12 Cocktails To Try If You Like Drinking Vodka

While yes, a truly remarkable vodka will be so smooth you can drink it straight, we're here to debunk that whole "flavorless" thing. What's the point of vodka, then? Just to be a vehicle for intoxication?

We say, "Nay!" And so does Absolut Elyx CEO Jonas Tahlin (via Men's Journal).

Those who are super serious about their vodka know there's more to it, and it starts with being not just smooth, but almost silky. Real vodka has a creamy texture that adds a whole different element to a cocktail, and what about flavor? It should have that, too — but not in the same way rum or whiskey has flavor.

It makes more sense to describe vodka as having character instead of flavor. What comes through should be just a hint of something: a bit of grass, perhaps, or a whisper or wheat. Don't believe it? Do your own taste test, putting a high-end vodka near something with a bottle that's less than $10. The difference is as clear as that more expensive bottle.

Those who know vodka already know that, so let's talk about cocktails. If you really love vodka, you don't want to bury it beneath a ton of strong ingredients. When you do that, the only way you know you're drinking vodka is when the buzz starts — try any of these light, delicious drinks and you'll not only love the drink, but you'll love the vodka, too!

Is there anything better than a tall glass of lemonade on a hot summer afternoon? It turns out that yes, there is — and it's Tasting Table's own spiked pink lemonade.

This isn't just your standard lemonade, maybe thrown together from a powdered mix. While that's fine sometimes, think of this as a sort of grown-up lemonade that starts with sugar, raspberries, mint, lemon zest, and just a pinch of salt simmered until everything comes together nicely.

Then, it'll get juiced up with some freshly-squeezed lemon juice, chilled with some ice, and juiced up in another way with some vodka! This cocktail is light and refreshing enough that it's going to let the smooth, creaminess of the vodka carry those incredible summertime flavors, and while you can definitely take some shortcuts, we don't recommend it. 

We do, however, recommend using this idea as a base for any other berries you might have on hand. Blackberry-lemonade vodka? Strawberry-lemonade? Heck yes! It's so good, you might want to make an extra-big batch just to keep chilling in the fridge. 

Cold brew coffee might sound like it's just the sort of thing you'd order at a fancy-schmancy coffee house, but honestly, it's pretty easy to make at home. Basically, you're just going to steep some coffee overnight instead of running it through your usual Chemex or drip machine, and it'll result in a coffee that's super smooth, shares The New York Times.

While it takes a little bit of advance planning, it's absolutely worth it. We're not just saying that because cold brew will put iced coffee made with a drip machine to shame, but a smooth cold brew coffee is precisely what you'll need to make the cocktail that Tito's calls the Witching Hour.

They say it's perfect for a monster movie marathon, but we'd argue that it's pretty tasty any time — particularly as a pre-dinner beverage, at a lengthy brunch, or a post-work, early evening pick-me-up. It's easy, too: Just 3 ounces of cold brew, a touch less than half that of vodka, and a dash of cinnamon syrup and you'll have a packed-with-flavor drink that comes with a smooth creaminess and a caffeinated hit.

While pumpkin spice is definitely one of those love-or-hate flavors, there's no denying that people who love it tend to really, really love it. Sure, it's great in coffee, but what about those days when you wrap up work and need something with a little more kick than a coffee can provide?

Wholly Nourished's recipe developer Jaime Bachtell-Shelbert teamed up with Mashed to come up with an incredible pumpkin pie martini that's easy enough to make for yourself after a long day at work, and looks classy enough to serve at the next book club meeting or poker game. The basics of the drink are pretty simple: 4 ounces each of vanilla vodka, hazelnut liqueur, and half and half, with a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Add more spice and sugar to the rim of the glass — with the help of some maple syrup — and you have a decadent dessert drink that's everything you love about a pumpkin pie beverage, with the warm buzz of your favorite vanilla vodka.

Anyone who loves vodka knows that it's best served cold. And what's better than over ice? Turning the whole thing into a slushie. (We'll say this upfront: You're welcome.)

Recipe developer Kit Hondrum teamed up with Mashed to create something truly incredible: frose. Yes, it's a play on rose, but it's also so much more.

This boozy cocktail starts with 10 ounces of rose and 2 ounces of Chambord, that should be frozen either overnight or for a few hours — whatever you happen to have time for. Transfer the frozen mix to the blender, then a dash of lemon juice, and half a cup of frozen berries. (Hondrum suggests a half-and-half mix of strawberries and raspberries.) While you could stop there, we're talking about vodka — and Hondrum says that it's perfectly perfect to give this one an added kick with a few shots of vodka. (Exactly how much? This isn't a precise science, and hey, we're not here to judge.)

Delicious? Yes! Classy? Absolutely.

There's a good chance that vodka-lovers may have heard someone order a Sea Breeze before, and while it looks like a vodka cranberry, it's not entirely just a fancy name for ordering this admittedly basic drink. (And just to be clear, there's nothing wrong with a simple vodka cranberry. It's a classic for a reason.) But with the addition of one ingredient, this simple drink gets elevated just a little bit — while still being simple enough that a truly high-quality vodka will shine through.

So, what's the ingredient? According to the BBC, it's grapefruit juice! Add about half as much grapefruit juice as you use cranberry juice, and you'll end up with a tart cocktail that tastes much more complicated than it is — especially if you choose a nice bottle of vodka off the shelf. Serve over ice, and add a wedge of grapefruit for an extra kick. This is 100% the drink you'll want to sip while enjoying a hot, sunny afternoon on the porch ... or, when you find yourself wishing that you were. 

While cocktails are a brilliant and often necessary part of life, there's also something to be said for a versatile mixer that can be enjoyed alone — which is why we're absolutely in love with Tasting Table's own watermelon lemonade.

It uses both fresh watermelon and lemon, and to anyone who might be tempted to fall back on the powdered stuff, we'll say that it's worth giving this a try and investing the extra time at least once — because it'll make such a difference you may never go back. After boiling sugar, lemon zest, and mint in water and reducing it to a syrup, the recipe then combines that syrup with fresh watermelon, all mixed into a puree.

While it can and should be enjoyed just like that, we'd also argue that this is pretty perfect for serving with vodka, too. Ice, vodka, and fill the glass with this ultra-fresh lemonade? It's pretty much summertime in a glass!