime cocoa with melatonin, with warm milk and optional toppings.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Espresso and half-and-half with pumpkin puree, caramel and pumpkin spice, finished with whipped cream and raw sugar.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A Dutch Bros Cookie Butter Latte copycat: espresso stirred with Biscoff cookie butter, topped with steamed milk, whipped cream and cookie crumbs.
Fruit Drinks
Blend watermelon juice, frozen strawberries, coconut water and whey protein for a watermelon smoothie inspired by Smoothie King.
Lemonades & Sodas
Fresh watermelon blended with white grape juice, lemon juice and raw sugar. A Smoothie King Watermelon Lemonade copycat in 10 minutes.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Cream Chai copycat: homemade chai and apple crisp syrup over ice with non-dairy cream. Makes 2 drinks.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Brewed black tea, honey and lemon make a quick, alcohol-free shot. Whiskey or vodka is an optional variation.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Brew hibiscus herbal tea, cool it and serve over ice for a Passion Tango-inspired drink with optional sweetener or citrus.
Cocktails
Drop 12 to 15 Jolly Rancher candies into a bottle of blanco tequila and let them dissolve for 24 to 48 hours. Makes about 17 shots.
Shots
Vodka jello shots with one 3 oz box of Jello, boiling water, cold water and half a cup of vodka. Makes about 16 shots; chill 3 hours.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Blend chilled coffee, milk, caramel syrup and ice for a homemade caramel Frappuccino-style drink. Top with whipped cream if you like.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A Starbucks-style espresso con panna: fresh espresso topped with a spoonful of whipped cream, sweetened or not. Ready in 7 minutes.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Prepare Swiss Miss Non-Dairy Hot Cocoa Mix with hot water or plant milk, plus optional dairy-free toppings.
Fruit Drinks
A mango lassi with ripe mango, plain yogurt, cold milk, sugar and a pinch of cardamom, blended until smooth. Makes 2 glasses.
Cocktails
RumChata, Malibu coconut rum, fresh lime juice and soda water over ice: a creamy, fizzy highball ready in 5 minutes.
Shots
Chilled chocolate pudding shots with Baileys, milk and whipped cream, plus optional vodka. Allow time to chill before serving.
Cocktails
An Old Fashioned with bourbon or rye whiskey, sugar and two dashes of Angostura bitters, stirred over ice.
Cocktails
A blue SpongeBob party cocktail: pineapple juice, coconut rum, blue curaçao and orange juice with a splash of grenadine over ice.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A homemade vanilla chai like Bolthouse Farms: whole spices simmered with black tea, then milk, sweetener and vanilla. Makes four cups in about 25 minutes.
Cocktails
A blueberry vodka cocktail with lemon, simple syrup, mint and soda water. Use Tito’s or another unflavored vodka.
Cocktails
Tito's vodka with fresh blueberries, lavender syrup and lemon juice, topped with sparkling water. A fruity vodka cooler in 10 minutes.
Cocktails
Make an espresso martini with Trader Joe’s cold brew concentrate, vodka, cocoa cream liqueur and a little simple syrup.
Cocktails
Shake espresso, tequila, spiced rum and agave over ice for a coffee cocktail inspired by Chili’s. Garnish with espresso beans.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Make a chocolate cinnamon coffee creamer with Abuelita chocolate, milk, condensed milk and vanilla. Stir into hot or iced coffee.
Cocktails
A bottled Cayman Jack Margarita variation with fresh strawberries, tequila and lime. Requires the ready-to-drink base.
Cocktails
Mix Stella Rosa Pineapple Chili wine with tequila, triple sec and lime for a pineapple chili margarita. The flavored wine is a required ingredient.
Cocktails
A serving guide for bottled Flybird Strawberry Margarita with optional ice, a salted rim and fresh fruit. This is not a from-scratch recipe.
Lemonades & Sodas
Homemade blueberry syrup and fresh lemon juice topped with a bottle of Sprite. Makes about 12 cups of fizzy blueberry lemonade.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A Dutch Bros Hazelnut Truffle Mocha copycat: espresso, steamed milk, hazelnut syrup and chocolate sauce, topped with whipped cream and caramel.
Shots
Rum gelatin shots made with flavored gelatin, boiling water and rum. Chill until set before serving.
Lemonades & Sodas
Fresh strawberries and sliced jalapeño steeped in chilled Sprite with a squeeze of lime. A sweet-and-spicy soda for four.
Cocktails
A pitcher of Sutter Home Moscato, brewed sweet tea and fresh lemon juice over ice. Makes about 12 servings; contains alcohol.
Lemonades & Sodas
Sprite with strawberry and vanilla syrups and a splash of cream over ice: a creamy strawberry vanilla soda made in five minutes.
Lemonades & Sodas
A Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade copycat: fresh lemon juice, cold water and a zero-sugar sweetener. Makes about 6 cups.
Cocktails
A tiki cocktail with dark rum, lime, orgeat, triple sec and a quarter ounce of Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters over crushed ice.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Homemade rice horchata with strawberry syrup and brewed chai, served over ice. Prepare the horchata base ahead.
Cocktails
White rum, blue curaçao, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and lime with a splash of ginger beer. A creamy blue tropical cocktail.
Lemonades & Sodas
A fizzy party drink made with Sprite and your choice of Kool-Aid powder, served over ice with optional fruit.
Fruit Drinks
Hennessy VS with fresh mango, pineapple chunks and mango and pineapple juices. A tropical cognac cocktail for two in 15 minutes.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Blend cold brew, milk, cinnamon and vanilla with ice for a churro-inspired coffee drink topped with whipped cream.
Cocktails
A pitcher cocktail of Hennessy, pineapple juice, lemonade and fresh lemon juice, chilled for an hour and poured over ice. Makes about 5 cups.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Blend chilled coffee, white chocolate sauce, milk and ice for a homemade white chocolate mocha Frappuccino.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Whisk matcha with hot water, add lavender syrup and top with milk, hot or over ice. A Starbucks lavender matcha latte copycat, about 211 kcal a glass.
Cocktails
Make a Vodka Press with equal parts club soda and lemon-lime soda over ice, plus vodka and a citrus wedge.
Fruit Drinks
A strawberry lemon drop with fresh strawberries, vodka, triple sec, lemon juice and simple syrup, served in a sugar-rimmed glass.
Cocktails
An overview of strawberry and rhubarb winemaking, including equipment, fermentation and aging. This is a long-term project.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A rich homemade hot cocoa with cocoa powder, milk, sugar and vanilla, plus optional cream and toppings.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Hot chocolate from scratch with unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, a pinch of salt, milk and vanilla. One mug in five minutes.
Fruit Drinks
A watermelon cosmo with vodka, orange liqueur and fresh lime juice, shaken with ice and garnished with watermelon.
Fruit Drinks
A homemade coconut-water drink with lemon, a little honey and a pinch of sea salt, inspired by flavored hydration drinks. Makes 4 cups in 10 minutes.
Cocktails
Blend limoncello, vodka, fresh lemon juice and ice into a frozen lemon cocktail. Adjust simple syrup to taste.
Cocktails
A batch punch combining Red Stripe beer, dark rum, pineapple, orange, lime, grenadine and Angostura bitters.
Fruit Drinks
A Tahitian Treat-style punch: pineapple, orange and guava juices with lime and grenadine, topped with ginger ale. Makes about 5 cups.
Lemonades & Sodas
A grape, orange and lemon punch with vanilla, topped with soda water for a fizzy Delaware Punch-inspired drink.
Cocktails
A SKYY vodka citrus fizz: vodka shaken with fresh lemon and lime juice and simple syrup, topped with club soda. Ready in 5 minutes.
Mocktails
A non-alcoholic sparkling lime drink with mineral water, simple syrup and fresh mint, served over ice.
Cocktails
Ypióca cachaça shaken with fresh lime juice and simple syrup, served over ice with a lime wheel. A simple Brazilian sour in five minutes.
Cocktails
Two-ingredient Prosecco cocktails: one chilled bottle plus about 150 ml of a liqueur or fruit juice of your choice. Ratios for 5 glasses.
Shots
Prosecco jello shots with unflavored gelatin, sugar and an optional splash of vodka. Makes about 16 one-ounce shots; chill 2 hours.
Cocktails
An Aperol Spritz with Prosecco, Aperol and soda water in a 3:2:1 ratio, served over ice with orange.
Cocktails
Minute Maid Daiquiri: frozen limeade concentrate blended with white rum and ice. Measured recipe, pitcher version and substitutes; ready in 5 minutes.
Cocktails
Mix gin or bourbon with sweet vermouth and Fee Brothers bitters. This recipe uses bottled bitters; it does not make bitters from scratch.
Cocktails
Shake pistachio liqueur, vodka, vanilla syrup and lime juice for a nutty pistachio martini with a crushed pistachio rim.
Cocktails
A citrus vodka martini with orange liqueur and a splash of orange juice, garnished with orange peel.
Fruit Drinks
Mix dark rum, coconut rum, orange and pineapple juices, lime and grenadine into a tropical rum punch. Finish with soda if desired.
Lemonades & Sodas
Make a fizzy homemade soda inspired by Olipop with ginger, fruit juice and optional fiber.
Fruit Drinks
Blend frozen orange juice concentrate, milk, vanilla and ice for a creamy orange slush, with optional whipped cream.
Fruit Drinks
The archived instructions were incomplete and omitted the orange ingredient. We are reviewing this recipe before publishing a version to make at home.
Lemonades & Sodas
Make a Poppi-style soda with sparkling water, fruit juice and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Two glasses in 10 minutes, about 14 kcal each.
Fruit Drinks
A Starbucks Summer Skies copycat: a blue berry refresher base with coconut milk and raspberry popping boba over ice. One drink in 5 minutes.
Fruit Drinks
A Sonic Orange Cloudsicle copycat with orange juice, vanilla ice cream and lemon-lime soda, finished with whipped cream and a cherry.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
What vodka mash is, how fermentation differs from distillation, and why mash is not finished vodka.
Cocktails
A creamy pistachio martini made with pistachios, vodka, amaretto and heavy cream, without pistachio liqueur.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A homemade sugar-free vanilla coffee syrup inspired by Dutch Bros, made with water, a 1:1 granulated sugar replacement and vanilla extract. Keep it refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.
Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Dutch Bros Campout Cold Brew at home: cold brew with chocolate macadamia nut and vanilla syrups and chocolate milk, topped with sweet foam and a chocolate drizzle.
Cocktails
A strawberry lemonade wine punch made with a bottle of Sutter Home White Zinfandel, fresh strawberry puree, lemon juice and sugar. Serve over ice; contains alcohol.
Lemonades & Sodas
Lemonade with mixed berry syrup and fresh berries, served over ice. Use ready-made syrup or prepare the optional syrup ahead.
Fruit Drinks
A non-alcoholic watermelon and citrus drink with cucumber, ginger, fresh herbs and agave syrup or honey.
Lemonades & Sodas
Mix your preferred energy drink with flavored syrup and ice for a Dutch Bros-inspired Rebel, with optional cream.
Fruit Drinks
A Dutch Bros Mangonada copycat with mango, mango nectar, pineapple and orange juice, lime and Tajín over ice. One large alcohol-free drink.
Cocktails
A Bartaco-style margarita: silver tequila, orange liqueur, plenty of fresh lime and a little agave, shaken and served over ice.
Cocktails
A quick margarita with tequila, Cointreau or triple sec and sour mix, shaken with ice and served in a salt-rimmed glass.
Cocktails
The classic espresso martini with vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur and simple syrup, plus 6 flavor riffs and tips for a thick foam.
Cocktails
Mix a Tequila Daisy with tequila, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and a splash of club soda. A citrusy cocktail served over ice.
Cocktails
A classic margarita with a chili-lime Tajín rim: blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, orange liqueur and agave syrup, shaken and served over ice.
Fruit Drinks
Scoop and strain fresh passion fruit to make puree for drinks and desserts, with optional sugar and water.
Cocktails
A lavender martini with gin or vodka, dry vermouth and homemade lavender syrup, stirred and garnished with a lavender sprig.
Cocktails
Aruba's signature cocktail: vodka, overproof rum, Coecoei, crème de banane, fruit punch and orange juice with a dash of grenadine.
Cocktails
Make a Mexican-style Cantarito with tequila, grapefruit, orange and lime juices, then top with grapefruit soda.
Cocktails
A Lemon Drop with a limoncello twist: vodka, limoncello, fresh lemon juice and a splash of syrup, shaken and served in a sugar-rimmed martini glass.