A Bartender's Guide to Make These 19 Super Easy Vodka Drinks

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!