
Design by Katja Cho
Poor vodka, so often relegated to the boring old "I'm watching my calories" vodka soda category or the sloppy vodka shots of college days past. Now that we're all adults, can we give vodka—the perfect mixing spirit—the treatment it deserves? Behold 20 exemplary (and easy-to-pull-off) cocktail recipes to try at home, so you'll never think of the clear stuff the same way again.
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1
Lime Matcha Cocktail
Ingredients:
1.5 parts Absolut Lime
1.5 parts Fresh Pressed Green Apple Juice
.5 parts Lime Juice
.25 parts Simple
½ part barspoon Matcha Powder
Directions:
Shake all ingredients and strain into a cocktail glass.
Courtesy of Absolut Vodka
2
Black Cherry Beast
Ingredients:
1.5 parts EFFEN Black Cherry Vodka
2 parts White Cranberry Juice
0.5 parts Vanilla Simple Syrup
0.5 parts Fresh Lemon Juice
Brandied Cherries, for garnish
Directions:
Shake and strain all ingredients over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with brandied cherries.
Courtesy of EFFEN Vodka
3
Love Buzz
Ingredients:
1.5 parts Absolut Original
.5 parts Crème de Cacao
1 part Raspberry Puree
1 part Room-temperature Espresso
Shaved Chocolate and Raspberries, for garnish
Directions:
Shake all ingredients and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a chocolate-raspberry tuille.
Courtesy of Absolut Vodka
4
First Down
Ingredients:
1.5 parts EFFEN Cucumber Vodka
3 parts Soda
Cucumber or Lemon Wedge, for garnish
Directions:
Pour vodka over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Top with soda and garnish with cucumber or a lemon wedge.
Courtesy of EFFEN Vodka
5
The Red Zone
Ingredients:
1 part EFFEN Original Vodka
1 part Grapefruit Juice
1 part Orange Juice
Orange Wheel, for garnish
Directions:
Build over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange wheel.
Courtesy of EFFEN Vodka
6
Early Riser
Ingredients:
2 oz. Made Real Vodka
4-5 inch Celery Stock
1 oz. Grapefruit Juice
1 oz. Lemon Juice
1 oz. Simple Syrup
2 Dashes Green Tabasco
Directions:
In a mixing shaker add celery and simple syrup; muddle. Then add Made Real Vodka, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and Tabasco. Add ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Serve with a 4-5 inch piece of celery stock for garnish.
Courtesy of Made Real, a vodka brand created by women (which also supports female-owned businesses and hosts networking events for entrepreneurial females).
7
Mint Condition
Ingredients:
2 oz. Made Real Vodka
1 oz. Honey Syrup
.5 oz. Lime Juice
Float Ginger Beer
1 Mint Leaf
Directions:
In a mixing shaker add Made Real Vodka, lime, and honey syrup. Add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with a splash of ginger beer add a mint leaf for garnish.
Courtesy of Made Real
8
Made Real Floradora
Ingredients:
2 oz. Made Real Vodka
4 oz. Ginger Ale
.5 oz. Simple Syrup
3-5 Fresh Raspberries
Directions:
In a shaker add simple syrup and raspberries; muddle. Add Made Real Vodka and Ice; shake. Strain into an ice filled collins glass. Finish with ginger ale and garnish with a fresh raspberry.
Courtesy of Made Real
9
New Suit
Ingredients:
1 oz Made Real Vodka
.5 oz Dolin Blanc or Lillet
.5 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Simple Syrup
Float of Dry Sparkling Wine
Directions:
In a shaker add Made Real Vodka, lemon, Dolin Blanc, and simple syrup. Add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled champagne coupe. Top with a float of dry sparkling wine and a lemon twist for garnish.
Courtesy of Made Real
10
Plus One Lavender
Ingredients:
Made Real Vodka
Organic/Natural Lemonade
Muddled Fresh Lavender
Top With Soda
Directions:
Served in a collins glass over ice, with a splash of soda, garnished with fresh herb and lemon wedge.
Courtesy of Made Real
11
Flirty Fizz
Ingredients:
1 part Pinnacle Original Vodka
2 parts Cranberry Juice
Splash of Club Soda
Cranberries, for garnish
Directions:
Mix ingredients and serve over ice. Garnish with cranberries.
Courtesy of Pinnacle Original Vodka
12
Raspberry Sparkler
Ingredients:
1 part Pinnacle Raspberry Vodka
2 parts Club Soda
Raspberries and Lemon Wheel, for garnish
Ingredients:
Mix ingredients and serve over ice. Garnish with raspberries and a lemon wheel.
Courtesy of Pinnacle Original Vodka
13
Handsome Ginger
Ingredients:
1 part Pinnacle Original Vodka
2 parts Ginger Beer
1 splash Lime Juice
Mint, for garnish
Directions:
Mix in a glass with ice and top it off with fresh mint. Serve in mason jars.
Courtesy of Pinnacle Original Vodka
14
Fresh Start
Ingredients:
1 1/2 parts EFFEN® Raspberry Vodka
2 parts Fresh Lemon Sour
1 part Peach Puree
1/2 part Campari
Lemon Wheel for Garnish
Ingredients:
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice in a tall highball or Collins glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel on the rim.
Courtesy of EFFEN Vodka
15
Lemonade Prosecco Punch
Ingredients:
4-6 cups Prepared Lemonade
1/3 cup Citrus Vodka (you can substitute regular flavor)
1 pint Blueberries (or your favorite berry), frozen
3 sprigs Fresh Mint
1 750ml bottle Astoria Prosecco D.O.C., chilled
Directions:
Stir lemonade and vodka to a gallon size pitcher. Add berries and mint. Add the prosecco. Serve over ice. The longer it sits the more the berries and mint infuse in the flavor, like sangria. Store leftovers tightly covered in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Courtesy of Astoria Wines
16
Watermelon-Cucumber Mojito
Ingredients:
2 oz. Prairie Cucumber-Flavored Organic Vodka
2 watermelon chunks, 1 inch each
1 English Cucumber Slice, 1 inch (peeled and seeds removed)
Juice of 1 Lime
2 tsp. Sugar
Handful of Mint Leaves
Crushed Ice
Ginger Ale
Directions:
Muddle the watermelon and cucumber chunks, with the juice of 1 lime and the sugar in a glass. Stir in mint leaves, then add crushed ice and 2 oz. Prairie Cucumber-Flavored Organic Vodka to a lowball glass. Top with ginger ale; garnish with more mint.
Courtesy of Prairie Organic Spirits
17
Harvey Slambanger
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Reyka Vodka
.25 Galliano
2 dashes Bitterman's Tiki bitters
3 oz. Orange Juice
Directions:
Add all ingredients in shaker, muddle, add ice, and shake all together. Serve in a glass and garnish with an orange twist.
Courtesy of The Cocktail Bar at Windsor Court New Orleans
18
Fresca Frizz
Ingredients:
4-6 Raspberries
10-12 Mint Leaves
1 ½ oz. Grey Goose Vodka
¾ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
¾ oz. Wilks & Wilson Raspberry Gomme Syprup
1 ½ oz. Prosecco (Add after shake)
Garnish: Raspberry, Mint Sprig
Directions:
Add raspberries, six mint leaves, and raspberry syrup into mixing tin, then lightly muddle. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the prosecco. Add ice and shake vigorously. Now add 1 ½ oz prosecco into mixing tin, and strain over crushed ice with 6 mint leaves on the bottom of the glass. Garnish with raspberry and mint.
Courtesy of Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca
19
Pomegranate Sage Martini
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Vodka of Your Choice
1 oz. Fresh Sage Simple Syrup
1 oz. POM Wonderful 100 Percent Pomegranate Juice
.25 oz. Cointreau (or similar orange-flavored liqueur)
1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
.5 oz. Pasteurized Egg Whites (optional)
Fresh Sage Leaf, for garnish
Directions:
Pack a pint glass or a martini shaker with ice. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin and shake until icy cold. Strain into a frozen martini glass. Garnish with a fresh sage leaf.
Courtesy of Bonefish Grill
20
Raspberry Smash
Ingredients:
6-8 Mint Leaves
6 Fresh Raspberries
2 oz. 50 Bleu Vodka
1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz. Pomegranate Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup
Garnish: Lemon Wheel, Raspberry, Mint Sprig
Directions:
Add mint and raspberries into mixing tin. Lightly muddle, to press berries and to release the oils from mint. Now add the rest of the ingredients. Add ice and shake vigorously. Now strain over crushed ice and garnish with lemon, raspberry, and mint.
Courtesy of Hearthstone
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