Flavored vodkas have been growing in popularity with most brands introducing an array of new flavors. From vegetal flavors like cucumber or jalapeno to fruit flavors such as raspberry or grapefruit to sweet flavors like vanilla, caramel, and chocolate, flavored vodkas can add variety to your cocktail repertoire.
Flavored Vodka Drink Mixers
Generally keep mixers to a ratio of 2:1-4:1, with two to four parts mixer to one part vodka. You can modify this ratio in either direction, based on the overall flavor balance you're looking to achieve.
Fruity or Herbal Vodka
Fruit (such as berries, citrus, peach, stone fruits, and tropical fruits), herbal (such as basil or thyme), and vegetal vodkas (such as cucumber or chili pepper) work well with similar types of mixers. Mixers that blend well with all of these vodkas are citrus or fruit-based, including:
- Orange juice
- Grapefruit juice
- Pineapple juice
- Cranberry juice
- Lemonade or limeade
- Collins mix
- Margarita mix
- Fresh lemon or lime juice plus simple syrup
- Crushed fruits and berries
- Lemon-lime soda
- Club soda
- Tonic water
- Ginger ale
- Gelatin
- Orange liqueur
Sweet or Spiced Vodka
Sweet vodkas such as caramel, peppermint, vanilla, whipped cream, or chocolate and spiced vodkas, such as cinnamon or cardamom, have a completely different flavor profile than the vegetal and fruit varieties. These work well with creamy or sweet mixers such as:
- Cocoa
- Coffee
- Irish cream
- Butterscotch schnapps
- RumChata
- Chambord
- Coffee-flavored liqueur
- Heavy cream or half and half
- Cream soda
- Cola
- Ginger ale or ginger beer
- Berries or berry juice
- Apple juice
Mojito With Flavored Vodka
Mint and lime blend beautifully with herbal, fruit, or vegetal vodkas in this twist on a classic cocktail. Try it with any infused vodka.
Ingredients
- 6 mint leaves
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1½ ounces flavored vodka (some flavors to try: cucumber, mint, orange, grapefruit, jalapeno, basil, lemon, raspberry, blackberry, or peach)
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Lime slice and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves with simple syrup.
- Add ice, lime juice, and flavored vodka.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with lime slice and mint sprig.
Creamy Vodka Shake
This simple blended cocktail works with any of the sweet or spiced vodkas, think cinnamon flavored or caramel. It uses cream soda, which has such a lovely vanilla flavor, and blends well with any sweet or spiced vodka. This recipe only serves one, but easily doubles if you do want to share.
Ingredients
- ½ cup crushed ice
- 8 ounces cream soda
- 1 ounce RumChata
- 1½ ounces flavored sweet or spiced vodka
- Splash of heavy cream
- Whipped cream and sprinkles (optional garnish)
Instructions
- In a blender, add the ice, cream soda, RumChata, flavored vodka, and heavy cream.
- Blend until smooth or desired consistency.
- Pour into a milkshake glass.
- Garnish if desired with whipped cream and colorful sprinkles.
Raspberry Lime Fizz
If the question is how to make a slightly sweet drink that isn't overly complicated to build, the raspberry lime fizz is the answer. Instead of raspberry, you can also use cherry, pomegranate, blue raspberry, orange, or cranberry vodka.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 1½ ounces raspberry vodka
- ¾ ounce lime vodka
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Raspberry, lime wheel, and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine lime juice, simple syrup, raspberry vodka, and lime vodka.
- Add ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with raspberry, lime wheel, and mint sprig.
Watermelon Bubbles
Club soda doesn't mean less flavor--the bubbles help all the fruity notes shine better. Muddle a chunk of watermelon before adding the spirits to punch up the flavor. Skip watermelon vodka in favor of lemon, lime, or use just cucumber vodka.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces watermelon vodka
- ½ ounce cucumber vodka
- ½ ounce elderflower liqueur
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Watermelon wedge and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, watermelon vodka, cucumber vodka, and elderflower liqueur.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with mint sprig and watermelon wedge.
Sweet Peach Tea
Tea, or sweet tea, is a great summertime indulgence or even a drink suitable for fall or winter. If peach isn't your cup of tea, consider lemon, blood orange, raspberry, apple, or vanilla vodka.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ ounces peach vodka
- Ice
- Chilled black tea to top off
- Peach wedge and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the peach vodka, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
- Add ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top off with chilled black tea; stir.
- Garnish with peach wedge and mint sprig.
Cheery Cherry
This tart cherry cocktail is great for those who aren't keen on sweeter drinks, but you can easily shake up a sweeter version by adding a little simple syrup. If cherry isn't your jam, consider blood orange, cranberry, coconut, orange, or lemon vodka.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- ¾ ounce cranberry juice
- 1 ounce tart cherry juice
- 1¾ ounces cherry vodka
- Ice
- Cocktail cherries for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, orange liqueur, cranberry juiice, tart cherry juice, and cherry vodka.
- Add ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with cocktail cherries.
Not Your Mother's Bloody Mary
The bloody Mary is often overlooked when it comes to flavored vodka. This recipe calls for bacon and peppar vodka, but others that work well include lemon, cucumber, lime, or a homemade infusion with herbs and vegetables such as thyme, basil, and green beans. Homemade pickle vodka also makes for a statement brunch cocktail. Skip the horseradish if spicy isn't for you.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce bacon vodka
- ½ ounce peppar vodka
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce horseradish
- 6 ounces Bloody Mary mix
- Ice
- Lime wheel, olive, and celery stalk for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bacon vodka, peppar vodka, lemon juice, horseradish, and Bloody Mary mix.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lime wheel, olive, and celery stalk.
French Coffee
A French vanilla spin on the espresso martini, the sweet flavors easily balance with the bitter and dark espresso. If vanilla isn't a flavor you enjoy, go for whipped cream, raspberry, coconut, chocolate, or full caramel.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce vanilla vodka
- 1 ounce caramel vodka
- 1 ounce chilled espresso
- ¼ ounce cinnamon schnapps
- Ice
- Three whole coffee beans for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vanilla vodka, caramel vodka, chilled espresso, and cinnamon schnapps.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with whole coffee beans.
Apple of Your Eye
Enjoy a crisp apple cocktail without the sour pucker of a martini or perilous hot water of a mulled cider. No need to fret if apple makes you frown, pear, peach, lemon, and orange can all be used instead.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces apple vodka
- ½ ounce cinnamon schnapps
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Apple slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball or rocks glass, add ice, apple vodka, cinnamon schnapps, and simple syrup.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Garnish with apple slice.
Basset Hound
This may look like the classic greyhound at first glance, but this simple-looking cocktail is, in fact, filled with surprises. If grapefruit makes you pucker, go ahead and use lemon, lime, coconut, raspberry, or cranberry vodka, using a complementiary soda or club soda flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces grapefruit vodka
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Grapefruit soda to top off
- Grapefruit slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, grapefruit vodka, orange liqueur, and simple syrup.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with grapefruit soda.
- Garnish with grapefruit slice.
Lazy Daze Campfire
When you want that tasty s'mores treat but can't (safely) make an open flame, this cocktail hits the spot. The vodka flavors can be swapped around a bit, consider chocolate vodka, espresso, or caramel as well.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce marshmallow vodka
- ¾ ounce vanilla vodka
- ½ ounce hazelnut liqueur
- ½ ounce allspice dram
- 3 dashes chocolate bitters
- Ice
- Marshmallow for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, marshmallow vodka, vanilla vodka, hazelnut liqueur, allspice dram, and chocolate bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with marshmallow.
Bee's Nest
Not quite as lethal as a bee sting but not quite as sweet as a bee's knees, this lemon honey cocktail is a happy compromise.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces honey vodka
- ½ ounce lemon vodka
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- 2 ounces lemonade
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add honey vodka, lemon vodka, orange liqueur, and lemonade.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Gardener's Delight
Earthy cocktails are often overlooked, don't make the same mistakes as others. If cucumber vodka doesn't pique your interest, consider infusing your own vodka with your preferred herbs or vegetables, or experimenting with different flavor combinations.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cucumber vodka
- ½ ounce basil simple syrup
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Tonic water to top off
- Cucumber ribbon and basil sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, add cucumber vodka, basil simple syrup, and lime juice.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with tonic water.
- Garnish with cucumber ribbon and basil sprig.
The Modern Cosmo
The Cosmopolitan is a classic cocktail, but it never hurts to add a few upgrades to keep it relevant. Instead of lemon or peach vodka, a few other options include orange, raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate, peach, or pineapple.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce lemon vodka
- ¾ ounce peach vodka
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce cranberry juice
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce honey liqueur
- 2 dashes cinnamon bitters
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, lemon vodka, peach vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice, honey liqueur, and bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon wheel.
Flavored Vodkas Add Variety to Cocktails
Whether you substitute them for plain vodka in classic cocktails or come up with your own creative versions, flavored vodkas add variety and tons of flavor. Once you understand how the flavors mix with classic mixers, it's easy to come up with an endless variety of flavored vodka cocktails. Mango vodka drinks and vanilla vodka drinks make great introductions to the world of flavor-infused vodkas.
