9 No-Labor Cocktails

 When comes to Labor Day-themed cocktails the connective thread should be fairly obvious: Drinks that require as little effort as possible.

After all, this is a government-sanctioned paid day-off, and for most of us, the last long weekend hurrah before summer's end. Naturally, you want to celebrate with a nice cocktail. But you're supposed to be relaxing, taking it easy — not working up a sweat muddling a mojito. And those drinks that call for a laundry list of hard-to-find ingredients or require make-ahead infusions? Save those for another day.

To that end, we've rounded up some favorite no-labor (or at least, very little labor) cocktails to help you appropriately enjoy your holiday.

 

Crunch Cassidy Milkshake

The only "work" this salty-sweet spiked shake requires is hitting your blender's "on" switch.

 

Adonis Cocktail

You wouldn't guess by the taste of it, but this sophisticated drink only really calls for three ingredients. On the menu at New York City cocktail bar-restaurant, The Beagle, the drink is dry and sharp with a nice acidity — a great apéritif and one of those drinks that could work with any food.

 

Negroni

All it takes to enjoy this classic drink — a favorite among bartenders — is Campari, gin, sweet vermouth, an orange rind, and a quick stir.

 

Manhattan

Another classic whose merit isn't measured in time-consuming techniques or esoteric ingredients.

Blood Orange Mimosa

Your "I don't have to work today" Monday morning brunch wouldn't be complete without this simple take on the traditional mimosa which swaps in blood orange juice.

 

The Perfect Margarita

Who knew perfection could come so easily? OK, so you have to give the cocktail a shake, but it's worth the little bit of effort. The secret to this spot-on rendition is using fresh lemon juice instead of lime as it is less tart and won't mask the flavor of the tequila.

 

Frozen Sherry Lemonade

An adults-only frozen lemonade featuring dry sherry that is easy to make in large batches. Just try not to exhaust yourself too much going back for seconds and thirds.

 

Rum Fix

This tasty concoction straddles the apéritif-digéstif line — the bitterness of the Campari hits you first, followed by a mellow, lingering sweetness from the aged rum and crème de cacao.

 

The Charlie Sheen

This play on the traditional Jack and Coke (said to have been inspired by the one-man demolition man himself) is great for those who want a strong drink but don't want to work hard to make it.