When you want to impress anyone, a cocktail is the way to go. Whether you’re hosting friends for a party or cooking dinner for a date, serving a signature drink is a simple gesture that instantly sets the scene for the evening.
That doesn’t mean you need to squeeze fresh lemon juice or measure and shake up a five-ingredient cocktail while managing other hosting duties. With the right repertoire of recipes in your back pocket, you can whip up a two-ingredient drink that’s far more exciting than a gin and tonic yet requires the same effort.
If you’re searching for a drink to enjoy on a casual evening at home, perhaps even by yourself, I’d recommend Jacques Pépin’s two-ingredient cocktail. If you’re hosting a girls’ night, I’d definitely suggest whipping up Ina Garten’s equally easy Raspberry Royale. And if you’re hoping to curate vibes that feel celebratory and special, you should make Martha Stewart’s two-ingredient tipple, the sorbet spritzer.
This fruity, effervescent beverage isn’t new — I first learned about it from Martha Stewart’s Instagram account in 2021 — and she often recommends it for New Year’s Eve. However, it’s the kind of drink that works well for any occasion year-round, whether you’re celebrating something with a loved one or just want the night to be memorable. It also happens to be customizable.
To make a sorbet spritzer, you’ll need, as its name suggests, a pint of sorbet and a dry, sparkling white wine. For the sorbet, anything fruity will do; avoid flavors like coffee or chocolate, and opt for something like grapefruit, strawberry, lemon, or mango instead.
When selecting a sparkling wine, skip the Champagne — a higher-end wine isn’t the best choice for cocktails, and its more complex flavor is difficult to pair with a sorbet. Instead, snag a bottle of dry Prosecco or Cava, which are budget-friendly and provide a fairly blank canvas. (A Prosecco that tastes great in a mimosa would be delicious in this cocktail, too.)
Place a scoop of sorbet into a large wine or spritz glass, then pour the sparkling wine over it. That’s it. At first, the drink will taste mostly like the wine, but over the course of an hour, its flavor will change, becoming sweeter and more fruit-forward as the frozen dessert gradually melts into the bubbly liquid around it.
The spritzy nature of this cocktail makes it great for enjoying with appetizers before dinner, and the sorbet’s sweet notes also make it an excellent after-dinner drink. The only time a sorbet spritzer wouldn’t be ideal is likely during the meal itself, when you want something that doesn’t overpower the food you’re eating.
Want to mix it up or have a friend who isn’t a fan of white wine? You can even make this beverage with Lambrusco, a semi-dry, sparkling red wine from Italy. Make sure you pair it with a sorbet that has a strong flavor and isn’t too tart. Mango or any berry option would be fantastic, but the fruity, intense notes of Lambrusco might overpower something more subtle, such as melon.
Serve this bright, refreshing, and fun drink for any occasion, and people will almost certainly be asking for the recipe — luckily, you can tell them they don’t even need one in order to make it.
