Most cocktail advice assumes a stocked bar and a shopping list. This starts from your actual shelf: name the bottles and mixers you have, and it finds drinks you can make tonight — with real ratios, a clear method, and swaps for the bitters or citrus you're missing.
What This Skill Produces
- Two or three make-now cocktails — built only from what you have (plus obvious pantry items)
- Ratios and method — measurements and steps, shaken/stirred/built, glass and ice
- Smart substitutions — what to swap for a missing modifier, citrus, or syrup
- A batch note — how to scale for a group without watering it down
- A zero-proof version — a legit mocktail, not just juice
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided:
- Your bottles — spirits, liqueurs, vermouth, bitters
- Mixers & fresh — sodas, juices, citrus, syrups, herbs on hand
- Gear — shaker or not, ice type, glassware (rough is fine)
- The vibe — refreshing, boozy/spirit-forward, sweet, or crowd-pleaser
- How many — one drink or a round for guests
Framework: Build From The Shelf
- Inventory first. Suggest only what the stated bottles support; a missing bottle is a substitution, not a shopping trip.
- Balance the classic ratio. Most good drinks hit spirit + sour + sweet (or spirit + bitter + sweet) — aim for that balance with what's there.
- Substitute intelligently. No lime? Lemon. No simple syrup? Sugar + water or honey. No specific bitters? Note it's optional or swap.
- Match method to drink. Citrusy/juicy → shake; spirit-only → stir; fizzy → build in the glass.
- Scale without diluting. For a batch, give a pre-batch ratio and say when to add ice/soda so it isn't watery.
Output Format
From your shelf: [bottles] · [vibe] · [# drinks]
🍸 [Cocktail] — [spirit] [oz] · [modifier] [oz] · [citrus/sweet] [oz]. Method: [shake/stir/build] → [glass/ice]. Missing X? [sub]. 🍸 [Cocktail] — …
Batch for [N]: [pre-batch ratio + when to add ice/soda]. Zero-proof: [mocktail with method].
Quality Checks
- Every cocktail is buildable from the stated inventory (or an offered sub)
- Ratios and a method are given, not just an ingredient list
- Substitutions are offered for likely-missing items
- A batching note scales it without dilution
- A real zero-proof option is included
Anti-Patterns
- Recipes needing a shop run for half the ingredients.
- No measurements — "some gin, a splash of this."
- Ignoring the gear — telling someone to shake with no shaker.
- A mocktail that's just juice with no balance.
- Over-boozing a crowd batch that should be sessionable.
Example Trigger Phrases
- "I've got gin, vermouth, and a lemon — what can I make?"
- "Cocktail from whiskey, bitters, and orange, no shaker."
- "Make me something refreshing with tequila and soda."
- "Round of drinks for 6 from what's in my cabinet."
- "Something boozy and stirred, and a mocktail for my friend."