Vodka may not generate as much buzz as tequila or bourbon these days, but it remains the largest spirit category by share. Vodka Day on Oct. 4 is a great opportunity to celebrate the clear spirit with some creative cocktails and also help guests break out of the Vodka-Soda rut. Here are seven recipes we like for 2024. For more vodka cocktails, see page 31 of our summer issue.
Golden Blossom
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Tea-infused Pau Maui vodka
- ¾ oz. Sherry
- ½ oz. Yellow chartreuse
- ¼ oz. Fiorente elderflower liqueur
Instructions
- Infuse vodka with tea at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Place a tea flower in the bottom of a chilled coupe glass.
- Add vodka and all ingredients to a mixing glass and then add ice.
- Stir well and strain into coupe glass.
Notes
Barlow Gilmore of The Weekend Mixologist created this recipe.
Don’t Call Me Shirley
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Ketel One grapefruit and rose botanical vodka
- 1 oz. Otto’s Athens Vermouth a floral vermouth that gives the cocktail its pink hue
- 1 oz. Fresh-pressed lemon juice
- San Pellegrino Pomplemo soda to top
Instructions
- Combine ingredients and shake.
- Pour into glass over ice.
- Top with soda.
- Garnish with a thyme sprig.
Notes
The mixologists at Canoe in Atlanta created this recipe
Purple Cucumber Collins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Tito’s vodka
- ¾ oz. Fresh lemon or Twisted Alchemy lemon juice
- ½ oz. Butterfly pea flower/cucumber syrup
- 4 oz. Fever-tree yuzu lime soda
Instructions
- Add ice to a Collins glass.
- Add vodka, fresh lemon juice and syrup and stir.
- Top off with yuzu lime soda.
- Use tongs to add cucumber ribbon garnish and stir on the inside of the glass.
Notes
The mixologists at Four Flamingos in Key West created this recipe.
Buona Notte Martini
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Fresh espresso
- 1 oz. Tito’s vodka
- ¾ oz. Mozart dark chocolate liqueur
- ¾ oz. Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
- ¼ oz. Demerara simple syrup
- Espresso bean garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in shaker tin.
- Shake for 15-20 seconds until thoroughly chilled and frothy.
- Pour into chilled coupe glass.
- Top with a couple espresso beans.
Notes
Alicia Russell, lead bartender at Panzano in Denver, CO, created this recipe.
Blackberry Sage
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Aspen vodka
- 1 oz. Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¾ oz. Blackberry sage syrup*
- Top with Champagne/bubbles
Instructions
- Add vodka, lemon juice and syrup to a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake for 12–15 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into Chantilly glass.
- Top off with Champagne/bubbles.
- Garnish with baby’s breath flower.
Notes
*For Blackberry sage syrup: Combine 1 cup frozen blackberries, 1 cup granulated sugar and a handful of fresh sage leaves in a bowl and let it sit for 30 hours or longer. Strain the solids out and store the syrup.
The mixologists at Aspen created this recipe.
She’s A Beauty
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Smoke Lab vodka
- 1 ½ oz. Kleos mastiha spirit
- 2 oz. Alovine aloe vera juice
- ½ oz. Lime juice
- 3 dashes Scrappy’s celery bitters
- ¼ tsp. Pink peppercorns – garnish
- 3 sprigs Dill – garnish
Instructions
- Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice.
- Shake and strain over fresh ice in a large rocks glass.
- Garnish with pink peppercorns and 3 slapped sprigs of dill.
Notes
Mixologist Paula Lukas created this recipe for Smoke Lab.
Black & Orange Crush
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Old Line Spirits Case 1 vodka
- ½ oz. Triple sec
- 1 oz. Blackberry syrup
- 2 oz. Orange juice
- Club soda
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except for the club soda into a shaker.
- Add ice, shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice.
- Top with club soda.
- Garnish with a fresh blackberry.
Notes
The mixologists at Old Line Spirits created this recipe.
