Anyone who's ever sampled a Negroni or a 50/50 Martini understands the magic of equal-parts cocktails. Celebrated cocktail author, Kara Newman states in her book 'Shake. Stir. Sip.': "Some of the best cocktails are the easiest to make." Her book, released in 2016, features over 50 easy-to-remember cocktails that are all crafted from equal proportions of ingredients.

These cocktails, whether timeless or newly invented, are admired by bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts alike due to their simplicity and complexity. Measuring the ingredients for these drinks is effortless; however, the melding of flavors can be sophisticated. In addition, these equal-parts cocktails offer the flexibility to interchange ingredients, leading to inventive variations on classic drinks.

To master the art of equal-parts cocktails, here are seven essential recipes that every cocktail lover should become familiar with.

Thought to be the inspiration for the popular Negroni, the Americano is a classic that utilizes equal measurements of Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda water. The combination of ingredients produces a distinct, slightly bitter spritz that's perfect to enjoy during aperitivo hour. An orange peel garnish elevates the cocktail by enhancing the tang of the citrus in the bittersweet Italian liqueur.

The Last Word, first crafted at the Detroit Athletic Club bar around 1916, revives the blend of gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice in equal parts. The cocktail yields a delightful mix of sweet and sour notes with complex herbal hints. Although the drink was almost forgotten after Prohibition, the late Seattle bartender Murray Stenson resurrected it at the Zig Zag Café in the early 2000s.

The Negroni is one of the most recognisable equal-parts cocktails, featuring gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. The cocktail dates back to 1919 and was supposedly first crafted in Florence's Caffè Casoni at the request of Italian Count Camillo Negroni, who wanted an Americano with gin instead of soda water.

The Paper Plane, a modern classic created by Sam Ross in 2008 for the opening menu of The Violet Hour in Chicago, combines bourbon, Aperol, amaro, and lemon juice. The cocktail's name comes from a hit song at the time of its creation, M.I.A.’s Paper Planes.

An authentic pre-Prohibition classic, the Corpse Reviver No.2, combines gin, orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc, lemon juice, and a dash of absinthe in equal amounts. It is rumored to have been concocted as a remedy for the hungover.

Inspired by a 1922 silent movie of the same name, Blood & Sand first appeared in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. Equal parts of scotch, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and freshly squeezed orange juice result in a smoky sweet medley.

Lastly, the Sbagliato (meaning "mistaken Negroni" in Italian) replaces the gin of its cousin with sparkling wine, alongside Campari and sweet vermouth. Despite being a less spirit-based aperitivo than the Negroni, it packs a punch with a slightly higher alcohol content than its relative, the Americano.