Ahhh the wonders of vodka mixed drinks! We’re not saying that vodka is a magical substance (okay, we say that all the time…) but based just purely on the number of available vodka mixed drinks, it is obviously not a terrible stretch of the imagination to say that there is something magical about it. Of course like any good mixed drinks, the best vodka mixed drinks require the finest of ingredients, careful preparation and tender love. Although almost anything, when added to fine vodka, makes a great mixed vodka drink, there are a few classic ingredients that stand out among the rest as awesome vodka mixers, such as triple sec, rose’s lime juice and grenadine for starters. But now, lets explore a few of the best and most loved vodka mixed drinks of all time.
Bloody Mary
No one is saying that a few straight shots of pure, high-class vodka don’t make a great morning eye opener, however there are things that can make it not only tastier, but also healthier. A very well known and common vodka mixer is pure tomato juice. Add a few ounces of this healthy product to as much vodka as you desire, add a splash of this and a few drops of that, and you have created yourself the one of the most awesome vodka mixed drinks ever devised – the classic Bloody Mary. Often touted as a hangover cure, this drink is so delicious it has probably started more hangovers than it ever cured. This vodka mixed drink works great in that the vodka serves to alleviate some of the saltiness and bitterness of the tomato juice and the tomato juice hides the alcohol flavor of the vodka. What you’re left with is the perfect morning (or afternoon, or evening) pick me up, which many people consider one of the best vodka mixed drinks of all time… and we certainly concur.
Classic Bloody Mary Recipe
1.5 OZ Vodka 3 OZ Tomato Juice
.5 OZ Lemon Juice
Dash of Pepper
Dash of Salt (or Celery Salt)
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Tabasco Sauce
Stalk of Celery
Add Vodka and Tomato Juice to a mixing cup. Season to taste with Salt, Pepper, Worcestershire, and Tobasco. Pour into ice filled highball glass. Garnish with Celery.
White Russian
If you’re looking for one of the lighter vodka mixed drinks, the white Russian is an easy vodka mixed drink that is perfect for beginners and veterans alike. Making the White Russian requires, well, vodka (believe it or not…)…. Next comes the addition of sufficient quantities of your favorite coffee liqueur and a bit of cream. Among the most popular varieties of liqueurs are Kahlua and Tia Maria. For the cream, a good light cream is awesome, but Bailey’s Irish Cream is also a popular choice, as well as half and half – and even plain old milk will do a fine job in a pinch for this most versatile of vodka mixed drinks (many folks prefer milk over cream). If you choose to forgo both the cream and the milk, from which the white part of White Russian comes, you’re left with what’s still one of the best vodka mixed drinks, but is now called a Black Russian… Of course if you are going to spend yet another romantic evening at home watching The Big Lebowski, you really ought opt for the White Russian, just on GP.
White Russian Recipe
2 OZ Vodka (plain, vanilla or whipped vodka)
1 OZ Kahlua (or other coffee liquer)
1 OZ Cream (Cream, half and half, irish cream or milk)
Pour Vodka and Kahlua over ice in an Old Fashioned or Rocks glass. Add cream and serve. Garnish possibilities are awesome for this drink… coffee beans, Cocoa Puffs, piece of Kit Kat bar, shaved almonds. A squirt of whipped cream on top is also a pretty freaking awesome touch.
Martini
A lot of martini snobs insist that any martini made without gin just isn’t a martini. Fortunately for those of us who know better, the snobs don’t control the production of vodka martinis. The vodka martini falls in the class of simple vodka mixed drinks. All you need is a glass, a sufficient quantity of good vodka and a few drops of vermouth. The amount of vermouth, if any at all, is entirely dependent on one’s tastes. Some people like to add some garnish to the mix, with popular choices being olives, onions and lemon wedges. We are particularly fond of Tassos jalapeno and garlic double stuffed olives for that purpose – and the juice is absolutely sublime for making a dirty martini. The fact that the vodka martini basically only requires vodka and a shaker of ice makes it one of the easiest of the easy vodka mixed drinks.
Classic Vodka Martini
2 OZ Vodka
1/4 OZ Vermouth (approx 1.5 teaspoons)
Add Vodka and Vermouth to a shaker cup 1/2 full of ice. Shake vigorously for 5-10 seconds. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with green olive.
Other Vodka Mixed Drinks Recipes
There are plenty of other varieties of mixed drinks with vodka. A few of the most popular mixers used are Triple Sec, Grenadine and Blue Curacao. While drinks such as the bloody mary, martini and White Russian are made from common ingredients and there aren’t an abundance of varieties, vodka mixed drinks made from these other ingredients are virtually endless in their variety. Along with the mixer, and of course the vodka, the other ingredients added are limited entirely by your imagination and tastes. Some of the favorites are 7 Up, Red Bull, orange juice, cranberry juice, Champagne and pretty much any other substance in liquid form.
One interesting vodka based mixed drink made with Blue Curacao is simply called windex, after the popular blue-colored window cleaning product. Blue Curacao and vodka are the only thing needed, but most people find that the addition of a little Triple Sec and lime juice makes the windex much more palatable. Grenadine is also frequently added to Blue Curacao and vodka concoctions. Some popular versions of this mix of ingredients are the 4th of July, which contains nothing additional, 7 deadly sins, which mixes enough additional ingredients to make it somewhat dangerous and the purple Jim Bob, which adds some 7 UP and a little lemonade. These are just a few examples and by no means the only possibilities when it comes to new and exciting vodka mixed drinks.
Vodka is truly one of the most versatile alcoholic beverages. Its clean taste doesn’t overpower other ingredients and adds just the right amount of kick to the mix. With the addition of flavored or infused vodkas, the possibilities grow even more numerous. There are thousands of vodka mixed drink recipes and finding the one you like best is simply a matter of trial and error. This is one of the few tasks where even the errors you make are enjoyable. If you truly enjoy good vodka, there’s virtually no such thing as a bad vodka mixed drink. Try them all if you can handle it.
