Because cobbled-together cocktails are some of the best creations.

Making cocktails can require a bit of dosh. Between the spirits, liqueurs, mixers and garnishes, it can all add up. But fear not because there’s a light (and a cocktail) at the end of the tunnel – or at least there is at the back of the pantry. That’s right, all those bits and bobs floating around behind your olive oils can be used to make some seriously delicious drinks.

Let us introduce you to the fine art of pantry cocktails. We’re talking about drinks made from the likes of canned fruits and veg, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, jams and even Vegemite. They’re thrifty little numbers that won’t break the bank while using up long-forgotten items in the pantry.

1. Jams, marmalades and preserves

Don’t have any liqueurs? Well, consider it a bad day to be a jar of jam because it’s about to get shook. Jam cocktails are super easy (see Aurelia St Clair’s Jam Gin Fizz for inspiration), and the joy of using jam is how well it incorporates into drinks. Think of it as a chunky liqueur or flavoured syrup, but easy to break up with some vigorous shaking.

Using jams and condiments offers endless cocktail twists. For example, there’s the Breakfast Martini made by legend Salvatore Calabrese using gin, triple sec, fresh lemon juice and marmalade. It lives on the same plane as the Gin Sour, but nixes the sugar syrup in favour of a barspoon of marmalade, adds 15mL of triple sec and decreases the amount of lemon juice to 15mL.

Other jam cocktails include a riff on the OG Clover Club, using raspberry jam (or any berry jam, really) instead of syrup, and opting for dry vermouth. You could even melt down that leftover quince paste and do a fun little quincey twist on a Tom Collins. See what’s in the fridge and pantry and get creative.

2. Honey

If you have honey, you’ve struck gold. Why? Well, it’s sugar, innit. Almost every cocktail requires an element of sweetness, and honey brings slightly more complex flavours than your average sugar syrup.

Honey works a treat in cocktails like the Old Fashioned and others that have a base of whisky or other dark spirit. But before you go squirting honey into your cocktail, it’s best to make a quick syrup first. Add three parts honey to one part boiling water, stir it until it’s a good consistency, let it cool and then you can use it in just about any cocktail recipe. It works in a range of rum, Cognac and whiskey cocktails. We especially love it in the Gold Rush (pictured).

3. Spreads

Peanut butter is a wondrous thing in cocktails, but it can be tricky to use. This is where fat-washing comes in handy. Essentially, grab your peanut butter, spread a thin layer at the bottom of a baking tray (with a lip), pour in your preferred bourbon, cover and rest it overnight at room temp. The next day, put the bourbon through a coffee filter and back into the bottle, discard the peanut butter, and you’ve got a peanut butter fat-washed spirit, ready for a bougie Old Fashioned. If that sounds like too much work, go for the spicy Satay Mary or the sweet and creamy PB&J Martini.

But don’t overlook Vegemite – it’s a brilliant ingredient, delivering a hit of salt and umami (check out our Aussie Summer Eggnog for proof). You can use it in a Bloody Mary for a nice salty, rounded kick, or if you want to get adventurous, you can make a syrup – mix 100mL agave syrup with 100mL boiling water and dissolve a teaspoon of Vegemite in there. Once cooled, try a splash of it in everything – we love it in an Espresso Martini for a little salty intrigue.

4. Vinegar and sauces

If your pantry is anything like ours, it’s loaded with vinegar and forgotten sauces. Why do we have so much red wine vinegar? The good news is you can use it in cocktails – in moderation. We suggest mixing it in a sweet cocktail for a bit more depth, like a Swizzle (we have the Pomegranate Swizzle on repeat – pictured), where there’s a good hit of sugar, citrus and ice. Just pour in around 20mL red wine vinegar (or to taste) to give that fruity cocktail some more complexity. Or chuck it in a frothy Sour for a bit of interest – just be sure to taste as you go to check that it’s all balancing nicely.

Which cockails can handle sauces? Bloody Marys, Micheladas and the like – those thick tomatoey drinks can take a lot. Instead of using Worcestershire (also a pantry fave), you can thin down a touch of oyster sauce and stir it through your tomato juice mix. The same goes for fish sauce, soy sauce and ponzu. You could even trial Maggi Seasoning or stock cubes in there. Have a play – we reckon some Thai chilli paste, lime, sugar syrup, Maggi and a lager like Singha is a great shout for a fancy Michelada.

And don’t forget your hot sauces. Experiment with all manner of chilli – even gochujang works a treat. Or if you have a crunchy, green jalapeño hot sauce, throw it into your Margarita for a spicy kick. Got miso lying around? Try our So-Miso recipe – it’s ridiculously good.

5. Canned stuff

If you have a can of tomatoes in the back of your pantry, it’s Bloody Mary time. If you don’t have tomato juice, you can blitz canned tomatoes with water and maybe a stalk of celery, too. If it’s too thick, strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth. Otherwise, pop it in a cocktail shaker with some wasabi or horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, vodka (or whatever base spirit you have) and maybe even some Old Bay seasoning (another pantry OG), and that’s an excellent Mary.

Brine is also brilliant in cocktails – olive brine, in particular. The good stuff always has a little MSG in there, which is perfect for a Dirty Martini. No vermouth? No problem. If you've got brine and either vodka or gin, you’ve got a bone-dry Martini. Just use more brine than you normally would, and make sure it's properly chilled – getting good dilution is essential.

And if you have a can of chickpeas in there, you’ve got aquafaba – the gooey liquid you normally pour down the sink is the best sub for egg white. Strain the chickpeas and keep that juice because it acts as a frothing agent. Use it in cocktails like the Whiskey Sour or White Lady or anything with egg white – one egg white is about 30mL. Best of all? It’s vegan.

6. Condensed milk and coconut milk

Condensed, sweetened condensed and evaporated milk are all great for cocktails and work beautifully with spirits like rum and bourbon. The Batida (“milkshake” in Portuguese) is a family of cachaca-based drinks that uses condensed milk. Cachaca is a bit of a niche spirit here in Australia, so if you don’t have it, opt for a white or lighter rum.

The OG Batida is a mix of 50mL cachaca (or rum), 60mL coconut water, 30mL condensed milk and 8mL lime juice shaken and served over ice. You can give it a twist with our Watermelon Batida (pictured), or flavour it any way you want – mango puree is also great, as is a hit of cinnamon, or coffee for a Vietnamese coffee twist. As for coconut milk? You better believe we’re sticking it in a White Russian, but it’s great in tiki-style cocktails, too.

7. Sugar

Above all else, there is sugar. It’s that key ingredient that ties everything together. As mentioned, sugar is essential in most cocktails, so get familiar with making easy syrups at home. Get inspired with our Cherry Christmas Spritz or Crimes of Passion cocktails, for example.

And you can make a syrup out of almost anything – coffee, soy sauce, miso, celery, berries, Milo, maple syrup, tea, corn… you name it. It's as easy as boiling water, adding sugar and your flavouring ingredient, heating it up, and then draining it. For gooey ingredients (like honey), try a three-part to one-part water mix, while for other elements, it might just take a little trial and error – and sampling – to nail the balance.