Take One Bottle: Vodka
Vodka is a distilled spirit made from grains or potatoes and originally came from Eastern Europe, but is now made all over the globe. Widely acknowledged to be the world’s favourite spirit, vodka’s popularity largely stems from its affordability, smooth neutral taste and ability to mix with almost anything! So, with shaker at the ready, let’s look at some of the best vodka cocktails known to woman. And, for your own unique twist, why not experiment with some of the new flavoured vodkas on the market ? There’s everything from blueberry and mango to rose petal and even chilli! Apparently vodka gives you less of a hangover too, but we don’t suggest that you try all of these cocktails in one sitting to test out that theory.
Why did we ever stop drinking these?
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan or “Cosmo” was popularised in recent years by Sex and the City; it was Samantha, Charlotte, Carrie and Miranda’s drink of choice. A fresh and fruity tipple, some people choose to substitute the triple sec with Cointreau, but both work equally well.
Ingredients:
2 parts vodka 1 part triple sec 1 part lime juice 1 part cranberry juice Lime wedge Crushed iceMethod:
Mix the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime together in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Strain the contents into a Martini glass, and garnish with a lime wedge on the rim of the glass.
Black Russian
The Black Russian cocktail owes its name to the dark periods of the Cold War against the Soviet Union and is considered the great ancestor of coffee cocktails. It first appeared in 1949 when a Belgian barman Gustave Tops created it within the Hotel Metropole, Brussels.
Ingredients:
2 parts vodka 1 part Kahlua or Tia Maria (in fact, any coffee liqueur) Ice cubesMethod:
Pour the vodka and liqueur over the ice cubes in a tumbler glass, and serve. For a White Russian and a touch of decadence, top with double cream!
What a zingy Moscow Mule should look like
Moscow Mule
A simple concoction, the classic Moscow Mule cocktail has been around since the 1940s, but enjoyed a surge in popularity during the 1990s when Smirnoff launched a pre-mixed version.
Ingredients:
1 large shot of vodka 1 lime Ginger ale Crushed iceMethod:
Fill a tall glass with crushed ice and add the vodka shot. Squeeze the lime into the glass and, for a little extra zest, drop the husks in. Top up the glass with ginger ale (or ginger beer if you prefer) and stir well.
Screwdriver
A classic but straight-forward cocktail, the Screwdriver is essentially just a “vodka and orange”. It’s believed it was first created in the 1950s by American engineers working in the Middle East. They added orange juice to their vodka and stirred it with their everyday tool – a screwdriver!
Ingredients:
2 parts vodka 4 parts orange juice Ice cubesMethod:
Pour the vodka and orange juice into any glass, add the ice cubes and stir gently. Garnish with a large slice of orange.
The perfect hangover cure?
Bloody Mary
Quite possibly the most famous and widely drunk vodka cocktail of all time, the smoothness of the vodka is perfectly complemented by the bite of the tomato juice. Many people swear it to be an excellent hangover cure – if you can stomach it the morning after!
Ingredients:
2 parts vodka 4 parts tomato juice Large squeeze of lemon juice 2 drops Worcestershire sauce 2 drops tabasco sauce Salt and pepper to taste Lime Celery stick Ice cubesMethod:
Mix the vodka, tomato juice and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker and pour into a tall glass. Then flavour to taste with the assorted sauces, together with the seasonings. Stir well, add a lime squeeze and garnish with a celery stick.
Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is the perfect summer cocktail, offering a refreshing crisp taste and an eye-catching colour, reminiscent of the ocean.
Ingredients:
1 part vodka 1 part blue Curacao Lemonade Cherries Crushed iceMethod:
Pour the vodka and Curacao over the crushed ice, into a tall chilled glass. Fill with lemonade, top with a cherry or two, and serve.
Try saying "Shaken, not stirred" after a few of these...
Vodka Martini
Many purists believe a Martini should contain the core ingredient of gin, but vodka is a popular substitute. And, in recent years, the variations have continued with creations such as Appletinis – a blend of vodka and apple juice – and even Saketinis, where Saki is used to replace the vermouth.
Ingredients:
2 parts vodka 1 part dry vermouth Ice cubesMethod:
Combine vodka and vermouth together with several ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a stemmed Martini glass, garnish with an olive and serve.
Long Island Iced Tea
The Long Island Iced Tea camed to be named after being created in Long Island, New York by a bartender named Robert Butt in the 1970s and due to the fact that it resembles the colour of tea. It is a deliciously decadent cocktail but with its five-spirit combination – watch out – as it certainly delivers a kick!
Ingredients:
1 part light rum 1 part vodka 1 part gin 1 part tequila 1 part Cointreau Cola Lemon or lime IceMethod:
Mix all the spirits in a cocktail shaker and strain into a tall, chilled glass. Top up with the cola and garnish with a slice of lemon or lime and a straw. For Long Beach Iced Tea, replace the cola with cranberry juice.
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Why did we ever stop drinking these?
<h3><strong>Cosmopolitan</strong></h3>
The Cosmopolitan or “Cosmo” was popularised in recent years by Sex and the City; it was Samantha, Charlotte, Carrie and Miranda’s drink of choice. A fresh and fruity tipple, some people choose to substitute the triple sec with Cointreau, but both work equally well.
<strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<address>2 parts vodka</address> <address>1 part triple sec</address> <address>1 part lime juice</address> <address>1 part cranberry juice</address> <address>Lime wedge</address> <address>Crushed ice</address><strong>Method: </strong>Mix the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime together in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Strain the contents into a Martini glass, and garnish with a lime wedge on the rim of the glass.
<h3><strong>Black Russian</strong></h3>
The Black Russian cocktail owes its name to the dark periods of the Cold War against the Soviet Union and is considered the great ancestor of coffee cocktails. It first appeared in 1949 when a Belgian barman Gustave Tops created it within the Hotel Metropole, Brussels.
<strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<address>2 parts vodka</address> <address>1 part Kahlua or Tia Maria (in fact, any coffee liqueur)</address> <address>Ice cubes</address><strong>Method: </strong>Pour the vodka and liqueur over the ice cubes in a tumbler glass, and serve. For a White Russian and a touch of decadence, top with double cream!
What a zingy Moscow Mule should look like
<h3><strong>Moscow Mule</strong></h3>
<span style=”font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px;”>A simple concoction, the classic Moscow Mule cocktail has been around since the 1940s, but enjoyed a surge in popularity during the 1990s when Smirnoff launched a pre-mixed version.</span>
<strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<address>1 large shot of vodka</address> <address>1 lime</address> <address>Ginger ale</address> <address>Crushed ice</address><strong>Method: </strong>Fill a tall glass with crushed ice and add the vodka shot. Squeeze the lime into the glass and, for a little extra zest, drop the husks in. Top up the glass with ginger ale (or ginger beer if you prefer) and stir well.
<h3>Screwdriver</h3>
A classic but straight-forward cocktail, the Screwdriver is essentially just a “vodka and orange”. It’s believed it was first created in the 1950s by American engineers working in the Middle East. They added orange juice to their vodka and stirred it with their everyday tool – a screwdriver!
<strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<address>2 parts vodka</address> <address>4 parts orange juice</address> <address>Ice cubes</address><strong>Method: </strong>Pour the vodka and orange juice into any glass, add the ice cubes and stir gently. Garnish with a large slice of orange.
The perfect hangover cure?
<h3>Bloody Mary</h3>
Quite possibly the most famous and widely drunk vodka cocktail of all time, the smoothness of the vodka is perfectly complemented by the bite of the tomato juice. Many people swear it to be an excellent hangover cure – if you can stomach it the morning after!
<strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<address>2 parts vodka</address> <address>4 parts tomato juice</address> <address>Large squeeze of lemon juice</address> <address>2 drops Worcestershire sauce</address> <address>2 drops tabasco sauce</address> <address>Salt and pepper to taste</address> <address>Lime</address> <address>Celery stick</address> <address>Ice cubes</address><strong>Method: </strong>Mix the vodka, tomato juice and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker and pour into a tall glass. Then flavour to taste with the assorted sauces, together with the seasonings. Stir well, add a lime squeeze and garnish with a celery stick.
<h3>Blue Lagoon</h3>
The Blue Lagoon is the perfect summer cocktail, offering a refreshing crisp taste and an eye-catching colour, reminiscent of the ocean.
<strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<address>1 part vodka</address> <address>1 part blue Curacao</address> <address>Lemonade</address> <address>Cherries</address> <address>Crushed ice</address><strong>Method: </strong>Pour the vodka and Curacao over the crushed ice, into a tall chilled glass. Fill with lemonade, top with a cherry or two, and serve.
Try saying "Shaken, not stirred" after a few of these...
<h3>Vodka Martini</h3>
Many purists believe a Martini should contain the core ingredient of gin, but vodka is a popular substitute. And, in recent years, the variations have continued with creations such as Appletinis – a blend of vodka and apple juice – and even Saketinis, where Saki is used to replace the vermouth.
<strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<address>2 parts vodka</address> <address>1 part dry vermouth</address> <address>Ice cubes</address><strong>Method: </strong>Combine vodka and vermouth together with several ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a stemmed Martini glass, garnish with an olive and serve.
<h3>Long Island Iced Tea</h3>
The Long Island Iced Tea got its name after being created in Long Island, New York by a bartender named Robert Butt in the 1970s and by the fact it resembles the colour of tea. It is a deliciously decadent cocktail but with its five-spirit combination – watch out – as it certainly delivers a kick!
<strong>Ingredients:</strong><img class=”alignright size-medium wp-image-12263″ title=”longislandicedtea” src=”http://runninginheels.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/longislandicedtea-215×300.jpg” alt=”longislandicedtea” width=”215″ height=”300″ />
<address>1 part light rum</address> <address>1 part vodka</address> <address>1 part gin</address> <address>1 part tequila</address> <address>1 part Cointreau</address> <address>Cola</address> <address>Lemon or lime</address> <address>Ice</address><strong>Method:</strong>
Mix all the spirits in a cocktail shaker and strain into a tall, chilled glass. Top up with the cola and garnish with a slice of lemon or lime and a straw. For Long Beach Iced Tea, replace the cola with cranberry juice.
<img class=”alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-12264″ title=”blue-lagoon-cocktail” src=”http://runninginheels.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/blue-lagoon-cocktail-150×150.jpg” alt=”blue-lagoon-cocktail” width=”150″ height=”150″ />
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Tags: alcohol, Bloody Mary, Blue Lagoon, cocktail recipes, cocktails, Cosmo, Cosmopolitan, drinking, Food & Drink, Martini, Moscow Mule, Screwdriver, spirits, vodka, White Russian 
How about White Russian?
1 shot vodka
1 shot coffee liquer
4 shots of milk
ice
mix all together with ice cubes, shake, filter, serve in tumbler…