From Cosmopolitans to Moscow Mules, there's all sorts of delicious drinks you can whip up with a bottle of vodka
Before we begin, I must make a small
confession. I have been a little sniffy about vodka in the past. I have
even called it unfinished gin. But, thanks to some rather pure and
delicious vodkas its fans have forced upon me, I am redeemed.
The Salty Dog
There’s nothing remotely seafaring about this, but it’s a refreshing drink on a hot summer’s day.
Rub the rim of a glass with a freshly cut piece of lime or a wedge of
grapefruit, then up end it and dip into a small plate of sea salt. Fill
the glass with ice. Pour in 30ml vodka. Top up with grapefruit juice.
The Cosmopolitan
Some credit the Cosmo’s resurgence in popularity to Sex and the City, some to Dale deGroff making one for Madonna in 1996. They are wrong. It was reinvented by Toby Ceccini at Odeon in NYC in 1988 to impress waitresses. It worked.Fill a shaker with ice and pour in 25ml vodka (Toby used to favour Ketel One) with 25ml triple sec and 20ml fresh lime juice. Add a dash of cranberry juice and shake like hell. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a fat twist of lemon.
A classic Cosmopolitan (ULRICH SCHADE/ ALAMY)
The Tucc’ Of Class
Created and named for the delightful actor Stanley Tucci, I knew this had to be a glassful of Italian American elegance. Sip slowly to the strains of Louis Prima.Fill a tumbler with ice — the larger the cubes, the better. Add 20ml vodka (Sipsmith is a favourite), 20ml Cynar, 20ml triple sec and stir together until very cold. Add 2–4 drops of orange bitters. Stir again. Garnish with an orange slice and serve. Stylishly.
Bloody Mary
No Sunday brunch could be complete without one, heavily spiced and tinkling with ice. Restorative to the max. Really, you can customise yours any way you like, but this is how I prefer mine. Add or delete as applicable.Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in 60ml vodka. Season with celery salt and black pepper. Add ½ teaspoon of grated horseradish, several slugs of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Squeeze in a good wedge of lemon, dropping it into the glass afterwards. Top up with tomato juice. Stir and serve with the Sunday papers.
Bloody Mary (ANDREW CROWLEY)
The Twister
This is a drink where a Fizz meets a Sour without being sweet enough to become a Collins. If you see what I mean. Either way, it is pleasingly tart.Pour 60ml vodka and 15ml fresh lime juice into a tall glass. Add ice, the squeeze in a wedge of lime. Toss in the lime wedge, top up with a lemon-lime soda, stir and serve.
The Comrade Collins
Also known as a Joe Collins. I don’t know why. The strange reasoning behind the Collins’ nomenclature is lost to the drink-addled mists of time.Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in 25ml lemon juice, 60ml Russian vodka and 10ml sugar syrup. Shake hard until ice cold. Strain into a tall glass and top up with soda water.
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The Moscow Mule
Invented in the ‘40s by Jack Morgan at the Cock ’n’ Bull pub on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip as an excuse to promote his ginger beer. Any why not.Fill a tall glass with ice. Add 30ml fresh lime juice, 60ml vodka, and top up with ginger beer. Replace the vodka with bourbon for a Kentucky Mule if your nag’s just let you down at the Derby.
Moscow Mule (ALAMY)
The Bullshot
Marilyn Monroe said of the Bullshot: “What a terrible thing to do to vodka!” I disagree — they’re surprisingly delicious. This is my late father Frank’s recipe, so it has for me an extra dash of happy memories.Pour 50ml vodka and 90ml beef consommé into a tall glass. Season to taste with with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, a good few slugs of Worcestershire sauce, a dash or two of Tabasco, a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of celery salt. Stir everything together, then top up the glass with ice. Alternatively, for a winter warmer, replace the ice with boiling water — it’s very reviving after a walk in the snow.
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The Cape Codder
A high-ball variation on the Cosmopolitan, stretching it out into something longer and more refreshing, or just a fancy name for vodka and cranberry juice. Either way, it makes for perfect summer drinking.Pour 60ml vodka and 20ml fresh lime juice into a tall glass. Fill it with ice and top up with about 150ml cranberry juice. Garnish with a wedge or a slice of lime. Sip beachside while baking clams.
The Vodka Sling
I love the whiff of orange about this drink. For an extra touch of theatre, when you squeeze the oils from the twist, fire them through the flame of a lighter before you wipe the twist around the rim of the glass. It adds a lovely caramelized note.In a tumbler, dissolve 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 teaspoon of water and 30ml lemon juice. Add ice cubes, pour in 60ml vodka (I like to use Finlandia for this) and add a dash of orange bitters. Stir, and garnish with a fat twist of orange.
•Six forgotten cocktails that deserve to be revived
The White Russian
Oh, my! I do believe this was the first alcoholic drink I ever had. Sweet, boozy and strong, it ensured the evening ended… badly.Fill a tumbler with ice. Add 60ml vodka (I like Russian Standard for this) and 30ml Kahlua. Top up with full fat milk. Stir to combine. Drink. Gingerly.
White Russian (ALAMY)
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
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