There’s one simple pleasure I look forward to most after an especially long day: enjoying a drink on my couch, likely with some takeout or instant noodles. But when I’m tired and trying to decide what beverage to sip while I unwind, I’m rarely in search of something complicated. A glass of wine is perfect, and if I’m in the mood for a cocktail, I certainly won’t be making something as elaborate as a Ramos Gin Fizz.

Two-ingredient cocktails are the name of the game on weeknights, and my new go-to comes courtesy of none other than legendary chef Jacques Pépin.

While speaking with the cookbook author and TV host about the Jacques Pépin Foundation and its 90/90 campaign — a series of dinners across the country leading up to Pépin’s 90th birthday this December, aimed at supporting the foundation’s efforts to make culinary education more accessible — he shared the simple cocktail he sometimes made at home for meals with his wife, Gloria, before her death in 2020.

The drink is an elegant affair that tastes more complex than, say, a vodka soda, while still requiring the same number of steps — and it should be part of your cocktail repertoire.

Reflecting on how his eating and cooking habits have evolved over the years, Pépin explained that “I’m turning 90, so things change. Your metabolism changes, and my wife disappeared five years ago, so that changed the whole process of eating for me. For 54 years, we would sit down at six o’clock, have a drink, open up a bottle of wine, and have dinner together.”

During the 54 years he spent dining with his wife, the French chef recalls that the pair usually enjoyed a glass of wine. “But occasionally we did what I call a Reverse Manhattanwhich was just plain vermouth, a piece of lemon, and then a tablespoon of gin or vodka or scotch or something like that on top. Just a touch of it.”

A traditional Reverse Manhattan calls for the inverse of a Manhattan’s ingredient ratios — instead of a Manhattan’s two parts whiskey (usually rye, but bourbon works too) to one part sweet vermouth, the “Reverse” calls for two parts sweet vermouth and one part whiskey. Both creations include a dash of Angostura bitters and a maraschino cherry to garnish.

This chef’s rendition plays it loose with the choice of spirits but does employ the same central strategy, yielding a lower-alcohol cocktail that highlights the rich, spiced notes of a sweet vermouth while still adding a touch of heat from a higher-proof liquor.

Because Pépin enjoys swapping around categories of liquor, you may need to test a few different combinations of spirits and sweet vermouths to find your favorite. Using gin with sweet vermouth and bitters makes the drink a modified Reverse Martinez (minus the maraschino liqueur), in which the botanical notes of a gin might pair best with a vermouth that’s not overly spiced and has a fruitier, more delicate flavor. If you prefer to stick with whiskey but are looking for deeper, more layered flavors, choose a smoke-forward scotch (in which case, the drink becomes a Reverse Rob Roy).

There are so many different options available for sweet vermouth, making the flavor profiles you create in this drink endlessly variable. If you want something subtle and versatile, go with the classic Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Rouge. One of my personal favorites is Little City Sweet Vermouthwhich is a bit more citrus-forward.

Grab a vermouth, check what spirits you have on your bar cart, and play around with Pépin’s formula for a quick, lower-alcohol cocktail. Just make sure to stir the liquor and vermouth together with ice — or serve them directly over ice like Pépin, which is another departure from tradition — to chill both thoroughly before straining and serving.

If you have a lemon or lime to use as a garnish, this drink will feel even more sophisticated, but that’s far from required. Regardless, this two-ingredient concoction will make your weeknight better.