6 DIY Cocktail Kits for Easy Gifting

We love handmade gifts for the holidays—and these adorable cocktail kits might be our favorite idea yet! Packed inside a cute (and reusable) Ball® Jar are all the ingredients you need to make a perfect craft cocktail for happy hour. No fancy mixology skills needed!

Grab mini versions of your favorite alcohol, mixers, and flavorings, pop them in the jar with our cute printable recipe cards, and you’ve got yourself some perfect teacher gifts, bridal party gifts, or host or hostess gifts! If you want to elevate your gift, you can create a bartender’s gift set with a few of these cocktail kits, a shaker, bar towels, and other bartender tools. Let’s make some cocktail kits!

What’s the best jar to use for these cocktail kits?

The best jar to use is going to be the Ball® Jar that fits all of your bits and baubles for each cocktail. We had the very best luck using Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jars—they are easy to source, affordable, and their wide mouth makes them easy to pack.

Where do I find all the mini alcohol and mixer bottles?

We had great luck sourcing all of our mini alcohols and mixers from a big national alcohol retailer. Many of the larger liquor stores will have entire walls or kiosks of mini liquor bottles. When it comes to mixers, the liquor store should have some, but also make sure to check at your local grocery store. More and more stores are carrying mini sizes of juices, tonic, and sodas.

Where do I get the printable recipe card for these cocktail kits?

We’ve got you covered! Just print our free printable tags on cardstock on your home printer, cut them out, punch a hole, and you’re ready to go! We attached the tag to each of our jars using pretty red twine for the holidays!

How to Make a Moscow Mule Kit

A Moscow Mule is a refreshing drink made from ginger beer, vodka, and a squeeze of lime. Serve it over ice with a garnish of a lime wedge and mint sprig.

To make the Moscow Mule kit: Place a bed of craft grass in the bottom of a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart jar. Fill jar with one mini can ginger beer, one mini vodka bottle, and either a small lime on top or a packet of crystallized lime. Our preference is for the fresh lime, but it might not be the right choice if the gift might sit around for a while before it is used. Affix lid, then tie ribbon or twine around the jar and attach the tag.

How to Make a Bloody Mary Kit

There are as many ways to make a good Bloody Mary as there are people making them! Our version uses a simple herb and spice combo to add tons of flavor.

To make the Blood Mary Kit: Combine 1/2 teaspoon each celery salt, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire powder. Put the mixture into a small zip-top bag. Place a bed of craft grass in the bottom of a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart jar. Fill jar with a mini can of tomato juice, one mini vodka bottle, a mini bottle of hot pepper sauce, and the seasoning packet. If you can squeeze it in, add in a fresh lime or lemon for garnish. Affix lid, then tie ribbon or twine around the jar and attach the tag.

How to Make an Old Fashioned Kit

An Old Fashioned is really just as simple as slightly-sweetened, flavored bourbon—making it the perfect option for these cocktail kits!

To make the Old Fashioned Kit: Place a sugar cube inside a small zip-top bag (you can also wrap it up in plastic wrap if that’s easier). Place a bed of craft grass in the bottom of a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart jar. Fill a small dropper bottle with Angostura bitters and label (or use a mini bottle of bitters, if you can source one). Fill jar with a mini bottle of bourbon, the sugar cube, the bitters, and a clementine. Affix lid, then tie ribbon or twine around the jar and attach the tag.

How to Make a Margarita Mix Kit

There are two ways to tackle this margarita—using pre-made margarita mix or by making it from scratch with natural ingredients. We’ve included both options below so you can decide what works best for you! We’ve included both options in our tags printable, so make sure you grab the right tags for the version you choose.

To make a Margarita Kit (using a mix): Place a bed of craft grass in the bottom of a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart jar. Fill jar with one mini can of margarita mix, one mini bottle of tequila, and one lime, for garnish. Affix lid, then tie ribbon or twine around the jar and attach the tag.

To make a Margarita Kit (from-scratch version): Place a bed of craft grass in the bottom of a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart jar. Fill a mini alcohol bottle with agave nectar or honey and label. Fill jar with the agave nectar or honey, one mini bottle of tequila, one mini bottle of orange liqueur, and a lime. Affix lid, then tie ribbon or twine around the jar and attach the tag.

How to Make a Tequila Sunrise Kit

A tequila sunrise is a beautiful, fruity drink that is perfect for packing into a jar! The recipe does require grenadine syrup, which we had trouble sourcing in mini bottles. Instead, we bought a regular size bottle, and then poured it into mini alcohol bottles.

To make a Tequila Sunrise Kit: Fill a mini alcohol bottle with grenadine syrup. Place a bed of craft grass in the bottom of a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart jar. Fill jar with a mini bottle or juice box of orange juice, the grenadine syrup, and one mini bottle of tequila. Affix lid, then tie ribbon or twine around the jar and attach the tag.

How to Make a Coffee Martini Kit

Watch out! This cocktail tastes straight up like your favorite coffee drink from the coffee shop, but it packs a boozy punch. Regular vodka works here if that’s all you can source it in mini bottles, but we got the best flavor from espresso or coffee flavored vodka.

To make a Coffee Martini Kit: Place a bed of craft grass in the bottom of a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart jar. Fill jar with one mini bottle each of vodka (coffee or espresso flavored, preferred), coffee liqueur, and Irish cream. Add one mini can of espresso or cold brew coffee. Affix lid, then tie ribbon or tie around the rim of the jar and attach the tag.

Continue to Content

6 DIY Cocktails in a Jar

Yield: 1 of each cocktail

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Wondering what to give everybody on your holiday shopping list? Here’s a guide for six cocktail-themed gift ideas that come together in minutes!

Print

Materials

Bloody Mary Kit in a Jar

• 1 mini can tomato juice
• 1 mini bottle vodka
• 1 mini bottle hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon each celery salt, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire powder, packed in a mini zip top bag

Old Fashioned Kit in a Jar

• 1 small bottle of Angostura bitters
• 1 mini bottle bourbon
• 1 sugar cube, packed in a mini zip-top bag
• 1 clementine

Moscow Mule Kit in a Jar

• 1 mini can ginger beer
• 1 mini bottle vodka
• 1 lime

Margarita Kit in a Jar

• 1 mini bottle tequila
• 1 mini can margarita mix OR 1 mini bottle orange liqueur, 1 small bottle of agave nectar or honey
• 1 lime

Coffee Martini Kit in a Jar

• 1 mini can espresso shot or cold brew coffee
• 1 mini bottle vodka
• 1 mini bottle coffee liqueur
• 1 mini bottle Irish cream

Tequila Sunrise Kit in a Jar

• 1 mini bottle or juice box orange juice
• 1 mini bottle tequila
• 1 small bottle of Grenadine syrup

Tools

• 1 Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jar (per kit)
• Craft grass
• Twine or ribbon
• Printable tags
• Mini alcohol bottles
• Small zip-top bags

Instructions

1. Place a handful of craft grass in the bottom of the jar.
2. Fill the jar with all the ingredients listed for each craft kit.
3. Close the jar, and then tie on the tag using ribbon or twine.