Making cocktails is an art form. Bartenders and mixologists worldwide go to great lengths to honor classic cocktails and create new inventions for thirsty cocktail lovers. Looking for a new way to elevate your next get together, well, you can craft a few exciting cocktails at home!

If you’re planning a party or are getting together with friends or family, impress and entertain while mixing some drinks and ensure everyone has a great time. The question is, can anyone mix drinks? The answer is yes. With the right ingredients and a few basic tools, you can make cocktails at home like a pro. Here are three fun cocktail ideas for home cocktail enthusiasts. 

Mixing cocktails doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, it can be as easy as combining two different items. As the host, add in some simple garnishes to make the drink special, or add in flourishes to make it more entertaining.

Duo cocktails are great for home parties, as these drinks call for only two ingredients. These mixed drinks are best enjoyed over ice in a rocks glass, but they can vary widely in flavor.

Vodka and coffee liqueur become a Black Russian. Amaretto and Scotch turn into a Godfather. Brandy and Crème de Menthe become a Stinger. The sky’s the limit! Search for duo cocktail recipes online and choose your favorites. These drinks are a great way to make cocktails at home for your loved ones with little to no experience. Other two-ingredient drinks that are just as easy to make are the Rum & Coke and the Gin & Tonic!

Sour cocktails are a unique drink family. The Whiskey Sour, Mojito, Margarita and Cosmopolitan are all, in a way, linked to the sour category. These drinks have three ingredients in common: citrus juice, simple syrup and a spirit.

Combine gin with lemon juice and simple syrup, and you’ve got yourself a Gimlet. Use rum and lime juice instead, and you just made a Daiquiri. An easy-to-remember formula to make sour cocktails is two ounces of any spirit, an ounce of lemon/lime juice, and another one of simple syrup.

The best part? Top your sour with soda (flavored, unflavored, sweet), and you’ve got yourself an entirely new drink! That’s how Rickeys, Highballs and other long cocktails are made!

Martinis are amongst the most fashionable cocktails out there, and although these cocktails look daunting, they’re easy to make at home. You only need two ingredients to make a Martini: vodka or gin and dry vermouth.

Vodka is the most versatile spirit, as it doesn’t change the drink’s flavor. Popular cocktails made with vodka include the Vodka Martini, Moscow Mule and Cosmopolitan. While you don't need the highest priced top shelf vodka for martinis, avoid the cheaper brands that may not be as smooth to drink alone. The vermouth does not impart a strong flavor and the taste of the vodka will definitely come through.

Gin is a clear spirit, aromatized with botanicals. There are many brands available, and they all taste different. On the other hand, vermouth is a wine that’s been fortified with grape spirit and aromatized. Together, these two ingredients become the classic Martini.

Use a mixing glass and combine a shot of vodka or gin with just a dash of vermouth. The less vermouth, the dryer the drink. Stir with fresh ice and strain in a martini glass. Garnish with an olive, and you’re done! Master the Martini recipe, and you’ll be everyone’s favorite host. 

Some cocktails are incredibly complicated to make, but most of them aren’t. In fact, mixing drinks for a party is easy, provided you have the right ingredients in hand. Try combining items you like or think will complement each other. Trial and error is more fun, especially when hanging out with loved ones.

Once you've mastered mixing or crafted your perfect drink, turn your next reunion into a cocktail party and show off your new drink mixing skills!