Toast to yourself and all the other fabulous mamas in your sisterhood by celebrating national vodka day on Oct. 4. Vodka is essential in any well-stocked home bar and the clear and clean taste makes it easy to pair with both sweet and sour ingredients. Indulge in one of these vodka drinks to stir up your next happy hour.
Moscow Mule
Break out your copper mug to greet this classic, crisp cocktail made with vodka, lime juice and ginger beer. Pour the vodka and lime juice into a mug, add ice and ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge. To feel festive for the holidays, make it a Cranberry Mule by adding cranberry syrup or juice.
1 ½ ounces vodka
½ cup ginger beer
½ ounce lime juice
Madras
This is an easy-to-mix drink and the orange-cranberry combo is generally pleasing to all palettes. Fill a highball glass with vodka, cranberry and orange juice. Garnish with a lime wedge. If you want to amp it up with a third fruit, try a flavored vodka like citrus, raspberry or cucumber.
1 ½ ounces vodka
4 ounces cranberry juice
1 ounce orange juice
Bloody Mary
For those Sunday brunches, Bloody Mary’s really hit the spot, especially if you punch up the fun by having a make-your-own bar with all the accoutrements. Go beyond the celery stalk and have options like pickles, cheese cubes, bacon and olives, and salt rim choices like celery salt, smoked paprika salt or lemon pepper. In a highball glass, stir together tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Fill a glass with ice, then pour mixture into second glass. Pour back and forth three to four times to mix well, then sprinkle lemon juice over. Garnish with celery stalk and lemon wedge.
2 ounces tomato juice
1 ½ ounces vodka
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon grated horseradish
3 dashes hot pepper sauce, like Tabasco
Dash of salt and pepper
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Celery stalk/lemon wedge
Bay Breeze
While the combo of vodka and cranberry is commonly know as the Cape Codder, here is a twist with a little pineapple and many alternate names. Known to bartenders as the Bay Breeze, it can also be called a Hawaiian Sea Breeze or a Downeaster. The refreshing punch-like drink is made with vodka and equal parts of cranberry and pineapple juices to fill the highball glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
2 ounces vodka
3 ounces cranberry juice
3 ounces pineapple juice
Salty Dog
If you are a fan of margaritas, the Salty Dog will be right up your alley. Pour coarse salt onto a small plate. Slightly wet rim of a highball glass. Dip wet rim into salt to lightly coat. Fill a glass with ice cubes, then pour ¼ cup vodka and ½ cup grapefruit juice. Garnish with a grapefruit peel.
Coarse kosher salt
¼ cup vodka
½ cup grapefruit juice
New Year’s Eve Sparkler
Get your Martha Stewart on with her special occasion cocktail recipe, the New Year’s Eve Sparkler. This beautiful ombre cocktail is on trend and relatively simple to create. Puree cranberries, sugar and vodka in a blender until smooth. Strain and chill until cold. Fill a champagne flute with three tablespoons cranberry-vodka mix and about ½ cup champagne. To get the ombre effect, tilt the flute and gently pour the bubbly down one side into glass. Serve immediately. Makes ten cocktails.
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup vodka
2′ 750 ml bottles of champagne
