What to mix with vodka starts with eight mixers that work: tonic, soda water, fresh lemon or lime, cranberry, ginger beer, espresso, fresh tomato juice, and grapefruit. Below: each mixer with the cocktail it builds, plus five vodka-forward classics from the Speakeater cellar.
Vodka is the most agnostic spirit on the back bar. It carries flavor without adding much of its own, which makes it a forgiving canvas. Below: eight mixers ranked by how often they show up behind a working bar, with the canonical cocktail each one builds.
What to pour first.
Plus five vodka-forward classics worth knowing:
Common questions.
What's the best mixer for vodka?
Soda water is the cleanest. Tonic adds bitterness. Fresh citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit) builds the brightest cocktails. Cranberry, ginger beer, and tomato juice are the classic three for sweeter, spicier, savory drinks.
What can I mix with vodka and lemon?
Honey syrup makes a vodka Bee's Knees. Simple syrup makes a vodka sour. Hot water and honey is a vodka hot toddy. Lemon-lime soda is the simplest two-ingredient highball.
What soda goes well with vodka?
Plain soda water (cleanest), tonic water (bitter), club soda with a citrus twist, or Italian aperitivo soda for a low-ABV spritz. Sweet sodas (cola, root beer) work but make the drink sugar-forward.
What's a 3-ingredient vodka cocktail?
Vodka + lime + ginger beer = Moscow Mule. Vodka + grapefruit + salt rim = Salty Dog. Vodka + cranberry + lime = Cape Codder. All hold up against a stocked bar's most polished builds.