Best Vodka Mixers For Your Cocktails
Next time you find yourself in the supermarket drinks aisle, challenge yourself to find a more versatile spirit than vodka. You can pretty much add any mixer you want to the drink Russians call the water of life.
There are too many good mixed drinks with vodka to list them all here. Instead weve handpicked a few of the best, but also a few of the healthiest.
There’s A Reason Why This Versatile Spirit Is The Most Popular In The World
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Liquor / Chloe Jeong
An unaged spirit distilled and filtered repeatedly to achieve smoothness and clarity, vodka has had a reputation for blandness. It was even long defined as “without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color” by The Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau . In April 2020, though, the bureau dropped the definition that held vodka back, acknowledging something that experts know: vodkas are wildly diverse, distilled using everything from grains to grapes, milk to maple sap.
With that said, how should you decide among them? Charles Joly, spirits tasting judge and founder of Crafthouse Cocktails, says Most people want something relatively neutral, but that doesn’t mean it has to lack character. When he judges a vodka, he considers the quality of the distillate: It shouldnt have an aggressive burn.” He wants an aroma that hints at the raw material used to make the vodka, be it grapes, potatoes, or grain. And he looks for a creamy mouthfeel without a cloying glycerin texture, as well as a clean, mouthwatering finish.
From big, bold, and spicy to smooth and sweet, or anything in between, theres a vodka out there for every palate. With the help of our experts, below you’ll find a curated list of the best vodkas to get right now.
Why Does Tequila Affect Me More Than Vodka
It doesnt matter what kind of alcohol you drink, the effect is the same on your brain, whether its beer, wine or liquor. The sugars in agave plants are used to distill tequila. Because of the distillation process, it has a different makeup of congeners than other types of alcohol, which have little effect on the taste of the alcohol.
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Making A Wine And Vodka Punch
Depending on the type of wine and vodka that you use, the variation in each recipe can be huge. This allows you to mix the ingredients in an endless number of ways. Whether you decide on the citrusy orange lemon vodka punch or the tart cranberry wine punch, youll be glad that you used wine and vodka as the building blocks for your drink.
Iced Tea And Lemonade
Iced tea and vodka, third-wheeled by lemonade, create a light and refreshing summer drink. Its okay to solely use lemonade to mix with vodka . But if you want to include both, its called a John Daly, named after the American golfer and his infamous alcohol problems.
Popular Brands:Snapple Iced Tea With Lemon, Sweet Leaf Iced Tea, Country Time Lemonade Drink Mix
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+ Amazing Vodka Cocktails
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Get inspired with some of the best vodka cocktails on the internet. From classic vodka cocktail recipes like a Lemon Drop Martini to Sex on the Beach Slushies, with are more fun, we have tons of cocktail ideas for everyone.
Dont let making vodka cocktails at home scare you. Most of them are actually super simple to make! Take our Honey Greyhound Cocktail or Blackberry Moscow Mules. Both of these are fun, refreshing, and ready in less than 10 minutes.
Sometimes after a long week of work all you need is a stiff drink. Or, if youre a lightweight, something more fruity and less pungent might be the right drink for you. Either way, weve got tons of vodka cocktails for you to choose from that will fit any palette.
If You Like This Drink
Before we get to the recipe: there are a few other drinks you should check out.
If you like this drink, you should also check out the Desert Shield, which blends vodka and cranberry with cranberry liqueur. If you want pure cranberry flavor, thats the drink for you.
Theres also the Crystal Cranberry, which features amaretto, Crown Royal, gin, cranberry juice and more. It does make a change from this drink, but the taste of it is wonderful.
Theres also the C& T Cocktail, which blends cranberry and gin with Absolut Mandarin and more. That one is so good.
And you may also want to try the Long Beach Iced Tea, which is very strong and very tasty. It features cranberry juice, triple sec and lots of white liquors.
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Best Budget: Russian Standard
Region: Russia | ABV: 40% | Tasting notes: Fruity, Herbaceous, BitterMixed berry flavors resolve to a savory, green finish in this St. Petersburg staple that brings a lot of complexity for a little cash. Big and bold like other Russian vodkas, its made for the freezer. Pour it chilled and pair it with foods that are much more expensive than it is. Caviar, oysters, smoked troutit drinks far fancier than its price tag.
Region: New York | ABV: 40% | Tasting notes: Clean, Crisp, Smooth
You pretty much cant get any more virtuous with your vodka drinking than this scientific breakthrough: Vodka made from nothing other than carbon dioxide, water, and sunshine. Its Brooklyn-based producer uses a special, solar-powered technology to convert carbon emissions into ethyl alcohol, removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere as it amps up our Moscow Mules. No farming, no irrigation, no resource extraction. No wonder its a NASA prize winner. It tastes pretty good, too: smooth and light.
Best Flavored: Square One Organic Cucumber Vodka
courtesy of Total Wine
Region: United States | ABV: 40% | Tasting notes: Fresh cucumber, Floral
Savory and sweet notes balance beautifully in this elegant bottle made with certified organic American rye. The silky, candied profile of a carefully distilled vodka meets the garden-fresh flavor of the hand-peeled cucumbers that infuse it for a sippable spirit thats a shoo-in for a lithe Bloody Mary but which also yields a dynamite vodka Gibson.
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Essential And Popular Vodka Cocktails For 2021
Whether you genuinely love it or love to hate it, vodka is a mainstay of any well-stocked bar. And while it may have come in and out of vogue in the past 30 years, it remains the best-selling spirit in America by volume. Its also a key ingredient in some of the worlds most popular cocktails.
So unearth that old bottle of Smirnoff from your freezer , and check out these essential vodka cocktails that just might make you remember why it was the most beloved liquor of the 90s.
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Whats In A Lemon Vodka Cocktail
Have you ever had a lemon drop? The cocktail, not the shot. The cocktail is fairly similar to what were doing here, in that it is typically composed of:
- vodka
- fresh lemon juice
- sugar
It is so good! Since I like my cocktails a little bit sparkly, Ive combined most of the same ingredients for my cocktail, with some soda water! I also use a simple syrup here instead of a fine granulated sugar.
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How To Mix Vodka
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Vodka is one of the most popular alcohols to use for mixed drinks. Its clean, pure flavor is easy to combine with juice, soda, or flavored liqueurs, and you probably already have several easy mixers on hand. For a quick drink, choose 1 or 2 mixers, such as cranberry and pineapple juice, to stir into vodka or branch out and make a Bloody Mary, cosmo, or another fun vodka cocktail.
The Best Vodkas To Shake Stir And Sip
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There are many misconceptions about vodka. Some consider the spirit tasteless, while others believe it has the flavor of rubbing alcoholbut that’s not always true. Made with anything from potatoes to grains to leftover whey, vodka can be light and bright or hearty and earthy. Better yet, it can be smooth with no kickback from that too-fiery alcohol sting.
We took a look at taste, flavorings, and different distillation processes to bring you the best in show, ranging from old-school Russian sips to American vodkas made from interesting ingredients.
Here are the best vodkas.
Region: Netherlands | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Honey, lemon zest, cream
Ketel One is the drink of choice for the celebrity crowd and for good reason: the Dutch brands signature vodka is free of sugar and artificial flavors and made with 100 percent GMO-free grains.
I have been drinking Ketel One Vodka since I was legal to drink, says Fanny Chu, head bartender at Donnas in Brooklyn, New York. Its been my go-to vodka for agesthe combination of modern and traditional distilling techniques that make for an incredible product.
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What The Vodka Cranberry Drink Tastes Like
The Vodka Cranberry is sometimes thought of as a beginners drink because its not very strong and you dont really taste the alcohol. But its a delicious drink for anyone.
The great thing about this drink is how refreshing it is without being strong. The lime and cranberry are both tart, which really wakes up your taste buds.
But you also get some sweetness from the dash of orange juice, and that makes it delicious.
Note that some bartenders do make this drink much stronger. The classic recipe only calls for an ounce of vodka, but some put in a good bit more.
When its mixed according to this recipe, the only reason youll know the vodka is in there is that slight burn you feel as it goes down. And it is really slight.
If you want a regular strength drink, you certainly can bump the vodka up to the standard 1 1/2 ounces without changing the flavor noticeably.
If you want your drink on the strong side, bump it up to two ounces of vodka and just reduce the cranberry juice accordingly.
Best For Moscow Mules: Titos
Region: Texas | ABV: 40% | Tasting notes: Roasted corn, White pepper, Smoke
Americas first craft vodka, Tito’s from Austin, Texas, has been the choice for trendy cocktailians since it hit the market in 1997. Its made from corn for a deep, rich flavor, and Abou-Ganim is a long-time fan.
Theres a grainy sweetness to it, he says. Thanks to Titos corn-based earthiness, this gluten-free spirit pairs perfectly with the spicy profile of the ginger beer or ginger ale in a classic Moscow Mule.
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Pineapple Guava And Mango
Vodka is not your usual tropical cocktail drink, but when it works, it works. The flavorless drink goes really well with fruits, and pineapple is no different. Although you might be more comfortable and familiar with pineapple and rum, it is perfect for vodka too. The juice is a strong concoction that will blend out the strong flavor of the vodka if you dont want to taste the liquor and focus on the buzz.
With guava, the best way to drink vodka would be to infuse it with the juice. But dont forget the chili and salt rim icing, which is the best part of the drink. The spicy and salty touch will enhance the taste of guava and drown out any burning notes in the vodka.
Lastly, we have little to say about mango. Pour pretty much anything in mango, and you have a divine drink. Enhance your vodka cooler style.
Best For Sipping: Absolut Elyx
Region: Sweden | ABV: 42.3% | Tasting notes: Malt, Citrus, Grass
I love sipping vodka straight from the freezer, says Tony Abou-Ganim, star bartender and author of “Vodka Distilled.” Its a beautiful, velvety liquid when it gets to that temperature, then it reveals itself as it warms up. The go-to in his deep-freeze is this premium Swedish bottle. Made with single-estate winter wheat, it has a sharp brightness, he says, that elevates all those malty, grainy flavors in standard Absolut.
Good to Know: The true test of a sipping spirit? Make sure it pairs deliciously with food. Great sipping vodkas, Abou-Ganim says, cuts through caviar like a knife it goes with pickled herring, stinky cheese, charcuterie, foie gras, gravlaxanything cured.”
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From Sodas To Syrups To Tonics These Top Mixers Will Up Your Vodka Game
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Vodka was until recently, by legal definition, a flavorless, odorless spirit . Of course, fans of this clear spirit would disagree, arguing that each brand has different flavors depending on the grains used in the mash bill, how many times its been distilled, and what country it comes from. And vodka enthusiasts also know how well it works in a variety of cocktails, from the Moscow Mule to a Screwdriver to the humble Vodka & Tonic.
There are many different vodka mixers to choose from, ranging from simple flavored seltzer to a one-step Cosmopolitan combination of cranberry and lime juice. We spoke to some bar industry experts and gathered our own picks of the best vodka mixers that you can buy now.
Simple Syrup And Lime Juice
When searching for some of the most popular cocktails in the world mojitos, , sours, mai tais, and juleps youll find simple syrup in all of them. Simply measure one part sugar and one part water and mix them up into a syrup. You can buy a bottled version of it or whip it up at home.
Popular Brands:Stirrings Simple Syrup, Nellie & Joes Key West Lime Juice
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The Best Vodka Drinks Help To Get Through The Holidays With Your Friends
The holiday season is an exciting time as it brings with itself plenty of gatherings, spending quality time with friends and family, festive food, drinks, and gifts. It really is a time to celebrate. And nothing screams celebrations as cocktails do.
While drinks like the traditional mulled wines and eggnog are great choices for celebrations, the holidays are a great time to shake things up and make them even more fun. If youre looking to liven to your holiday evenings, here are the best vodka drinks to help you get through the holidays with your friends.Whether you are partying hard or spending the evening cozying up by the fireplace, give these best vodka drinks a try and were sure you wont be disappointed.
The 10 Best Vodka Drinks
A collection of 10 of the best vodka drinks in the world.
NEW YORK — So you have all of these bottles of vodka lying around, but don’t want to drink it straight, so you need something a bit different. Or maybe you have a few go-to recipes that you’re growing tired of, and you’re looking for another way to prepare your vodka.
There are countless recipes for vodka drinks, and this list attempts to surface a few of the best ones. The vodka recipes that follow come from a variety of sources, some drinks are specific to individual bottles or flavors with a few classic drinks.
The list isn’t quite definitive, as it’s almost impossible to find the best recipes that work for everyone. No two people will likely exactly the same drinks, so there are bound to be a few on this list you might not like. This list can only promise to hold a few of the best vodka drinks we were able to find that might appeal to a wide swath of people.
Vodka Drink #10: Lemon Drop Martini
The lemon drop martini is a simple, yet popular drink that almost anyone can make. Typically served with a bit of sugar on the rim of the glass, the drink is both sweet and a bit sour.
To make a lemon drop martini you need:
- 1.25 oz. vodka
- 0.25 oz. triple sec
- 0.25 oz. lemon juice
There’s no preparation beyond combining all the ingredients, simply pour them all into a glass, and preferably one with a sugar rim.
Vodka Drink #9: White Russian
Smirnoff’s recipe for the drink is:
Vodka Drink #8: Black Russian
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