Vodka

Vodka is a clear distilled alcoholic drink. Different variations were available in Russia, Poland, and Sweden. Vodka is made essentially of water and ethanol but seldom with bits of impurities and flavorings. Traditionally, it is prepared by extracting liquid from fermented cereal grains. Potatoes have been adopted, and some new brands use fruits, honey, or maple sap as the base.

Some claim that it developed as early as the 8th or 9th century in Poland or Russia. Regardless of when or where it originated, a liquor called vodka was current in Russia during the 14th century.

Vodka is traditionally drunk "neat", and it is often served freezer chilled in the vodka belt of Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. In use in cocktails and mixed drinks, such as the vodka martini, Cosmopolitan, vodka tonic, screwdriver, greyhound, Black or White Russian, Moscow mule, Bloody Mary, and Caesar.

Traditionally, vodka is made from grain - rye being the most common - which is mixed with water and heated. Yeast is then added to the pulp, initiating fermentation and transforming sugars into alcohol.

Vodka, a liquor usually made from fermented grains and potatoes, has a typical alcohol concentration of 40% ABV in the United States.

Vodka is also great with

Cosmopolitan
3 minutes
Cosmopolitan

A cosmopolitan, or informally a cosmo, is a cocktail made with vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed or sweetened lime juice. While the cocktail is widely perceived to be a more modern creation, there is a recipe for a Cosmopolitan Daisy which appears in Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars 1903–1933, published in 1934.

Sea Breeze
3 minutes
Sea Breeze

A Sea Breeze is a cocktail containing vodka with cranberry juice and grapefruit juice. The cocktail is usually consumed during summer months. The drink may be shaken in order to create a foamy surface. The cocktail was born in the late 1920s, but the recipe was different from the one used today, as gin and grenadine were used in the original Sea Breeze.

Lemon drop martini
3 minutes
Lemon drop martini

A lemon drop is a vodka-based cocktail that has a lemony, sweet and sour flavor, prepared using lemon juice, triple sec and simple syrup. The drink was invented sometime in the 1970s by Norman Jay Hobday, the founder and proprietor of Henry Africa's bar in San Francisco, California. Some variations of the drink exist, such as blueberry and raspberry lemon drops.

U-Boot
2 minutes
U-Boot

A U-Boot is a beer cocktail obtained by placing a shot of vodka into a glass of beer, typically a lager. It is called a U-Boot (German abbreviation of Unterseeboot, "submarine") because the shot glass of vodka sinks to the bottom of the glass of beer. The shot glass then "surfaces" when the cocktail is drunk.

Black cat
3 minutes
Black cat

The black cat is a simple mixed drink perfect for a Halloween party, happy hour, or a lazy day on the patio. It's easy to mix up and a tasty cocktail for your favorite vodka. All the ingredients are relatively affordable, so it's also a very budget-friendly drink to prepare at home. Though the original recipe does not add a garnish, it would be a great addition to a party. The obvious choice would be a red maraschino cherry. You could also improvise and add other cherries types. Make your variation of the drink as it's a fun and useful DIY project that creates cocktails you'll want to share. If this cocktail it's served during Halloween then add special garnish options. The lychee eyeball is always a good call and would be delightful floating on top of the ice. You can also use original ice trays with skulls, bones, and other spooky figures. To obtain a "bloody" effect, add a little grenadine to the tray, or add red fruit like cranberries to the ice. The use of black vodka is also a good option to get this effect.

Adios Motherfucker
3 minutes
Adios Motherfucker

The Adios Motherfucker, abbreviated AMF, is new, and its principal feature is the blue color, a beautiful blue like the Caribbean Sea. The taste is less exciting than the color, as it is a careless combination made more to get high than to appreciate a fine cocktail. The idea behind it is to take four of the major spirits (gin, tequila, rum, and vodka), mix them, and eventually mask the taste of this cocktail with the citrus flavor of the blue curacao since the color of it. The AMF is similar to the invisible and the Long Island Iced Tea cocktail, its cousin. The drink is bold, boozy, and blue. Featuring five alcoholic components, it’s very similar to the Long Island Iced Tea. But where the LIIT calls for triple sec and cola, this cocktail needs a slug of blue curaçao and a topper of Sprite or 7UP. That curaçao swap adds vibrant color, while the soda switch gives the drink a lighter, more citrusy flavor. The recipe specifically calls for the sweet-and-sour mix. You can find bottled sweet-and-sour on store shelves, but it’s always a good practice to stay away from those, as they're full of sugar and additives.

French martini
3 minutes
French martini

The French martini was invented in the 1980s at one of Keith McNally's New York City bars. It next appeared on the drinks menu at McNally's Balthazar in SoHo in 1996. There are many variations to the French Martini. Some replace the vodka with gin, which offers a botanical twist to the cocktail.

Black Russian
3 minutes
Black Russian

The Black Russian is a simple, two-part cocktail mixing vodka and Kahlúa, a coffee liqueur made with rum, sugar, and arabica coffee. The drink was invented in the late 1940s by bartender Gustave Tops at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels in honor of Perle Mesta. The name is a simple connection to the ingredients: Kahlúa is black, while vodka is commonly associated with Russia. The dark and mysterious cocktail would have been emblematic of the time, with the Cold War having been just forming. The Black Russian is a cocktail of vodka and coffee liqueur. It contains two parts vodka to one part coffee liqueur, per IBA specified ingredients. Traditionally, the drink is made by pouring the vodka over ice cubes or cracked ice in an old-fashioned glass, followed by the coffee liqueur. A slight variation is to do a 50-50 mix if you want, totally up to you and how you’re feeling and how much you love that coffee flavor. To make it even more delicious, opt for vanilla-flavored vodka for a touch of sweetness. A dash of orange bitters is completely optional per se, but it helps put this simple drink over the top.