22 Essential and Popular Vodka Cocktails

Vodka may be the most mixable and useful liquor in the bar. The spirit's clear, clean taste pairs well with any flavor, from sweet to savory and dry to spicy. Featured in thousands of cocktail recipes that vary in character, ingredients, and style, there is a vodka cocktail for every drinker and occasion.

Within that extensive list of vodka drinks, some standouts are considered essential. These are the most popular of those recipes and the drinks that everyone should taste at least once.

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Vodka Martini

The Spruce Eats

Vodka-based martinis fill cocktail menus, and there is no shortage of recipes to mix up. Yet, there is only one true vodka martini, and it is unbelievably simple. All you need for this drink is vodka, dry vermouth, and bitters (plus a garnish like a lemon peel, if you'd like), making it nothing more than the classic gin martini with a vodka base. It is crisp, clean, and the best way to show off the top-shelf vodkas in your bar.
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Cosmopolitan

The Spruce Eats

Vodka is an ideal base for light fruit flavors. No cocktail plays this up as well as the cosmopolitan. It is that pretty-in-pink, fruity cocktail made with vodka, cranberry and lime juices, and a high-end orange liqueur. Affectionately called the "cosmo," you can adapt it to suit your taste. Some prefer it sweet and pour more cranberry, while others like just a splash for color. It's fantastic either way.
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Apple Martini

The Spruce Eats

One of the most popular fruit martinis, it's hard to resist the taste of a well-made apple martini. While you may be familiar with the bright green version, there are many variations on this fun cocktail. The recipes range from those that use green apple schnapps to ones with a drier profile, preferring an apple liqueur or brandy and dry vermouth.
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Bloody Mary

The Spruce Eats

Sunday mornings would not be complete without a great bloody Mary. This vodka and tomato juice highball is a favorite for brunch, and it can be customized to fit your exact taste. It is also a popular "hair of the dog" hangover drink.

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Black Russian

The Spruce Eats

When you find yourself looking for a refreshing and short vodka drink, the black Russian is a perfect candidate. It requires just two ingredients—vodka and coffee liqueur, plus an optional cherry on top—and mixes up in minutes. Don't worry about splurging on the vodka; a decent and budget-friendly bottle will do just fine.
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Vodka Tonic

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

A simple soda highball offers the ultimate refreshment. The vodka tonic takes top honors in this category. It also makes a perfect dinner companion because the ingredients cleanse the palate between bites.
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Moscow Mule

The Spruce Eats

The Moscow mule is a simple drink initially designed to introduce Americans to vodka in the mid-20th century. It has had a recent brush with fame as a new generation is discovering the appeal of this snappy cocktail. While many people choose to pour ginger ale, an authentic Moscow mule features the spicier ginger beer.
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Screwdriver

The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Many vodka cocktails are heavy on the fruit, and highballs like the screwdriver are nothing more than spiked fruit juice. From brunch to happy hour, it's great throughout the day. Of course, fresh-squeezed orange juice is preferred and creates a better screwdriver, though it's not a requirement.

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Cape Codder

The Spruce Eats / Claire Cohen

You might know it better as a vodka cranberry, but this trendy mixed drink is traditionally called the Cape Codder. It's a satisfying and refreshing mix that is ideal for a quick happy hour. The recipe is quite simple, and the combination of vodka and cranberry juice is sure to please.
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Madras

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Building on the simple "duos" of the screwdriver and cape codder, the madras and similar drinks mix not one, but two fruit juices with vodka. These are known as "trios," and they're quite tasty. In the madras, you'll pair orange and cranberry juices with vodka. If you want to enhance it with a third fruit, pour a flavored vodka instead; Citrus, raspberry, and cucumber are all excellent choices.
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Sea Breeze

The Spruce

Add some grapefruit juice to your vodka cranberry to create the invigorating sea breeze. It's a member of that famous vodka-juice highball family and as easy as any of the others. You don't need a lot of grapefruit juice, either, though it is best with the fresh-squeezed citrus. One grapefruit is more than enough for a few drinks.
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Lemon Drop Martini

The Spruce Eats / Claire Cohen

Vodka is the perfect spirit for sweet martinis, and the lemon drop martini is one of the best. It is easy and has a sweet-tart flavor that is sure to wake up your taste buds. The keys to this drink are to use fresh ingredients and find a balance between sweet and sour. Everyone will have a slightly different idea of what that is, so you'll want to adjust the lemon juice and simple syrup to taste.

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Chocolate Martini

The Spruce Eats

When your sweet tooth needs a fix, few drinks will satisfy like a chocolate martini. There are many ways to mix one up, and even the basic recipe can be adapted to your ideal level of sweetness. Go the traditional route with crème de cacao or, for the richest martini, choose a creamy chocolate liqueur.
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Bliss on the Beach

The Spruce Eats

One of the best cocktails for summer, the bliss on the beach is always a hit. There's a lot of fruity flavors to love in this recipe. You'll combine the bright flavors of orange juice and peach schnapps with the darker fruits of cranberry juice and crème de cassis (black currant). With a vodka base, it's simply wonderful.
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Hairy Navel

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

If you're in the mood for a peachy cocktail, the hairy navel is a great choice. Don't let the name throw you off, the "navel" refers to the peach and the vodka makes it a little "hairier" than its tamer cousin, the fuzzy navel. To make this drink, you'll simply add a shot of peach schnapps to your screwdriver. It's a simple but brilliant upgrade.
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Harvey Wallbanger

The Spruce Eats

Another mixed drink with a rather unique name, the Harvey Wallbanger is hard to pass up. Also a variation on the screwdriver, this recipe makes use of Galliano L'Autentico. It's that towering bottle of golden vanilla-spiced liqueur that looks like an oddball in any bar. In this cocktail, it floats on top of the vodka-orange juice blend to create a tasty libation.

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Pearl Harbor

The Spruce Eats

The Pearl Harbor is a delicious fruity highball with a great mix of flavors. It's been popular for many years, not only because of its taste but also because it looks stunning. This vodka drink mixes pineapple juice with a brilliant green melon liqueur such as Midori. You can mix the two or layer the ingredients to get an eye-catching green and yellow stripe in your glass.
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Kamikaze

The Spruce Eats

Simple, refreshing, and oh-so-fine, the kamikaze is a fantastic vodka martini. It's a bit like vodka's answer to the margarita and daiquiri and it's incredibly easy to shake up. In this recipe, you'll combine a premium vodka with fresh-squeezed lime juice and a high-end triple sec. It's a fancy little drink, but if you're in the mood for more of a party, there's also a kamikaze shooter.
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Godmother

The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

For a slow sipping vodka cocktail, mix up the godmother. You'll love the combination of vodka and amaretto. It's perfect when you want a satisfying nightcap that's sweeter than whiskey on the rocks but not overindulgent.
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Espresso Martini

The Spruce

An ideal after dinner drink, the espresso martini is an absolute delight. While there are a few recipes available, you'll enjoy the double hit of coffee flavor in this one. It mixes vodka with a coffee liqueur like Kahlua and a shot of cold espresso. White crème de cacao adds just a touch of chocolate that gives it a little more dimension.

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Campari Cocktail

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Vodka is so versatile that it even works in a bitter cocktail. The Campari cocktail is a fantastic choice that you can enjoy before any meal. Campari is a well-known bitter aperitif, and this cocktail is very transparent, allowing that bitterness to take center stage. While there is no guarantee that everyone will love it, the experience may grow on you.
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Zipper

The Spruce Eats

Simple, refreshing, and kissed with sweet fruits, the zipper is a stunning little sipper. It's a short drink made with equal parts of vodka, Chambord, and lemon-lime soda, though you can make it as tall as you like. Enjoy it any time of day, it's particularly well-suited for happy hour and makes a great brunch pitcher drink with more soda.