Reading about alcohol-the past, its cultural significance, ways to consume or blend it into cocktails is a time taking process, involving experimenting, and basic research. For people who are inexperienced or wondering how to drink vodka or really want to explore ways to consume the drink other than doing shots that might make some uncomfortable, this article is a must-read to learn some of the delightful ways to properly enjoy drinking vodka. Apart from its great and strong taste, vodka is good for your skin and hair too making it one of the most popular spirits on the planet.

 Vodka is meant to be bland and tasteless, however, a few labels could contain hints of flavors like green apple, cranberry, lime, grapefruit, orange, vanilla, etc. however there is no noticeable difference in the taste. Therefore the mixers make a difference when you’re preparing cocktails containing vodka. To decide the right beverages, sodas, and other mixers for vodka, we resorted to a few popular cocktails and some of our personal drink mixes. Typically there are two ways of consuming vodka, by way of shots and by mixing it with other beverages to make cocktails. Find out what’s the best-suited way to drink vodka for you.

Vodka Shots

The quality of vodka is the primary consideration to take into account while doing vodka shots. If you don’t wish to make vodka spoil drinking for you forever, it is wise to go for a high quality branded one while you drink vodka by itself. It’s also wise to remember the essential ingredient from which it has been distilled. Vodka is typically distilled from grains like wheat, rye, or rice, however, even ingredients such as beets, potatoes, corn, fruit (like apples, grapes), milk, and sometimes even maple syrup may also be utilized.   

Vodka distilled from potatoes generally has a more creamy texture and flavor. Vodka distilled out of wheat is smooth, viscid, with a pleasant flavor, like Gray Goose. Vodka distilled out of rye on the other hand has a piquant pepperiness, almost like Belvedere. However, most vodkas on the shelves use a grain mix to create a neutral substance consistently. This category of vodka includes Smirnoff & Sky. The following step is the most critical step for consuming vodka by way of shots. The easiest option to enjoy a bottle of vodka is to quickly stack it in the fridge. You’re really going to be prepared that way. Cooling vodka eliminates all sharp metaphysical flavors and lightens the scent and taste of alcohol burning. 

You should cool it, by throwing it into a glass in case you don’t want to place the spirit in a freezer (or do not have the space to bottle it). It is suggested to lick a pinch of salt and bite into a slice of lemon just after taking the shot. While vodka fires are often used to light up the parties, the chilled shooters go really well with food. Vodka is often consumed in Russia directly, along with smoked salmon, spicy, cucumbers, meats, and olives, and a dish named zakuski.  Taking bites of food while sipping vodka till the sun rises, is the ideal approach to drinking vodka like it is done in Russia, where the Vodka was discovered back in the 14th century.

Vodka Cocktails

Although the taste of the best quality vodka is far smoother and lighter, some people would still resist consuming vodka directly through shots. You can conveniently blend it into a number of drinks, which cover up or enhance the inherent taste of vodka if you are one of them. Many vodka cocktails contain soda water or lemon and even fresh juices. 

You would require a lemon press and a shaker along with lots of ice to prepare cocktails such as the Cosmopolitan, Vodka Gimlet, Lemon Drop, and French Martini. Such a cocktail masks the taste of alcohol and is vivid, cool, and incredibly soothing to drink unlike drinking it straight. In a range of sweeter dessert-tails, such as White Russian, Mudslide, and chocolate martini, Vodka also serves as the base. Such drinks taste nothing like alcohol and one could barely tell if it contains alcohol at all. If you prefer to drink vodka directly, nevertheless, many more delicious vodka mixes are also available to try. Vodka Martini, Vesper, or Dirty Vodka Martini are timeless, powerful, and moving vodka cocktails.

5 Ways To Drink Vodka

Here are our top contenders of vodka mixers that really improve its taste and flavor:

1. Cranberry Juice

All that is required for an easy to make but yet strong cocktail is some cranberry juice and vodka. A portion of cranberry juice could be added, depending on the personal preference, however, with cheap vodka it is best to add more juice to dilute its strong taste and flavor. The taste of this mix could be a tad bit sweeter to the liking of some, thus it is best to drink it along with some food or snacks.

2. Soda Water

There is Vodka Soda for those times when you choose to drink something that tastes hardly anything. We recommend that you squeeze a  lemon for the taste. Whether you call it carbonated or soda water, it is the same and it is a fantastic vodka blender. The water manages to minimize the strength of the alcohol without tainting the taste, whilst the sparkle provides a little more to the glass. Take flavored carbonated water and stir things up, all without worrying about the calories.

3. Tomato Juice

You require some additional flavoring ingredients to render a really delightful taste to the cocktail, but practically a Bloody Mary is merely tomato juice and vodka. This tasty drink fits well whether you go out for an undisturbed brunch or are hungover. We recommend that you follow this delightful Bloody Mary recipe if you’d like to prepare one yourself with complete taste:

-Take a glass, fill two-thirds of it with ice and rim it with a pinch of salt

-Squeeze lime and add 150mL Tomato juice and 1 tsp. Tabasco Sauce

-Add 45mL Vodka of your choice and stir

– Garnish it with green chilly (optional)

4. Lemonade

It is impossible to forget about lemonade when talking about the best vodka mixed drinks. Just adding a small quantity of this citrus juice in the cocktails brings out the best tastes of both these drinks. Top it off with some soda water to bring a distinct taste to this drink.

5. Iced Tea

You will never get iced tea wrong, so it will always be a simple choice to consider it as an ideal mixer for the spirit. Take a fruit-flavored iced tea to enrich your blended drink even more. Add a few ice cubes and the refreshing taste is the perfect companion for hot summer days. Depending upon your taste and preferences choose the best way to drink vodka for you but keep an open mind to other drinks as well, you never know what you’ll end up liking. In addition to the above ways to drink vodka, you can really mix the spirit with practically any fruit juice of your choice. 

Vodka is probably the most widely used alcohol in cocktails because of its unique quality of complementing the taste of most of the beverages used. Try these cocktails or keep experimenting with juices like pineapple, orange, mango, or soft drinks like coca-cola, 7 Up, etc. until you find your perfect way to drink vodka.

Also read: Colorado Bulldog Drink & 3 Other Cocktails Drinks