To make this list of Easy Vodka Cocktails, these beverages had to be not only fantastically simple but also positively tasty. Among our requirements for simple vodka cocktails was that the could consist of at most 2 ingredients (and guess what… one of the two components is without exception vodka!). Also, we came to the conclusion the phrase “easy” meant that there should be utterly no hard labor involved, such as shaking, muddling, blending, layering – give me a break. What we desire to do is spend a couple of seconds pouring mixers into a tumbler and walk away having a yummy refreshing drink. Oh, yes, instantaneous gratification at its finest! If you read through each of the easy vodka cocktails recipes and commentaries on this page, you are going to notice us mention this next point repeatedly, but we feel it is very important: the majority of the simple vodka cocktails listed below will definitely taste much better and may also be served somewhat stronger when they are poured over lots of ice – so bear that in mind when acquiring your mixers and grab a bag of ice unless you have a good source wherever you’re going to end up savoring your cocktails. Can you mix these beverages without ice? Definitely – and especially in case you keep the vodka in the freezer as well as your mixers in the refrigerator.
1: Vodka Shot / Frozen Vodka Shot
1.5 Oz. Vodka
Pour into shot glass and enjoy
Alright, you wanted simple vodka beverages, well, this is as simple as it will get. Simply pour vodka into a shot glass and take it back. By all means we never mean to lessen the beauty and the simplicity of “a regular” vodka shot, but we genuinely should say that the shots will be a LOT better if served up “frozen”. Of all the simple vodka beverages – actually of all the alcoholic beverages on the planet – the frozen vodka shot is our first and foremost all time favorite. For Frozen Vodka Shots, the vodka does need to be put into the freezer long enough to become “frozen”. Of course it does not really freeze but it does get rather syrupy and pour more slowly – and you will absolutely see the difference in how it tastes and flows whenever it gets to the proper coldness. For best results, it should be poured into a frozen shot glass – so just put your shot glasses into the freezer whenever you put the vodka in there. We love to to wash/rinse the shot glasses right before putting them in the freezer and, instead of drying them, merely shake the extra water off them and put them in rim down on the freezer shelf. By doing this they get a light glazing of ice about them that’s awesome. Just pour the frozen vodka into the frozen glass. Many individuals prefer to warm the shot by grasping the glass in their hand for just a moment to take some of the “bite” from it from being so unbelievably cold – but really, we favor it icy as hell! When you’re ready, have the shot and enjoy something we think is, bar none, the most notable of the simple vodka beverages! Be sure to wash and rinse the glasses immediately and put them back in the freezer so they will be ready for the next round.
2: Vodka on the Rocks
2.0 Oz. Vodka
Pour over ice and stir
When it comes to easy vodka beverages, this is the second easiest one of them all after shots. This cocktail can be shaken, stirred, or simply poured. Although we would rather have frozen shots above all else, oftentimes when the freezer is empty (like right after a big party), and we get home with a warm bottle of vodka this drink is acceptable for a drink or two whilst the bottle is chilling in the freezer. And though we are not in the least afraid of drinking warm vodka shots – the flavour is that much better if it is frosty cold! We have a couple of friends who hate straight vodka shots, but who nonetheless enjoy drinking it on the rocks. As we mention for all the other easy vodka drinks, most mixed drinks taste better and can be served quite a bit stronger when poured over ice, so the same principle must surely apply here. Since vodka is a natural anti-freeze, it lowers the melting point of the ice and it melts faster than would in water and this dilutes the vodka. It also causes the temperature of the drink to go below 32 degrees, and the extra coldness can be quite refreshing. Of course some self proclaimed “vodka purists” scoff at drinking vodka on the rocks because it becomes “watered down” as the ice melts. However, vodka comes out of the still at a concentration considerably higher than 80 or even 100 proof. So how do you think they magically get it back down to a concentration that won’t burn a hole in your stomach lining? They add water! So, the moral of the story is that ALL vodka, except for Everclear 190, is “watered down”. So if you happen to enjoy the taste of vodka at some concentration other than the standard 80 proof available at the liquor store, then dangit, more power to you!
3: Screwdriver (AKA Vodka and Orange)
1.5 Oz. Vodka
4.5 Oz. Orange Juice
Pour over ice and stir
Few drinks – and probably no vodka beverages – are better known than the vodka screwdriver. When it comes to easy vodka cocktails, this is certainly an all time favorite – and we can’t think of a better way to get your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C! It’ll take a little trial and error to get your own favorite ratio for this drink down and we tend to mix these a little on the light side because both of us think that OJ with too much vodka in it just tastes like OJ that has sat out a few days too long – everyone’s tastes vary of course and you may prefer a stronger screwdriver. A good place to start is about 1 part vodka to 3 parts OJ. And of course, as is true for all the other simple vodka drinks, if you pour over a glass full of ice, you will likely find that you can mix considerably stronger.
4: Greyhound (AKA Vodka and Grapefruit)
2.0 Oz. Vodka
4.0 Oz Grapefruit Juice
Pour over ice and stir
One of the simplest and most tasty vodka beverages available anywhere, the greyhound is very smooth – significantly smoother than a vodka screwdriver in our opinion – so even if you’re not much of a fan of grapefruit juice, this drink may well be worthy of trying. For people who really like grapefruit juice anyway, this cocktail is a slam dunk. All citrus fruits blend nicely with vodka, even so, the completely unique flavor of the grapefruit seems to almost faultlessly hide the flavour of alcohol. Most people will find that the greyhound can be mixed a great deal stronger than a screwdriver without taking on the distinctive alcohol bite. One part vodka to 2 parts grapefruit juice is a good proportion to start with. You will discover your own private sweet spot in a short time – and as is the situation for the other easy vodka beverages, if you pour over some ice, you may mix a stronger drink in the first place.
5: Vodka Lemonade
2.0 Oz. Vodka
4.0 Oz Grapefruit Juice
Pour Over ice and stir
All of the citrus juices mix very well with vodka, and lemon is no exception. Lemon has a substantially tangier flavor than orange and this tends to conceal the bite of the alcohol somewhat better. It can thus be mixed and served a lttle bit stronger than your standard screwdriver particularly if you mix your lemonade just a tad on the sour side. One part vodka to 2 parts lemonade is a great place to start. Just like the other simple vodka beverages, if you pour over some ice, you will see that it is possible to mix it quite a bit stronger than if you don’t use ice at all.
6: Vodka Tonic
2.0 Oz. Vodka
4.0 Oz. Tonic Water
Pour over ice and stir
Tonic water comes with a rather interesting history dating back to hundreds of years to the colonial times. Authentic tonic water contains quinine, a bitter substance extracted from the bark a tree that originated in Peru. In the past, ingesting a tonic of quinine was the simplest way to protect against malaria in tropical areas and as a consequence it performed a huge role in allowing European colonization. It was then that the British colonials started introducing gin to the bitter medication to help take the edge off of the less than fully delightful taste and consequently the gin and tonic was born. These days, tonic water incorporates only a small fraction of the quinine that was found in the medicinal variety – if it possesses any quinine at all (quite a few products only contain quinine flavoring without any real quinine – however many still do include the real thing). Yet another entertaining thing about quinine is that it is fluorescent and will glow underneath a blacklight. This can be employed to breathtaking effect at parties when making drinks or Jello shots with quinine containing tonic water (providing you have a blacklight around of course). So, to make a long story short, it’s actually bitterness of the tonic water that makes it a great beverage mixer. The bitter flavor tends to conceal the flavor of the alcohol. Incorporating a garnish of lemon or lime is a pleasant touch for this beverage because a little squeeze of lemon or lime will add a lot of flavour to the blend. A good ratio to get started playing with for this beverage is around one part vodka to 2 parts tonic water. Don’t forget that, as we’ve pointed out on all of the other simple vodka beverages, if you pour over lots of ice, you can mix it stronger.
7: Cape Cod (AKA Vodka and Cranberry)
2.0 Oz. Vodka
4.0 Oz. Cranberry Juice
Pour over ice and stir
If by now you are starting to get the idea that any liquid that has a tart and lively flavor might be worth trying with vodka in it, you have stumbled upon one of the basic laws of the universe like gravity. Of course we are not saying that they will all taste great, but dangit they are definitely all worth trying. Anyway, few things have a more tart and lively flavor than cranberry juice and, as it turns out, few things make a better mixer for vodka. The Cape Cod, or Vodka and Cran is one of the classic vodka drink. Several other classic vodka drinks are just simple variations on vodka and cran such as the Sea Breeze which adds grapefruit juice or the Cosmopolitan which adds an orange liqueur like triple sec. We prefer to use 100% unsweetened cranberry juice for making our vodka and crans because the bitterness allows for mixing a much stronger drink. And of course, as with the rest of the simple vodka cocktails, if you pour over some ice, you can mix it even stronger. Try a ratio of 1 part vodka to 2 parts cranberry juice for starters and adjust from there.
8: Vodka and Red Bull
The medical community advises against mixing alcohol and energy cocktails and of course we suggest you ALWAYS do what they say. Don’t drink, don’t smoke and don’t let strangers put things in your butt. This is all sound medical advice and worth listening to, just as we obviously always do! Therefore, as a disclaimer, the following recipe and discussion are provided for your informational and research purposes only. But no matter what anybody says, we are pretty sure these kind of cocktails are perfectly safe as long as you are very careful to not get any in your mouth.
VRB
2.0 Oz. Vodka
4.0 Oz. Red Bull Energy Drink
Pour over ice and stir
We’ve never been admirers of the flavor of Red Bull on its own. Nonetheless we’ve learned that it is surprisingly scrumptious when mixed with vodka and poured over ice. This is also true of a wide variety of other energy beverages that commonly seem to taste more or less just like raw ass all by themselves but function rather well as a drink mixer or chaser. You might almost be led to believe the darned things had been purposefully designed to be great drink mixers. In any case, quite a few do make great tasting and incredibly simple vodka drinks. And if you aren’t a caffeine junky with a high tolerance, the effects of these easy vodka beverages can be rather exhilarating. For VRB we have found a ratio of about one part vodka to 2 parts Red Bull to be an acceptable starting place, and it is best if poured over lots of ice. As for the possible ill effects of mixing alcohol and caffeinated beverages, we can attest to the reality that it is certainly more difficult to tell how inebriated you are getting while pounding such drinks down. This greatly adds to the probability of reaching the state of obnoxious inebriation, blackout, or even alcohol poisoning without even comprehending you are going beyond your normal limits. The day after overindulging with such drinks can be rather ferocious as well. The down side of the cheap annoying high derived from consuming way too many energy cocktails is, all on its own, about as pleasant as a day in Catholic Sunday school. Add that to the normal green and fuzziness of a regular hangover and you’ll be never-again-ing it for no less than a couple of days before beginning to feel semi-normal again. Will we still drink them? Of course we do, but only early on and only a couple before switching to non-caffeinated beverages. If you aren’t a complete wizard at pacing yourself, with Rain-Man-like drink counting skills, or perhaps have a substitute liver already packed in ice and awaiting you at the transplant center, we would recommend that you consider twice before you make a whole night of drinking these simple vodka cocktails.
9: Vodka & 7
2.0 Oz. Vodka
4.0 Oz Lemon Lime Soda (7Up, Sprite, etc.)
Pour over ice and stir
Thinking about exceptional mixability of vodka with citrus fruit juices of all types, this drink is more of less a no brainer – at least on the face of it. In our opinion, Sprite, as well as a lot of the generic lemon lime sodas start out a bit too sweet and don’t have intense enough carbonation to really bury the flavor of the alcohol like some other mixers do. 7 Up on the other hand has a bit more of a carbonated bite and can be mixed a bit stronger before the vodka starts to really rule the flavour of the mixture. In any case, adding a little squeeze of lemon or lime can boost these soda based simple vodka drinks to another level of deliciousness.
In case you are interested in mastering some more excellent vodka mixed beverages, then absolutely have a look at Bob and Arlyta’s vodka beverages web site where one can find much more wonderful info.
