Vodka is considered a neutral-tasting alcohol. Not only is it good on its own, but it’s terrific mixed with many other flavors. It’s sophisticated, yet it can play well as a party drink. 

In this article, we look at the incredible versatility of vodka and 10 ways to enjoy this fan favorite drink. But first, let’s look briefly at its history.

The History of Vodka

There are many different vodkas for sale today, and the origin of this versatile drink is quite interesting because several countries claim its creation. 

Russians claim to have distilled it as early as the eighth century when it was more like brandy. Yet, Russia, Sweden, and Poland all claim to have created vodka. Whether they all did or not, they have all been instrumental in bringing vodka to where it is now. 

Originally distilled using potatoes, vodka has been around since the Middle Ages. Until about the 1300s, people used it as medicine. At this time, people decided they’d like to drink it. 

In the 1500s, the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible began creating distilleries all over Russia. The government was responsible for its creation, and regular people couldn’t make it. In Poland at this time, people all over the country started their own distilleries. 

Vodka came to the United States around 1930, mainly from the Slavic region, including Russia. Today’s vodka is made not only from potatoes but wheat, corn, grapes, and cereals. It’s made by combining water and ethanol, too. In addition, you can find it flavored. 

Vodka is also made all over the world now. Its versatility is well known, and here are 10 ways to consume it.

#1: Drink it Neat

Drinking vodka neat is the most traditional way to consume it. For those who are vodka purists, this is, in fact, the only way to drink it. 

If you are drinking it neat, splurge on some quality vodka. A good brand ensures you can enjoy the intensity and breadth of the flavor.

In addition, the better vodkas are smoother, while the less expensive vodkas may shock your palette.

To serve the vodka, you can serve it at a warm temperature in shot glasses filled about one-third full. 

Or you can put your bottle in the refrigerator to cool before drinking. It should be as cold as possible. You can also throw it in the freezer to chill quickly because vodka doesn’t freeze. 

Then, use a tumbler glass for slow sipping. Swirl your glass gently to enjoy the smell and savor the taste. If you’re drinking it this way, diluting the vodka with water or ice is common to relax the flavor. Chilled vodka has a thicker texture and definitely less bite.

#2: Enjoy a Bloody Mary

Over the last 100 years, the Bloody Mary has become synonymous with the perfect hangover cure. The combination of the “hair of the dog,” which refers to the vodka, along with the healthy remedy of tomato juice makes the Bloody Mary perfectly acceptable to drink in the morning and at brunch. 

But where did this daytime drink come from? The first story says that in the early 1920s when the Russians escaped the revolution and arrived in Paris, they brought vodka with them. Americans brought canned tomato juice. With the combination of the two, a Parisian bartender invented the Bloody Mary in Paris in 1921. Celebrities like Humphrey Bogart and Ernest Hemingway took to the drink quickly.

Today, a Bloody Mary is spicy (depending on the spice of the tomato juice blend and seasonings), sour, and bold with the vodka. 

Recipe: Combine two ounces of vodka with four to six ounces of tomato or vegetable juice. Add half an ounce of lemon juice. Season it with the quantities you want, including salt, pepper, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and horseradish. For a traditional garnish, add celery.

#3: Infuse Your Vodka

Another way to enjoy your vodka is to either drink flavored vodka found at liquor stores or infuse your own. 

To infuse your own, pour your vodka into a glass with a lid. Then, add any of the following: basil, thyme, mint, coconut, cucumber, lime, lemon, strawberries, cranberries, oranges, raspberries, or blackberries. 

Chill your vodka and drink in a tumbler.

#4: Make a Moscow Mule

The Moscow Mule highlights the versatility of vodka. This fan favorite dates back to the early 1940s when a Russian immigrant brought 2,000 solid copper mugs with her to the United States from her father’s Moscow Cooper Company in Russia. 

Neither she nor her father could sell the mugs in Russia, so they decided to try their hand in the U.S. Try as she could, she couldn’t sell them, and her husband told her to get rid of them. But, not to be deterred, Sophie traveled door to door and finally found a buyer at the Cock ‘N’ Bull pub on the Sunset Strip in California.

It turns out that in this particular bar, several men wanted to make a drink with ginger beer. After hours, they had created a fizzy drink with vodka in a copper mug that kept it all cold. The Moscow Mule came to be in 1941. 

Recipe: Combine one and a half ounces of vodka, a half ounce of lime juice, and four ounces of ginger beer. Stir it in a glass with ice. Then, strain it into a copper mug filled with ice and garnish it with lime and mint.

#5: Create a Cosmopolitan

To highlight the versatility of vodka even more, you can create this blush pink, fruity, yet sour drink that’s a modern classic. 

Made most famous as Carrie Bradshaw’s signature drink in Sex and the City, the “Cosmo” is said to have been created in the 1980s by a bartender in Miami who was called the Martini Queen of South Beach. She wanted to create her own twist on the martini to make it popular for women – hence the pink hue. 

The drink ultimately took off when Madonna was photographed drinking it at a Grammy Award party. One thing is true: the Cosmopolitan is the “it” drink of the “it” crowd.

Recipe: Grab a shaker and add ice, one and a half ounces of vodka (lemon-flavored vodka is a perfect choice), a half ounce of triple sec, one ounce of cranberry juice, a half ounce of lime juice, and a quarter ounce of lemon juice. Then shake the ingredients and strain them into a chilled cocktail glass. You can garnish your Cosmopolitan with a lemon twist or a lime wheel. 

#6: Love the Long Island Iced Tea

This famous drink became popular in the 1970s. Some think it was created during Prohibition, but others disagree. 

It is one of the most popular drinks at many of the big chain restaurants in the United States and all over college campuses. Just imagine how much college students appreciate the many types of alcohol in this drink. What’s more, it’s a lot of alcohol, so drinkers beware. 

The best way to drink this fan favorite spirit is with freshly squeezed lemon juice, so don’t scrimp on this ingredient.

Recipe: Add three fourth an ounce of vodka, rum, silver tequila, gin, triple sec, simple syrup, and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a Collins glass that is filled with ice. Then, add a splash of Coca-Cola and stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge, and always serve with a straw.

#7: Set Aside Time for the Screwdriver

This recipe is quite simple but delicious. One of the oldest drinks made with versatile vodka, this drink was created by American oil workers who were working in the Persian Gulf in the middle of the 20th century. 

The story goes that they would sneak away and pour a little vodka (secretly, of course) into their orange juice. The name arose because they stirred their drink with a screwdriver. 

You might have also heard of the Harvey Wallbanger. This drink is a Screwdriver derivative, and in it, you add a little Galliano to the vodka and orange juice.

Recipe: In a tall glass filled with ice, mix one and a half ounces of vodka with six ounces of orange juice (the fresher, the better). Garnish with orange slices.

#8: Binge on the Black Russian

You may know that Russians love their vodka. This drink came about because of this and also because this drink is dark because of the coffee. 

The Black Russian was created in 1949 in Brussels, Belgium, by a bartender celebrating the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg.

Recipe: Add two ounces of vodka to one ounce of Kahlua in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until it is well chilled, and then strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. You can choose other coffee flavors, just make sure it’s two parts vodka to two parts coffee liqueur.

#9: Kill It with a Kamikaze

Vodka was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and the Kamikaze was created in Japan after World War II on an American naval base. While this isn’t truly a cocktail, adventurous drinkers love this shot of vodka delight. 

The Kamikaze shot is served ice cold and thrown back quickly. 

Recipe: Add two ounces of vodka to three fourth an ounce of both the orange liqueur and freshly squeezed lime juice to a shaker with ice. Shake well until chilled. Then strain it into two shot glasses.

#10: Savor the Seabreeze

The Seabreeze is the quintessential summer cocktail, and it has changed much since its inception. 

This pretty drink was created in the 1920s near the end of Prohibition. It was originally made with gin and grenadine. 

In the 1950s, Ocean Spray began marketing cranberry juice as a mixer with alcohol. Around the 1970s, the Seabreeze became one of the top 10 most popular drinks. Today people enjoy the Seabreeze on the beach, by the pool, at the bar, and in the backyard on hot summer days.

Recipe: In a highball glass full of ice, mix two ounces of vodka with three ounces of cranberry juice cocktail and two ounces of grapefruit juice. Then, add a splash of sparkling water and a grapefruit slice as a garnish. 

To Conclude

Vodka is much more than the drink found in boardrooms or the alcohol found in Bloody Mary’s, JELL-O shots, fruity drinks, or a dirty martini. Vodka is versatile and the chosen drink of people all over the world. Its extreme popularity has it expected to grow by about five percent annually.

You now know you can enjoy your vodka in many ways. This strong alcohol is an experience all on its own.

Smooth and delicious, vodka can also be low-calorie. So, whether you want a cultured drink on its own or you want to mix it with something fun or fancy, you can rest assured that of all the alcohol you can drink, vodka has the least amount of fats or carbohydrates.

Are you ready for a taste of vodka? You can enjoy the versatility of vodka straight or mixed with something else, depending on what you’re in the mood for. What’s it going to be tonight?