Vodka
Some claim that it developed as early as the 8th or 9th century in Poland or Russia. Regardless of when or where it originated, a liquor called vodka was current in Russia during the 14th century.
Vodka is traditionally drunk "neat", and it is often served freezer chilled in the vodka belt of Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. In use in cocktails and mixed drinks, such as the vodka martini, Cosmopolitan, vodka tonic, screwdriver, greyhound, Black or White Russian, Moscow mule, Bloody Mary, and Caesar.
Traditionally, vodka is made from grain - rye being the most common - which is mixed with water and heated. Yeast is then added to the pulp, initiating fermentation and transforming sugars into alcohol.
Vodka, a liquor usually made from fermented grains and potatoes, has a typical alcohol concentration of 40% ABV in the United States.
Vodka is also great with
U-Boot
A U-Boot is a beer cocktail obtained by placing a shot of vodka into a glass of beer, typically a lager. It is called a U-Boot (German abbreviation of Unterseeboot, "submarine") because the shot glass of vodka sinks to the bottom of the glass of beer. The shot glass then "surfaces" when the cocktail is drunk.
Vesper
The Vesper or Vesper Martini is a cocktail that was originally made of gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet. In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc or dry vermouth. The formulations of its ingredients have changed over time. The Vesper was made famous by James Bond. The drink was invented and named by Ian Fleming in the 1953 James Bond novel Casino Royale.
French martini
The French martini was invented in the 1980s at one of Keith McNally's New York City bars. It next appeared on the drinks menu at McNally's Balthazar in SoHo in 1996. There are many variations to the French Martini. Some replace the vodka with gin, which offers a botanical twist to the cocktail.
Bloody Mary
A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. Its origins aren’t exactly clear, but the likely backstory points to the mid-1930s and Fernand “Pete” Petiot, a bartender at King Cole Bar at the St. Regis hotel in New York City.
Long Island iced tea
A Long Island iced tea or Long Island ice tea is a type of alcoholic mixed drink typically made with vodka, tequila, light rum, triple sec, gin, and a splash of cola, which gives the drink the same amber hue as iced tea. The Long Island Iced Tea was popularized in the 1970s and remains a beloved drink. There are two competing origin stories for the Long Island iced tea, one from Long Island, Tennessee and one from Long Island, New York.
Sex on the Beach
A Sex on the Beach is an alcoholic cocktail containing vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and cranberry juice. The drink is built over ice in a highball glass and garnished with an orange slice. Sometimes they are mixed in smaller amounts and served as a shot. The origin is uncertain, many suggest the cocktail may have been invented when a bartender combined a Fuzzy Navel (peach schnapps and orange juice) with a Cape Codder (vodka and cranberry juice).
Black Russian
The Black Russian is a simple, two-part cocktail mixing vodka and Kahlúa, a coffee liqueur made with rum, sugar, and arabica coffee. The drink was invented in the late 1940s by bartender Gustave Tops at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels in honor of Perle Mesta. The name is a simple connection to the ingredients: Kahlúa is black, while vodka is commonly associated with Russia. The dark and mysterious cocktail would have been emblematic of the time, with the Cold War having been just forming. The Black Russian is a cocktail of vodka and coffee liqueur. It contains two parts vodka to one part coffee liqueur, per IBA specified ingredients. Traditionally, the drink is made by pouring the vodka over ice cubes or cracked ice in an old-fashioned glass, followed by the coffee liqueur. A slight variation is to do a 50-50 mix if you want, totally up to you and how you’re feeling and how much you love that coffee flavor. To make it even more delicious, opt for vanilla-flavored vodka for a touch of sweetness. A dash of orange bitters is completely optional per se, but it helps put this simple drink over the top.
Espresso martini
The espresso martini is a cold, coffee-flavored cocktail made with vodka, espresso coffee, and coffee liqueur. The now-classic drink was invented by British bartender Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Club in London, in 1980. Bradsell complied, mixing vodka with espresso and coffee liqueur, and the Espresso Martini was born.