Easy Vodka Cocktails: Nine Tasty Drinks You Can Whip Up in a Flash

To be considered for the list of Easy Vodka Cocktails, these beverages had to be not just fantastically easy but on top of that totally tasty. Among our criteria for simple vodka beverages was that they have to have at most two ingredients (and guess what… one of those two ingredients is necessarily vodka!). Furthermore, we came to the conclusion the word “simple” meant that there should be most definitely no hard labor required, like shaking, muddling, mixing, layering – give me a break. The only thing we would like to do is dedicate a couple of seconds pouring mixers into a tumbler and depart accompanied by a delicious relaxing drink. Ah, yeah, instantaneous gratification at its very best! Once you read through all of the easy vodka cocktails recipes and commentaries on this page, you will certainly notice us talk about this next idea often, however in our opinion , it is crucial: the majority of the simple vodka cocktails mentioned on this page will taste much better and can also be served relatively stronger if they’re poured over lots of ice – so keep that in mind when purchasing your mixers and also pick up a bag of ice unless you have a good source where you may be savoring your cocktails. Can you make these beverages without using ice? Absolutely – and especially if you keep your vodka in the freezer and your mixers in the refrigerator.

1: Vodka Shot / Frozen Vodka Shot

1.5 Oz. Vodka
Pour into shot glass enjoy

Well, you wanted easy vodka cocktails, well, this is as simple as it gets. Just pour vodka into a shot glass and knock it down. By all means we do not mean to take away from the glory and simplicity of “a regular” vodka shot, but we genuinely need to point out that the shots will be a LOT better if served up “frozen”. Amongst all the simple vodka beverages – indeed of all the alcoholic beverages available anywhere – the frozen vodka shot is our number one all time favourite. For Frozen Vodka Shots, the vodka will need to be placed into the freezer sufficiently long for it to become “frozen”. Obviously it doesn’t really freeze but it will become a bit syrupy and pour slower – and you will definitely notice the difference in the way it tastes and pours whenever it reaches the correct coldness. For best results, it should be poured into a frozen shot glass – so just set your shot glasses inside the freezer when you put the vodka in there. We love to to wash/rinse the shot glasses prior to putting them inside the freezer and, in lieu of drying them, simply shake the surplus water off them and set them in rim downward on the freezer rack. By doing this they get a slight glazing of ice about them which is awesome. Merely pour the frozen vodka into the frozen shot glass. Many people like to warm the shot by grasping the shot glass inside their hand for a minute to take a little of the “bite” off it from being so unbelievably frosty – but really, we want it cold as hell! When you’re ready, drink the shot and revel in what many feel is, bar none, the most notable of the simple vodka cocktails! 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

With respect to easy vodka cocktails, this is actually the second easiest one of them all after shots. This drink can be shaken, stirred, or simply poured. Although we favor frozen shots above all, many times when the freezer is empty (like following a big party), and we get back home having a warm bottle of vodka this drink is acceptable for a drink or two as the bottle is chilling in the freezer. And though we aren’t in anyway afraid of taking warm vodka shots – the flavor is just that much better when it’s frosty cold! We have a couple acquaintances who don’t like straight vodka shots, but who nevertheless enjoy drinking it on the rocks. As we mention for all the other easy vodka beverages, most mixed cocktails taste better and can be served somewhat 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 flavor 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 cocktails – 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 easy vodka drinks, if you pour over plenty of ice, you will likely find that you can mix somewhat 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 scrumptious vodka drinks in the universe, the greyhound goes down very smoothly – a great deal smoother than a vodka screwdriver in our opinion – so even if you are not much of a lover of grapefruit juice, this drink may well be worthy of trying. For those of us who like grapefruit juice anyway, this drink is a hole in one. All citrus fruits fuse well with vodka, however, the distinctive flavor of the grapefruit seems to almost faultlessly hide the taste of alcohol. The majority of people find that the greyhound may be mixed a great deal stronger than a screwdriver without taking on the characteristic alcohol tang. One part vodka to 2 parts grapefruit juice is a great proportion for starters. You’ll discover your own sweet spot in a short time – and as is the situation for all the other simple vodka cocktails, if you pour over a sufficient amount of ice, you may mix a stronger drink to start with.

5: Vodka Lemonade

2.0 Oz. Vodka
4.0 Oz Grapefruit Juice
Pour Over ice and stir

All of the citrus fruits mix quite nicely with vodka, and lemon is not an exception. Lemon has a significantly tangier flavor than orange and this tends to disguise the bite of the alcohol a little better. It can as a result be blended and served a lttle bit stronger than your average screwdriver specifically if you mix your lemonade just a tad on the sour side. 1 part vodka to two parts lemonade is a great place to start. Just like other simple vodka beverages, if you pour over a sufficient amount of ice, you’ll see that you can mix it a lot stronger than if you do not use ice at all.

6: Vodka Tonic

2.0 Oz. Vodka
4.0 Oz. Tonic Water
Pour over ice and stir

Tonic water boasts a somewhat entertaining history dating back 100′s of years to the colonial times. Authentic tonic water includes quinine, a bitter substance obtained from the bark a tree that originated from Peru. In colonial times, ingesting a tonic of quinine was the best way to prevent malaria in tropical areas and thus it performed a huge role in enabling European colonization. It was then that the British colonials started introducing gin to the bitter medication to help take the edge off the not quite fully pleasurable flavor and consequently the gin and tonic was born. Currently, tonic water incorporates only a minute fraction of the quinine that was present in the medicinal variety – if it possesses any quinine whatsoever (quite a few products only contain quinine flavor without having real quinine – but some still do contain the real thing). Still another intriguing thing about quinine is it is fluorescent and will glow beneath a black. This can be utilised to stunning effect at parties when coming up with cocktails or Jello shots with quinine containing tonic water (providing you have a black around needless to say). So, to make a long story short, it’s actually bitterness of the tonic water which makes it an excellent beverage mixer. The bitter flavor has a tendency to hide the flavour of the alcohol. Adding a garnish of lime or lemon is a very good touch for this beverage simply because a little squeeze of lemon or lime will add a lot of flavour to the mix. A great ratio to begin playing with for this cocktail is about 1 part vodka to 2 parts tonic water. Of course, as we’ve mentioned on all of the other easy vodka beverages, if you pour over plenty of ice, you’re able to 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 cocktails are just easy 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 easy vodka drinks, if you pour over plenty of 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 drinks 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 drinks 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 have never been admirers of the flavor of Red Bull on its own. However we’ve found out that it is surprisingly yummy when combined with vodka and poured over ice. The same holds true of a variety of other energy cocktails that normally seem to taste more or less just like raw ass all by themselves but perform rather well as a drink mixer or chaser. One could almost be made to believe the darned things have been purposefully intended to be great drink mixers. No matter the reason, most of them do make delicious and very simple vodka cocktails. And unless you are a caffeine junky having a high tolerance, the effects of these simple vodka cocktails can be rather stimulating. For VRB we have found a ratio around one part vodka to two parts Red Bull to be a decent starting place, and it is best if poured over lots of ice. When it comes to possible ill effects of mixing alcohol and caffeinated beverages, we can vouch for the truth that it is unquestionably more challenging to tell how drunk you are getting when pounding such cocktails down. This greatly raises the chances of reaching a state of obnoxious inebriation, blackout, or even alcohol poisoning without even realizing you are going past your normal limits. The day after overindulging with such beverages can be rather brutal also. The flipside of the cheap annoying high derived from drinking way too many energy beverages is, simply on its own, about as delightful as a day in Catholic Sunday school. Add that to the normal green and fuzziness of a regular hangover and you will end up never-again-ing it for a minimum of a couple of days before beginning to feel semi-normal once again. Will we still drink them? Of course we do, but only early on and only one to two before switching to non-caffeinated drinks. Unless you are an absolute magician at pacing yourself, with Rain-Man-like drink counting skills, or perhaps have got a replacement liver already packed in ice and waiting for you at the transplant center, we would recommend that you consider twice before making a whole evening of consuming these easy 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 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 taste 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 taste 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 curious about mastering a lot more outstanding vodka mixed beverages, then most definitely go and visit Bob and Arlyta’s vodka cocktails website where you’ll discover even more excellent info.

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