Vodka rules the spirits world, and with good reason: It mixes well. Here are just a few of the many good intriguing vodka recipes we at Cheers Magazine have run across recently.
Perfect Pear!
Hint Essence Water developed this cocktail as a low-calorie summer sipper.
2 oz. ZYR Vodka
4 oz. Pear Hint Essence Water
1 pear slice for garnish
Mix and serve in a Martini glass with a pear slice for garnish.
Blakberi Mambo
This drink was developed by Allen Katz, director of mixology and spirits education for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York.
1¾ oz. Stoli Blakberi Vodka
½ oz. white peach schnapps
½ oz. Hiram Walker Mango Schnapps
1 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. apple cider
¼ oz. fresh lime juice
1 pineapple wedge for garnish
Shake ingredients over ice and strain into an Old -Fashioned glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Cosmo-politician
Svedka Vodka brings uspresents this cocktail just in time for campaign season.
2 oz. Svedka Clementine Vodka
1 oz. orange juice
½ oz. sour sour mix
1 tsp. orange marmalade
1 orange slice for garnish
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for five seconds. Strain and pour into a Martini glass. Garnish with an orange slice.
Gold Cosmo
Gold Flakes Supreme Vodka offers us this eye-catching drink.
1 oz. Gold Flakes Supreme Vodka
1/2 oz. La Belle Orange liqueur or Triple Sec
1/2 oz. Fresh fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. Cranberry cranberry juice cocktail
1 lime wedge for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice. Add ingredients and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge on the rim.
SKYY Infusions Cherry Patriot
This all-American cocktail comes from Skyy Vodka.
1½ oz. SKYY Infusions Cherry Vodka
1 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ oz Cointreau
½ oz. sweet vermouth
¾ oz. rye whiskey
2 oz. soda
1 cherry for garnish
Lemon zest for garnish
Mix ingredients in mixing pint over ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a tall pilsner-style glass and garnish with lemon zest and a cherry.
Roq Candy
This cocktail, created by Hpnotiq, was a big hit at last year’s Sundance Film Festival.
2 oz. Hpnotiq
1 oz. vodka
Splash of pineapple juice
1 blue rock candy for garnish
Add a splash of pineapple juice
Mix Hpnotiq and vodka, then add a splash of pineapple juice. Serve in a chilled Martini glass or over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with rock candy.
Broken Lawn Mower
Mixology consultant Tad Carducci developed this cocktail for Sobieski Vodka.
1½ oz. Sobieski Vodka
3 oz. Chilled beef bouillon
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
1 dash habanero sauce (optional)
1 oz. Fresh fresh orange juice
½ tsp. chipotle powder
3/4 lime
1 pickled hot pepper
Spicy Salt
For the cocktail: Moisten rim of highball glass with lime. Roll outer lip in a saucer filled with the spicy salt mixture. Squeeze juice from half a lime into a mixing glass, and add and mix together all ingredients. Shake thoroughly and strain over ice into the pre-rimmed highball glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and a pickled hot pepper. Spicy salt: Add equal parts coarse salt, black pepper, chipotle or regular chile powder and lime zest.
Diablo’s Dessert
Bartender Eric Hanna created this concoction for Boston-based Back Bay Restaurant Group’s Papa-Razzi in Washington, D.C. He recommends it as a dessert replacement.
1 oz. brewed espresso
2 oz. Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka
1/2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 oz. Bailey’s Caramel Liqueur
1/2 oz. Stoli Vanil
Sugar and ground espresso for garnish
Mix together equal parts fresh ground espresso with granulated sugar and rim chilled Martini glass with mixture. Drizzle Martini glass with chocolate syrup in a spiral design and set aside. Incorporate all liquid ingredients in a Boston shaker over ice and shake vigorously for 5 to- 7 seconds. Strain into the martini Martini glass.
“Not So” Negroni
The Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel menus this drink created by head bartender Matt Martinez.
1 oz. Ketel One Vodka
1 oz. Aperol
1 oz. King Estate Late Harvest Pinot Gris
1 Dash dash Fee Brothers Orange Bitters
1 Orange orange twist for garnish
Shake all ingredients with ice and pour into an Old -Fashioned glass. Serve on the rocks with an orange twist for garnish.
Berry Caliente
Mixologist and cocktail blogger Jonathan Pogash created this cocktail for his various mixology demonstrations.
1 whole whole strawberry, sliced
1 sslice jalapeño pepper
1½ oz. Belvedere Vodka
½ oz. Navan
½ oz. Fresh fresh lemon
½ oz. Simple simple syrup
1 Strawberry slice for garnish
Muddle the strawberry and jalapeño in the lemon and simple syrup. Add vodka and Navan. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with a strawberry slice.
Smooth Georgia Gimlet
Level Vodka suggests pairing this drink with a spicy dish—preferably one with sriracha, the Southeast Asian hot sauce from Thailand.
2 oz. Level Vodka
1 oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. simple syrup
3 dashes Fee Brothers Peach Bitters
Shake all ingredients and fine strain into a Martini glass.
Rock Star Root Beer
Three Olives Vodka reintroduces alcohol to root beer with this summertime drink.
1 oz. Three Olives Root Beer Flavored Vodka
1 oz. Three Olives Vanilla Vodka
4 oz. ginger ale
1 cherry for garnish
Mix in a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cherry.
Absolutely Pear Tart
Bartender Yolanda Giranado created this drink for the Fig Tree Restaurant in San Antonio, Texas.
1½ oz. Absolut Pears Vodka
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. pineapple juice
1 splash lemon-lime soda
Shake, strain and serve up in a Martini glass.
The Honey Blood Drop
This drink was created developed by Jake Bliven, chief mixologist for the Starlight Lounge in Eugene, Ore.
1½ oz. Indio Blood Orange vodka
½ oz. Tuaca Liqueur
¾ oz. honey syrup
1 oz. fresh squeezed blood orange juice
1 blood orange wheel for garnish
For the cocktail: Place ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a sugared rim. Garnish with a blood orange wheel. Honey syrup: Bring equal amounts of honey and water to simmer on a stove. Immediately refrigerate afterwards for a few hours until cooled.
Lady D-Tini
Dawn Turnbeaugh, bar manager at the St. Louis Buffet Bar & Grill in Wood River, Ill., developed this cocktail for a local lifestyle magazine.
1 oz. Three Olives Cherry Vodka
¼ oz. sloe gin
¼ oz. pink champagne
1 splash cranberry juice
1 splash Sprite
1 cherry for garnish
Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a chilled, sugar-rimmed Martini glass and garnish with a cherry.