45 Genius Vodka Cocktails That'll Shake Up Your Home Bartending Game

Just three simple ingredients are in this classic cocktail. Quality vodka and vermouth are key here—since they make up the drink, the cheap stuff just won't do. (You can save that for our Peanut Butter Cup martini 😂)

Get the Classic Vodka Martini recipe.

A Moscow Mule is one of our favorite easy cocktails. Just three ingredients—vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer—combine to make a drink that’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and just the right amount of boozy. There’s something about the ginger that makes them extra enticing in winter, but they deserve to be enjoyed in the warm weather months too. To make them even more summer-y, we added super seasonal watermelon and froze them—you won’t be able to resist these fruity drinks.

Get the Frozen Watermelon Mules recipe.

If you asked people what is the first “cocktail” they’ve ever had, they’d probably say it was a screwdriver. It’s a stalwart of college parties and boozy brunches for its simplicity and accessibility.We kept our approach pretty straightforward: just vodka, orange juice, and ice.

Get the Screwdriver Cocktail recipe.

And just like that, this amazing throwback cocktail brings us right back to Sex and the City. Tart and citrusy with a real punch, it's a classic for every at home bartender to know.

Get the Perfect Cosmopolitan recipe.

Get ready to expand your bartending repertoire with this ’80s classic. The Midori Sour is a fizzy, tangy, bright green drink that’s as refreshing as it is fun to look at. Midori is a neon green, melon-flavored Japanese liqueur that made its way to U.S. popularity in the neon-crazed 1980s. It’s light and a little sweet, with plenty of bubbles to keep each sip interesting.

Get the Midori Sour recipe.

When it comes to refreshing, three-ingredient cocktails, the Moscow Mule rules summertime. It’s a simple drink that will make you feel like a master bartender. Vodka, fresh lime juice, and spicy-sweet ginger beer combine in an adorable little copper mug to make the crushable fizzy drink that you’ll be sipping all season (and year!) long.

Get the Moscow Mule recipe.

We've got four words for you about our latest Bloody Mary hack: Dill. Pickle. Ice. Cubes. Your Bloody Marys will never be the same.

Get the Dill Pickle Bloody Mary recipe.

For when you just can't get enough of arguably the best Sour Patch Kids flavor, turn to this boozy slushy. Feel free to infuse any of your favorite flavor of the candy too—you really can't go wrong.

Get the Boozy Sour Watermelon Slushies recipe.

This buzzy '90s throwback has surged in popularity the last few years, and we are all the happier (and more caffeinated) for it. We love it as a pre-game drink to keep us going all through the night.

Get the Espresso Martini recipe.

Looking for an easy, show-stopping cocktail this summer? Look no further than these layered ombre lemonade drops. They take the idea behind classic faves like frozen margaritas and strawberry daiquiris to the next level with colorful, bright layers. They’re quick, simple, and best of all, only need 5 ingredients (plus fresh fruit garnishes, if you like) 😍.

Get the Layered Ombre Lemonade Drops recipe.

Bright and colorful, sweet with just a hint of booze, the Dirty Shirley Temple is quickly gaining popularity with cocktail drinkers. And who can blame them? It’s a boozy version of that nostalgic beverage so many of us grew up with—and let’s be honest, what too-sweet mocktail can’t be improved with a shot of vodka?

Get the Dirty Shirley recipe.

Peachy, tart, and citrusy, this is the perfect drink to wind down with after a long day. It's our favorite summer cocktail that makes us feel like we're on the beach no matter where we are. 😎

Get the Sex On The Beach recipe.

This is a delicious cocktail every home bartender needs to know. It tastes like a chocolate boozy milkshake, and only requires three easy ingredients you likely already have on hand.

Get the White Russian recipe.

If we’re talking beach house vibes, it doesn’t get much more classic than a Bay Breeze cocktail. Vodka, cranberry juice, and pineapple juice are poured over ice to create a tall, frosty summer cocktail that’s the perfect blend of sweet and tangy, fruity and boozy.

Get the Bay Breeze Cocktail recipe.

A bit of vodka and Baileys bring the booze to this perky South Korean whipped coffee drink that took the world by storm. It's an instant pick-me-up.

Get the Dalgona Martini.

Slightly similar to a sour lemon drop, limoncello is the beverage you seek after linguini with clams or a Neapolitan-style D.O.P. pizza on the Amalfi coast. Considered an aperitif or beverage enjoyed before or after eating, it’s likely you’ll skip dessert for a few more sips.

Get the Limoncello recipe.

Tons of sporting events have their own cocktails and dishes (see The Masters’ pimento cheese sandwiches or the Kentucky Derby’s mint julep). A slightly lesser known, but no less delicious, signature drink is the Honey Deuce. This crisp and refreshing drink is enjoyed by thousands of spectators every year at the U.S Open.

Get the Honey Deuce recipe.

Combining our love of sweet-tart lemon drop martinis and spring-y lemon poppy seed muffins, this cheery cocktail is the perfect balance of citrus and nutty poppy seed flavor. If you'd like to enhance the nuttiness of the poppy seeds, simply toast them in a hot dry pan for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, then cool before mixing with your sugar.

Get the Lemon-Poppy Seed Drop recipe.

Vodka is just one of the five alcohols in this notoriously boozy drink that somehow still manages to taste incredible and resemble the taste of a lemony sweet tea. Tip: A homemade sour mix with lemon, lime, and grapefruit adds a bit more complexity that takes this drink up several notches.

Get the Long Island Iced Tea recipe.

Developed in Ocean City at the Harborside Bar & Grill, it’s no wonder this refreshing cocktail has found popularity outside of Maryland’s borders. Intensely juicy and citrus-forward, the drink was originally made with orange-flavored vodka, although regular vodka works just as well.

Get the Orange Crush recipe.