Vodka is undoubtedly one of the most common liquors in the world, let alone the United States. It’s a flexible beverage you can enjoy in many ways. While the Russian way to drink vodka is to gulp it down in a shot and take a bite from either meat or pickle, vodka’s neutral flavor makes it an excellent base for cocktails.
In this article, we’ll teach you how to drink vodka, plus the best mixers for this popular liquor. Continue reading to the end to master the art of drinking vodka.
What Is Vodka?
Vodka is a distilled alcoholic beverage typically made from grains or potatoes. It’s a clear and colorless spirit with a neutral flavor. Therefore, you shouldn't mistake it or drink it like a mezcal. The tasteless profile makes it an excellent base for various types of cocktails. There’s an endless list of vodka recipes you can try to enjoy this liquor to your liking.
Vodka has a prominent place in countries like Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus. The people from these countries consider vodka their national drink, and it plays an important role in celebrations.
The exact origins of vodka are debated among scholars, but it was invented around the 14th Century somewhere between Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. Considering the cultural ties between these countries, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where the earliest vodka production took place.
What Is the Alcohol Content of Vodka?
Vodka is characterized by its high alcohol content that ranges between 35 and 46%, though there are a few outliers with more than double the alcohol by volume. For standard vodkas, you can expect 40% ABV. This is the minimum for vodka in the United States.
How to Serve Vodka?
Vodka is served in various ways. In Eastern European countries like Russia and Ukraine, vodka is strictly served cold to ensure it goes down smoothly. It also typically comes with a plate of salted pickles or meat to balance the heat and the high alcohol content of the vodka.
You should use a small shot glass when serving vodka neat. Most experts recommend chilling vodka to 0ºC or 32ºF.
What Is the Serving Size of Vodka?
Vodka is best served in a small shot glass to extend the pleasure you get from it. While the typical shot glass in the United States holds around 1.5 ounces of liquid, most Eastern Europeans stick to 25-milliliter shot glasses. However, both are perfectly fine to enjoy vodka.
Can You Drink Vodka Straight?
Yes! In fact, drinking vodka straight is often considered the best way to enjoy it, though certain varieties like Meili Vodka are better sipped. However, it’s entirely up to you to drink it the way you like. Since vodka has a high alcohol content, you can dilute it with a variety of mixers to make it more palatable.
What Are the Best Mixers for Vodka?
Below, you’ll find the best mixers for vodka and the liquors that match well with it.
- Cranberry Juice: The sweet taste of the cranberry juice with a sour edge makes it an excellent vodka mixer.
- Pineapple Juice: Those enjoying sweet drinks will find pineapple juice the appropriate mixer for vodka, especially if it’s juiced fresh.
- Sparkling Water: If you like the taste of vodka but can’t find yourself enjoying the drink neat, sparkling water is a perfect mixer to appreciate vodka.
- Ginger Beer: The non-alcoholic ginger beer is a great mixer for those who want to neutralize the vodka’s heat with a touch of spicy aroma.
What Other Liquors Go Well With Vodka?
Typically, vodka enthusiasts don’t like mixing their favorite drink with other liquors. For example, mixing a bourbon whiskey with a vodka drink can create an unpleasant flavor profile. However, its neutral taste can complement other liquors. You can combine vodka with rum, bitters, or sake to create unique cocktails.
Although less common, vodka and whiskey can also complement each other’s flavor. Half shots of vodka and whiskey are excellent for a bomb shot, where you drop the shot into a glass of beer and then chug it.
What Are the Best Vodka Recipes?
The best vodka recipes often call for two ingredients: vodka and your preferred mixer. You can mix vodka with cranberry juice for a sweet/sour taste, orange juice for a citrusy aroma, or sparkling water for a neutral taste. If you have a specific flavor profile in mind, you can opt for flavored vodkas for convenience.
The ratio is key regardless of what you want to enjoy vodka with. One ounce of vodka per five-ounce mixer is ideal for most recipes, but you can tweak it to make your drink stronger or more palatable.
How to Prevent a Vodka Hangover?
As a clear liquor, vodka causes hangovers much less frequently than dark liquors. The reason is vodka doesn’t contain congeners produced during fermentation, such as methanol, tannins, and acetone.
That means you’re less likely to experience a bad hangover from drinking vodka. Yet, it can still happen, especially if you drink in high quantities. Here are some tips on preventing vodka hangovers.
- Don’t Forget to Drink Water: Drink water before, during, and after you drink vodka, particularly before bed, to rehydrate your body.
- Pace Yourself: As you enjoy the shots, make sure to give your body enough time to process it and be aware of your alcohol tolerance.
- Eat First: Eating before taking vodka shots slows alcohol absorption, helping your body process it without feeling lethargic.
- Sleep Enough: A good night’s sleep will mitigate the effects of alcohol consumption. Also, consider drinking less than usual if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before.
Utilize Vodka’s Versatility
Vodka is a versatile liquor you can drink in many ways. While a shot of vodka followed by a small bite from a salted pickle is the traditional way to consume it, you can enjoy it in many ways. Use the mixers you like to create a tasty cocktail.
Lastly, don’t forget to try different vodka-to-mixer ratios, and you’ll find the best way to drink vodka to your liking.
