Mixing drinks is a culinary art, which is often regarded as difficult or something only a professional bartender can do. But all it takes is the right ingredients and correct measurements to create a cocktail. Below are some easy cocktail recipes, involving vodka as the main ingredient.
The best friend to have for any drinking occasion, is vodka. Drunk bottoms up in a shot, it can turn people into tigers. And it blends subtly into any cocktail, with a distinctive taste of its own. It’s no wonder, that some of the world’s most popular cocktails are vodka based. You name the cocktail, there has to be vodka in it. Is the bartender within you, fearful of mixing cocktails? Never fear, your mixing skills can be honed and perfected with some easy-peasy cocktail recipes. And for planning those parties at home, need a quick cocktail? Look no further, here’s a mixed bag of easy vodka drinks.
Easy Vodka Cocktails
Apricot Breeze
Ingredients
- 1 oz vodka
- 3 oz apricot nectar
- Tonic water
- Ice
Method: Fill glass with ice. Add vodka and apricot nectar, then top up with tonic. Stir and serve.
Black Russian
Ingredients
- 45ml Kahlua liqueur
- 45ml vodka
- Ice cubes
Method: Put some ice in a glass. Pour the Kahlua, then the vodka. Stir gently and serve.
Hints
- For a cola twist, top up with cola
- Add cream after liqueur and vodka to make a White Russian.
Blue Lagoon
Ingredients
- 25 ml vodka
- 25 ml Blue Curacao liqueur
- Lemonade to top
Method: In a glass filled with ice, pour the vodka and the curacao. Top up with lemonade and serve.
Cape Cod
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 4 oz cranberry juice
Method: Fill a glass with ice. Pour all ingredients and garnish glass with a lime wedge. Serve.
Cosmopolitan
Ingredients
- 45ml vodka
- 15ml cointreau
- 5ml fresh lime juice
- 45ml cranberry juice
Method: In a shaker, pour all the ingredients and add ice. Shake vigorously for 7 secs and strain into a cocktail glass.
Hints:
- Triple Sec can be used instead of cointreau
- Use orange-flavored brandy liqueur to get a tangier taste.
Grey Goose Dirty Martini
Ingredients
- 2 oz Grey goose vodka
- 3 oz gin
- ½ oz dry vermouth
- ½ oz olive brine
Method: Fill a shaker with crushed ice. Pour all the ingredients, and mix them thoroughly with a stirrer. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with olives.
Kremlin Colonel
Ingredients
- 4 parts vodka
- 1 part lime juice
- Simple syrup
- 3 mint leaves
Method: Fill a shaker with ice, then add all the ingredients. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass.
Kamikaze
Ingredients
- 90ml vodka
- 90ml triple sec liqueur
- 45ml fresh lime juice
- 45ml bottled lime juice
Method: Use a shaker for this cocktail. Fill shaker with ice, mix vodka, fresh lime juice and bottled lime juice and triple sec. Shake, don’t stir, and then strain into a chilled glass.
Hints: Use orange liqueur and cranberry juice with sweetened lime juice to make a cranberry kamikaze.
Moscow Mule
Ingredients
- 50ml of vodka
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Ginger beer or ale
- Ice
Method: Fill a tall glass with ice and then add vodka. Squeeze lime and then add husks into glass. Top up with ginger beer, stir well and serve with straw.
Hints: Garnish with mint sprig and lime juice. Add sugar syrup for sweet taste.
Strawberry Cheesecake Martini
Ingredients
- 30ml cranberry juice
- 30ml vanilla flavored vodka
- 15ml grenadine syrup
- 1 strawberry
Method: In a cocktail shaker, put ice and pour cranberry, vodka and grenadine. Cover and shake, till the shaker becomes frosty. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with strawberry.
Sex on the Beach
Ingredients
- ⅔ ounces peach Schnapps
- 1⅓ ounces vodka
- 1⅓ ounces cranberry juice
- 1⅓ orange juice
Method: Pour all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain drink into a glass.
Screwdriver
Ingredients
- 45ml vodka
- 175ml pulp free orange juice
- Ice cubes
Method: In a glass, put ice cubes, then pour orange juice. Pour in vodka. Stir and serve.
Hints: Add a splash of Galliano on top to make a Harvey Wallbanger.
Samurai
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces Absolut Pear
- ¾ ounce triple sec or cointreau
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce plum wine
Method: In a shaker, pour all ingredients and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glass.
Tom Collins Vodka
Ingredients
- 3 parts vodka
- 2 parts lemon juice
- 1 part sugar syrup
- 1 lime wedge
- Soda water
Method: To make the sugar syrup, mix equal parts of sugar and water over heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat and let the syrup cool. Use a shaker for this drink. Fill it with ice and add vodka, lemon juice and syrup. Shake, then strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with soda water and garnish with lime wedge.
Tiramisu Martini
Ingredients
- 45ml vanilla flavored vodka
- 45ml creme de cacao
- 45ml coffee flavored liqueur
Method: In a shaker, pour vodka, crème de cacao and coffee liqueur over ice. Shake until shaker frosts. Then strain into chilled glass and serve.
Vodka Greyhound
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 5 ounces grapefruit juice
Method: Pour ingredients into a highball glass over ice cubes. Stir well and serve.
Hints: Use 10ml cranberry juice to make a pink greyhound.
Vodka Espresso
Ingredients
- 50ml of vodka
- 1 shot of fresh espresso coffee
- Dash of sugar syrup
- Dash of Kahlua
Method: Fill ice in half of a shaker. Add vodka, espresso, sugar and Kahlua. Shake well and strain contents into chilled glass.
Vodka Red Bull
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 can, Red Bull energy drink
Method: In a glass filled with ice, pour vodka. Then fill with Red Bull.
Woo Woo
Ingredients
- 45ml vodka
- 45ml peach schnapps
- 30ml cranberry juice
Method: Add peach schnapps and vodka to a small glass. Add cranberry juice. Serve with or without ice.
Cocktail Mixing Hints
To make easy vodka drinks, here are some quick tips to remember:
- When the shaker starts to condense over, the cocktail is chilled enough.
- When stirring, use a glass or metal mixing rod.
- Chill cocktail glasses, in fridge for 1 hour, for a better taste.
- Add ice first, then heavier liquid followed by lighter liquid, then stir with stick.
- Use fresh ingredients over canned or bottled.
- Measure every ingredient and properly.
- Keep fresh ice. Don’t store in freezer near strong smelling foods.
- When cocktails include fruit juices, cream liqueurs or other thick, flavors, shake.
- When light or distilled spirits are present, stir.
- To add pizazz and style to any cocktail, garnish appropriately.
Whether your tastes run to the ultra refined or the downright dirty, there’s a smorgasbord of simple vodka drinks to have. Now that you have the recipes and cocktail making tips, what are you waiting for? Get mixing!
