How to Drink Vodka Straight or in a Cocktail

Vodka: love it or hate it, this odor- and flavor-free liquor is a staple in most bars and many modern cocktails. While not for the faint of heart, vodka can be enjoyed straight from a shot glass or on the rocks in a slightly bigger vessel. If you’d rather enjoy a more flavorful vodka concoction, cocktails might be more your speed—and we’ve got 20 recipes for your perusal! Read on to learn everything there is to know about enjoying vodka, including the best food pairings (and even a little history on the drink, while you’re at it).

What is the best way to drink vodka?

Pour chilled vodka into a shot glass to enjoy it straight, or sip it from a glass if you’d prefer. If you aren’t a fan of vodka’s unrelenting flavor, try it in a cocktail instead. Some well-known and well-loved cocktails like the Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Long Island Iced Tea, and Moscow Mule are all vodka-based.

Section 1 of 4:

How to Drink Vodka Straight

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Pour chilled vodka into a shot glass to enjoy it straight. When taking vodka as a shot, pour the drink right before you plan on shooting it. Ideally, take a shot with a pal at your side—that’s an essential part of vodka culture.^{[1]
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- Ideally, chill the vodka so it’s around 48 to 50 °F (9 to 10 °C) come serving time.
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Sip vodka poured over ice. Fill a rocks glass with a few ice cubes and pour in 2 fl oz (59 mL) of vodka overtop, along with a garnish like lemon zest.^{[2]
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Research source} Just keep in mind that a single serving of vodka is considered 1.5 fluid ounces (44 mL), so this goes slightly over that.^{[3]
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- Feel free to experiment with other garnishes like mint sprigs or citrus slices.
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If you’re not a fan of vodka’s minimal flavor, pick up an infused vodka the next time you’re at the liquor store. Vodka brands boast a variety of different infusions, including herbs, citrus fruits, and berries.^{[4]
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Section 2 of 4:

Vodka Cocktails

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Bloody Mary Blend a mixture of 3 c (710 mL) tomato juice, 3 US tbsp (44 mL) of lemon juice, 3 US tbsp (44 mL) of lime juice, 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of horseradish, 1 ¹⁄₂ US tbsp (22 mL) of Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp (0.75 g) of garlic powder, ³⁄₄ tsp (3.7 mL) of hot sauce, and ¹⁄₃ c (79 mL) of pickle juice. Add in ½ tsp (2 g) of black pepper and ¾ tsp (4.5 g) of celery salt before letting the mixture chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Divide the mixture into 6 glasses, with 1 fl oz (30 mL) of vodka in each glass. Add your desired veggie as a garnish (like a celery stick), and enjoy!^{[5]
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- Serves: 6
- Garnish: Veggie of your choice (e.g., celery, pickle, pickled okra, etc.)
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Cosmopolitan Pour 1 ¹⁄₄ fl oz (37 mL) of vodka, ¹⁄₄ fl oz (7.4 mL) of Rose’s lime juice, ³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) of Cointreau or triple sec, 2 fl oz (59 mL) of cranberry juice, and 1 cup of ice cubes into a cocktail mixer. Give everything a good shake before filtering it into a martini glass.^{[6]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Lime twist
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White Russian Pour 1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz (44 mL) of vodka, ³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) of heavy cream, and ³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) of Kahlua into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. After giving the mixture a good shake, filter it into an Old-Fashioned glass (chilled, if possible).^{[8]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: N/A
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Long Island Iced Tea Add 1 fl oz (30 mL) of vodka, 1 fl oz (30 mL) of white rum, 1 fl oz (30 mL) of white tequila, 1 fl oz (30 mL) of gin, and 2 fl oz (59 mL) of lemon juice to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Mix everything together before pouring the entire drink (ice included) into 2 tall glasses. Fill the glasses the rest of the way with cola, and add a lemon slice for garnish.^{[9]
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- Serves: 2
- Garnish: Lemon slices
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Screwdriver Fill a high ball glass with 1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz (44 mL) of vodka and 6 fl oz (180 mL) of orange juice, followed by 1½ cups of ice cubes. Give the drink a quick stir to make sure it’s all mixed together, and then garnish the rim with an orange slice.
- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Orange slice
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Moscow Mule Squeeze one lime half’s worth of juice into a copper mug, followed by the lime itself. Then, add in a handful of crushed ice, along with 2 fl oz (59 mL) of vodka and 4 fl oz (120 mL) of chilled ginger beer. Be sure to add a stirring stick before serving the drink.^{[10]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Stirring stick
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Kamikaze Add ¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 mL) of lime juice, ¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 mL) of triple sec, and ¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 mL) of vodka to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Give everything a good mix, and then filter it into a pre-chilled cocktail glass (or a short glass, alternatively).^{[11]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: N/A
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Vodka Soda Pour ¹⁄₂ c (120 mL) of soda water and ¹⁄₄ c (59 mL) of vodka into an ice-filled glass. For a little extra zest, stir in a squeeze of lime juice, and garnish your glass with a lime slice.^{[12]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Lime slice
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Vodka Tonic Pour 2 fl oz (59 mL) of vodka and 4 fl oz (120 mL) of tonic water into an ice-filled high ball glass. Mix in a squeeze of lime juice and a lime slice into the drink to finish things off.^{[13]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Lime slice
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Vodka Martini Mix 3 fl oz (89 mL) of vodka and 1 fl oz (30 mL) of dry vermouth together in glass with ice. Stir the ingredients together, and then filter them into a pre-chilled martini glass. For extra flair, add a spear of green olives for a garnish.
- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Green olives
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Vodka Gimlet In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, mix 1 fl oz (30 mL) of Rose’s lime juice and 2 fl oz (59 mL) of vodka together. Filter the drink into a martini glass and top it off with a lime slice.^{[14]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Lime
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Seabreeze Add 1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz (44 mL) of vodka, 1 fl oz (30 mL) of grapefruit juice, and 4 fl oz (120 mL) of cranberry juice together in a high ball glass. Add ice and a lime slice to finish off the drink.^{[15]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Lime slice
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Pink Greyhound Mix ¹⁄₃ c (79 mL) of grapefruit juice, ¹⁄₃ c (79 mL) of vodka, and 1 tsp (4.9 mL) of grenadine together in a glass. Give the drink a good stir before enjoying.^{[16]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: N/A
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Vodka Stinger Add 4 ¹⁄₂ fl oz (130 mL) of vodka and 3 fl oz (89 mL) of crème de menthe into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Give the drink a good mix before filtering it into 2 martini glasses.^{[17]
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- Serves: 2
- Garnish: N/A
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Godmother Pour 2 fl oz (59 mL) of vodka and 1 fl oz (30 mL) of Amaretto into an ice-filled tumbler and mix them together.^{[18]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: N/A
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Caipiroska Muddle 2 tsp (8 g) of granulated sugar with 1 chopped-up lime in a tumbler glass. Then, add in a handful of crushed ice, along with 1.7 oz (50 mL) of vodka. Mix everything together, and then the drink is ready to go.^{[19]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: N/A
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Cape Codder Pour 2 fl oz (59 mL) of vodka into an ice-filled high ball glass, along with 4 fl oz (120 mL) of cranberry juice and half a lime’s worth of lime juice. Mix everything together, and then garnish the side of the glass with a lime slice.^{[20]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Lime slice
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Cherry Vodka Sour Pour 3 fl oz (89 mL) of vodka, 3 fl oz (89 mL) of sweet and sour mix, and 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of grenadine into an 8-oz glass. Stir everything together before adding in a few ice cubes and a cherry for garnish.^{[21]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Cherry
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Lemon Drop Martini Combine 1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz (44 mL) of vodka, ¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 mL) of triple sec, ³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) of lemon juice, and 1 tsp (4 g) of fine sugar in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake up the mixture and filter it into a chilled martini glass with a sugar rim and lemon twist garnish.^{[22]
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- Serves: 1
- Garnish: Lemon twist
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MudslideBlend 8 cups of ice, ³⁄₄ c (180 mL) of vodka, ³⁄₄ c (180 mL) of coffee liqueur, and ³⁄₄ c (180 mL) of Irish cream liqueur together. For extra flavor and style, garnish the inside of 6 tumblers with chocolate syrup before serving the drinks. Then, finish off each drink with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a cherry^{[23]
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- Serves: 6
- Garnish: Ground cinnamon and cherries

Section 3 of 4:

Vodka Food Pairings

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Sausage If you’re looking to follow Polish tradition, reach for a plate of sausage as you're sipping (or shooting) some vodka. Veal sausage is a great option, but feel free to experiment with other types of Polish treats like blood sausage or Krakowska (if they’re available in your area).^{[24]
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- Slavic nations like Poland feature hearty “zakąski” (small plates/appetizers) as part of their food culture, which are often enjoyed with vodka.^{[25]
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Shellfish Some vodka connoisseurs enjoy a shellfish-based appetizer (like oysters) with a serving of vodka, finding that the flavors complement one another well.^{[26]
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- If you’re in the mood to splurge, consider ordering some caviar to go with your vodka. While not technically shellfish, it and vodka are a match made in heaven (especially if you’re in Russia).
Some people find that the sour flavors of pickled/fermented snacks (e.g., sauerkraut, pickles, etc.) go super well with the sharp, clear tones of vodka.^{[27]
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Section 4 of 4:

Facts about Vodka

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Vodka can be made with a variety of different raw ingredients. At its core, vodka is watered-down ethanol.^{[28]
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Research source} Said ethanol is made courtesy of cereal grains, potatoes, and even ingredients like grapes or beets.^{[29]
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Research source} During the distillation process, the ethanol produced sits at a decently high ABV, like 40% (or somewhere in the high 30s).^{[30]
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- With that being said, vodka can have a variety of different additives during the production process, including sugar and citric acid.^{[31]
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- Did you know? When you make vodka at home, you’ll likely produce methanol in the process, a substance that’s extremely dangerous to consume.^{[32]
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Vodka has historical ties to Russia and Poland. While vodka may be stereotypically associated with Russia, Poland plays an equally important hand in its conception and creation—after all, historians aren’t entirely sure which country was the first to whip up the very first batch of it.^{[33]
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Research source} Historically, Russia can be credited with developing the charcoal-based filtration system used to further process and purify vodka (with their first “official” batch being produced in the mid-18th century), while Poland is well-regarded for processing potatoes into batches of the good stuff (though Poland’s vodka-filled legacy can be traced back to at least the 15th century).^{[34]
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- In as early as the 9th century, Russian monks brewed a spirit that could be categorized in the vodka family.^{[35]
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Vodka made a splash in the United States in the early 20th century. Before World War II (which occurred in the late 1930s to mid-1940s), vodka had established itself as a popular drink, mostly in Eastern Europe. Beyond World War II, however, vodka gained popularity in the United States (along with other parts of Europe).^{[36]
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- Vodka has become an appealing ingredient option for cocktails, since it doesn’t boast an especially robust taste.^{[37]
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Can you suggest other ways to mix vodka drinks?

Yasmin Rosales
Professional Bartender
Yasmin Rosales is a Bartending Expert based in South Florida. She is the Founder, CEO, and Lead Bartender at Stir it Up Mobile Bar, a mobile bar serving all of South, Florida. Since its founding in 2020, Stir It Up has become a highly respected name in the local event and mobile bartending industry, and prides itself in delivering excellence and an unmatched experience as a preferred luxury bar service. Yasmin has 18 years in the event and hospitality industry, and has made it her mission to infuse joy and a touch of sophistication into every event. In addition to Stir it Up, she owns several satellite bars, a refurbished horse trailer bar named “Glory” and manages a team of bartenders who love the industry as much as she does. She recieved an AS from Broward College in Crime Scene Technology.

Yasmin Rosales

Professional Bartender

Expert Answer

Consider trying an espresso martini. This cocktail combines vodka with coffee liqueur and freshly brewed espresso, which is perfect for coffee lovers. Another great option is a lemon drop, which mixes vodka with fresh lemon juice and simple syrup for a refreshing and tangy taste. Additionally, you can't go wrong with a classic cosmopolitan, which blends vodka with cranberry juice, triple sec, and fresh lime juice for a delicious and flavorful cocktail.

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Can you drink vodka by itself?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Absolutely, this is known as drinking it “neat” or “straight” and is a standard practice for many vodka consumers. You can add ice if wished or just drink it as it is. Some people prefer pre-flavored vodka to drink straight, many brands provide such an option that adds interest to the vodka without having to add mixers. For the calorie-conscious, drinking vodka by itself can help to keep the already high (and nutritionally empty) levels of calories in alcohol a little lower.

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What is a good mix with vodka?

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Vodka has the benefit of being neutral-tasting, so almost any other drink you want to add to it as a mixer will work well. However, traditional and much-loved vodka mixers include: Juice (orange, cranberry, pineapple, etc.), lemon sodas (lemonade, lemon squash, etc.), Coca-Cola, iced tea, energy drinks, mineral water (flavored or non-flavored) and other alcohol. Some mixers disguise the alcohol, so be careful not to drink too much and remember that alcohol and some mixers are high in calories.

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Warnings

Remember: 1.5 fl oz (44 mL) is considered a proper serving size for vodka, given its high ABV.^{[38]
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Research source} This type of liquor can definitely pack a punch, so be sure to cut yourself off if you feel like you’ve had enough.

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