The humble potato has given us one of our most versatile spirits
Spiked lemonades, bloody Mary’s, screwdrivers, cosmopolitans. What could all these delicious beverages have in common? That clear goodness that is vodka.
Originally used as medicine in Eastern Europe, vodka could do everything from disinfect a wound to drown your sorrows (and still can!). Who needs a doctor when you can whip up a Cosmo?
Those of us Westerners who enjoy a nice vodka-based cocktail have Mr. Smirnoff himself to thank for the introduction of it to our side of the globe.
After the Russian Revolution, all private distilleries in Moscow were seized and many Russian vodka-makers packed up their recipes and skills to emigrate to new places, one of which moved to Paris and began distilling under the French version of his family’s name, Smirnoff.
He then met a Russian emigrant with whom he set up the first vodka distillery in the United States in 1934 and the rest is, well you know, history.
It’s not a liquor of which you normally throw back shots—we’ll leave that to the tequila—but we Americans couldn’t fight the desire for the kick that comes with vodka.
The all-around simplest mixer there is, vodka can perk up just about any drink you’ve got a hankering for. We may be doing it wrong, but mixing vodka with other alcohols, juices, mixers, and fruits make it the delicious company we know and love—and makes it much easier to handle than pure vodka in a shot glass.
Unlike other liquors, vodka is unique in that it comes in a wide variety of flavors from sweet and fruity to spicy. Citrus, strawberry, cotton candy, cucumber, mango, habanero pepper, you name it, one vodka company or another has produced it.
It’ll be summertime for who knows how long thanks to global warming so cool down with a spiked lemonade with either straight or flavored vodka.
Citrus flavored vodka is of course a nice addition to plain ole lemonade, giving it just enough punch to remind you that you didn’t buy it for a quarter from your neighbor’s lemonade stand.
Raspberry and strawberry would also make great additions, but habanero pepper? Not so much. Maybe try that in your Bloody Mary this weekend as the perfect breakfast addition or hangover cure instead. Because apparently nothing cures a hangover like drinking more alcohol…
And if you’re into vodka for breakfast, one, you might have some Russian ancestry to brush up on and two, the screwdriver should be your new breakfast buddy. But maybe only on the weekends.
The original screwdriver is simply made with plain vodka and orange juice, but for a fancy screwdriver, use vanilla vodka to make yourself a cool, creamsicle-inspired screwdriver that will have you calling in on Monday so you can take part in breakfast vodka all over again.
Creamsicle Screwdriver
(courtesy of thespruce.com)
- 2 ounces of vanilla flavored vodka
- 5 ounces of orange juice (preferably hand squeezed, but if not, find the purest, simplest OJ you can)
- Orange slice for garnish
Fill a Collins glass with ice, then combine vanilla vodka and orange juice in glass. Stir and stir and stir. Add orange slice for fancy decoration.