Celebrate National Vodka Day 2023 With These Cocktails & Brands

Vodka occupies a sizeable portion of the adult beverage industry due to its ability to give a boozy boost to cocktails and form a base for simple and refreshing cocktails. For National Vodka Day, CASSIUSLIFE compiled some cocktails and brands that should aid in the celebration.

As often is the case for these kinds of holidays, National Vodka Day has origins that are hard to pin down. What we can safely say is that vodka, which is typically frowned upon by snoots as being devoid of flavor, does have more subtleties than the category is famously known for.

Vodka is derived from the fermentation of potatoes, grains, and even grapes. While vodka is often defined as a neutral spirit, the base material used in fermentation will find its way into the final product, especially during pot still distillation methods.

The distillate is then filtered, usually through charcoal to remove impurities, and proofed down to 40% ABV (or 80 proof) as laws in the United States dictate.

Now with all that nerdery out of the way, let’s get into some cocktails and brands for National Vodka Day. Learn more about the holiday by clicking here.

Absolut Citron Lemonade

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Parts Absolut Citron

4 Parts Lemonade

Soda Water

1 Wedge Lemon

How to mix: Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Add Absolut Citron and lemonade. Top up with soda water. Garnish with lemon.

“Absolut is one of the top-selling vodka brands in the world and has a variety of flavored vodkas along with its core expression. Absolut Citron is good on the rocks alone but this fizzy lemonade beverage takes it up a notch.” – D.L.

Blueberry Spritzer

Ingredients:

1.5 oz of Eight Settlers Distillery Butler vodka

0.5 oz of lemonade

3 mint leaves

1 lime wedge

1 Tbs blueberries

Splash of tonic water

0.5 oz Simple syrup

Method:

Add mint, lemonade, syrup, and blueberries in a rocks glass and muddle. Add Butler vodka, top with tonic water and garnish with lime wedge and mint.

“Named after the Butler families who settled in what is now known as Salt Lake County in Utah, Butler vodka is derived from corn and triple-distilled so that naturally sweet profile will play well with the fruit flavors in this cocktail.” – D.L.

The Cosmopolitan

Ingredients:

1oz Cointreau

2oz Vodka

1oz Fresh lime juice

1oz Cranberry juice

Directions:

Combine the drinks in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds or until cold. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass that’s been chilled. Garnish with an orange twist.

“The Cosmopolitan is an iconic cocktail that some historians say dates back to the 1930s and the version we’re featuring made with Cointreau is credited to New York bartender Toby Cecchini. Cointreau has a fun, brand-new campaign with the talented Aubrey Plaza that also features Cecchini in the 30-second spot. Check it out here.” – D.L.

Garden Party

Ingredients:

2 oz vodka

.25 oz St-Germain

1 oz pH Strawberry syrup

.5 oz fresh lemon juice

Champagne to top

Edible flowers to garnish

Method:

Combine all ingredients minus the champagne in a stirring glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain neat into a coupe glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with edible flowers and enjoy!

“Pink House Alchemy produces a line of syrups, bitters, and shrubs for cocktail and mocktail enthusiasts to beef up their drinks of choice. This cocktail features the Arkansas brand’s strawberry syrup.” – D.L.

Hibiscus Sour

Ingredients:

2oz IslandJon Vodka

1oz Hibiscus syrup

2oz Fresh Sour

1 Serving Egg White

Garnish with dry Hibiscus Leaves

“IslandJon is a Black-owned brand from father and son duo Levi and Kevin John and is inspired by their Caribbean heritage. The vodka is produced in Florida using yellow and white sweet corn, which would definitely give this sip a sweeter profile. Owing to the Johns’ roots of Trinidad and Tobago, the Hibiscus Sour might remind one of a cool glass of tasty sorrel.” – D.L.

manGO Get Me Another! (created by Distillery 98’s head mixologist Tara Grier)

Ingredients:

1.5 oz of Half Shell Vodka

1 oz of pineapple juice

1 oz of mango juice

1 oz of lemonade

Splash of cherry juice

Recipe:

In shaker, add the pineapple juice, mango juice and lemonade. Add ice. Shake vigorously. In a Highball glass, add ice and pour in vodka. Add the rest of the ingredients. Once all the ingredients are added, pour the splash of cherry juice on top. Garnish with a cherry and dehydrated lemon.

“At Distillery 98 we celebrate vodka and spirits all year long, but National Vodka Day is a special day for us. We created Half Shell Vodka, our flagship spirit, to celebrate everything we love about our Florida home and its beautiful beaches. The pure and clean flavor profile of Half Shell Vodka comes from Florida-grown corn and our unique oyster shell and activated coconut carbon filtration system. Half Shell is about more than just standout flavor, though. We are working to make spirits with minimal environmental impact. We’re proud to have the first spirit in the U.S. to feature a 94% recyclable paperboard bottle that generates 6x less carbon than traditional glass bottles, and we utilize water from local aquifers to geothermically cool equipment year round to reduce our energy use.” – Harrison Holditch, co-founder, Distillery 98

Pina Picante

2oz Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind

1.5 oz Pineapple Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

Soda Water

Garnish: Tajin Quarter Rim, Pineapple Wedge, Marigold Flavor

Directions: Combine all ingredients except soda in a shaker tin with ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice. Top with soda, garnish and serve.

“Smirnoff owns the title of being the top-selling vodka brand in the world and is produced in the United States and other countries. Beyond the brand’s flagship numbered expressions, Smirnoff boasts flavored options. We’re looking at the Pina Picante, which uses Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind. Color us interested.” – D.L.

BRANDS TO KNOW

Delta Dirt Distillery

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“I was on a media mission at BOWSFest so I didn’t get a chance to really taste the work of Delta Dirt Distillery out of Arkansas but the brand says it is the first and only Black-owned farm-to-bottle spirits brand. Learn more by clicking here.” – D.L.

FOU-DRÉ

“I had the pleasure of meeting FOU-DRÉ’s founder, Chanel Turner, at last weekend’s Black Owned Wine and Spirits Festival (BOWSFest) and her brand lives up to its lofty promises. Learn more by clicking here.” – D.L.

HH Bespoke Spirits

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“I sampled some of HH Bespoke Spirts’ offerings during the BOWSFest and met its president and CEO, Sharene Woods. It’s delicious stuff and primed for mixing or sipping over ice. Learn more by clicking here.” – D.L.

LumiereVodka

“I met LumiereVodka’s CEO and founder Terrence Wheeler at the aforementioned BOWSFest and his product hails from the Netherlands, using Dutch malted barley. I’m here to tell you that there is tons of flavor in a neat sip. Learn more by clicking here.” – D.L.

Sienna Spirits

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“Sienna Spirits was one of the many vendors on hand at BOWSFest and is proudly minority woman-owned and operated. The brand’s vodka is extremely smooth. Learn more by clicking here.” – D.L.

Tommyrotter Vodka

“Tommyrotter is a distillery in Buffalo, N.Y. that specializes in a number of spirits, including vodka. We haven’t tried it yet but hope to correct that soon. Learn more by clicking here.” – D.L.

Vegas Baby Vodka

“Founded by Jennifer Higgins, Vegas Baby Vodka launched in 2019 and is already an award-winning spirit made from corn and distilled in Montana. We haven’t tried this one yet but hope to soon. Learn more by clicking here.” – D.L.

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Photo: M Mar De Mingo Sanchez / Getty

Celebrate National Vodka Day 2023 With These Cocktails & Brands  was originally published on cassiuslife.com