A smooth, clean, almost neutral spirit (but don’t mistake it for boring!), vodka is a staple liquor for any home bar. There are endless uses for vodka, from complicated cocktails to culinary creations. But today we’re discussing some of the easiest drink recipes you can make at home using vodka.
Before we dive in, let’s explore what vodka is made from. Vodka is a distilled liquor that can be made from a number of different base ingredients. While we most frequently associate vodka with potatoes, it can be successfully distilled from any of the following:
And more. Vodka is also usually distilled more times than other liquors. In most cases, it will be distilled at least three times, with many distilleries exceeding that. Some even distill up to ten times to ensure purity and quality!
Popular brands of vodka include Ketel One, Grey Goose, Ciroc, Chopin, Belvedere, and Tito’s. Each of the recipes below can be made with your favorite vodka. It’s especially important to use a high-quality vodka you love to drink when making spirit-forward cocktails like a vodka martini. Recipes with a lot of other ingredients, though (like a Bloody Mary), can be perfectly delicious with a mid-range vodka.
Here are nine of our favorite easy-to-make vodka cocktails!
Classic Bloody Mary Recipe
Makes 1 cocktail; can easily be scaled up to make multiple, even a pitchers’ worth
The garnish possibilities are only limited by your imagination!
It doesn’t have to be National Bloody Mary Day to enjoy a classic Bloody Mary! This recipe can be enjoyed as a “cure’” for a hangover or at a brunch with friends. With enough garnishes, it could even replace snack time! Spice it up as much or as little as you like – the only rule with a Bloody Mary is that it must contain tomato juice and vodka. The rest is really up to you.
Vodka Tonic Recipe
1 ½ oz. vodka
4 oz. tonic
Lemon or lime wedge for garnish
Instructions:
It really doesn’t get easier or more refreshing than this. It’s a bubbly, citrus-y, blink-and-you-might-miss-it drink that you can easily make stronger. Use high-quality tonic water and vodka for best results.
Cosmo Recipe
1 ½ oz. vodka
¾ oz. Cointreau or orange liqueur
¾ oz. lime juice
½ oz. cranberry juice
Lime wheel garnish
Instructions:
Popularized by HBO’s Sex and the City, the Cosmopolitan was the drink of choice for young professional women throughout the ‘90s and early aughts. The cranberry adds a little tartness to balance the Cointreau. This winning combination leaves you with a sweet-and-sour cocktail to please your inner Carrie.
Gimlet Recipe
2 oz. vodka
¾ oz. lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup
Lime wheel garnish
Instructions:
Similar to a gin gimlet, the vodka gimlet is a clean, simple, no-fuss cocktail. It’s balanced but strong, so don’t be fooled by the pleasant sweet-tart combo of fresh lime juice and simple syrup.
Greyhound Recipe
1 ½ oz. vodka
~3 oz. grapefruit juice
Lime wedge garnish
Instructions:
With the exception of the next cocktail on the list, it really doesn’t get simpler than this. For a fun twist, salt the rim of the rocks glass before constructing the cocktail. Now you have a Salty Dog, a puckeringly refreshing cocktail for a hot day.
Screwdriver Recipe
1 ½ oz. vodka
~3 oz. orange juice
Orange slice garnish if desired
Instructions:
Along with tomato juice, the screwdriver is enormously popular on American flights. This is likely due to its simplicity. Like a mimosa without the bubbles, a screwdriver is a slightly more serious cocktail to drink at brunch, but hey – we’re not judging! It’s also another one that you can easily adjust to be a little stronger when the occasion requires it.
Classic Vodka Martini Recipe
2 ½ oz. vodka
½ oz. dry vermouth
Ice
Lemon twist or olives for garnish
Instructions:
The iconic martini gets a little makeover by subbing vodka for its regular spirit, gin. When ordering at a bar, you have to specify that you want a vodka martini – a bartender will automatically reach for the gin otherwise.
Use this classic recipe as a starting point. You can add olive juice to make it a dirty vodka martini, or bump up the amount of vermouth to turn it into a wet (or extra wet, even) vodka martini.
Moscow Mule Recipe
2 oz. vodka
½ oz. lime juice
4 oz. ginger beer
Lime wedge and optional mint sprig garnish
Instructions:
Served in the iconic copper mug, the Moscow Mule is a snap to put together. And before you know it, everyone will want one! While ginger ale will work in a pinch, the spiciness of ginger beer sets this drink apart. Best of all: no shaker required! The drink is entirely assembled in its cute mug.
Lemon Drop Recipe
1 ½ oz. vodka
1 oz. lemon juice
½ oz. orange liqueur
½ oz. simple syrup
1 lemon wedge, notched
Sugar for the rim
Lemon twist garnish
Instructions:
This last cocktail requires just a little more work, but we promise, it pays off! It’s like lemon candy in a glass, complete with crunchy sugar for a fun homage to a Lemonhead. Use lemon vodka to really ramp up that flavor. You can also make miniaturized versions as cute, citrusy shots to start any party off on the right note.
Whip up any of these vodka cocktail recipes in a flash! Which of these cocktails will you be making first?