Best vodka cocktail recipes

Looking for vodka cocktails to serve at your next drinks party? Try martinis, classic cosmopolitans, white russians and more in our sophisticated collection, or check out our best gin cocktails here.

Want to really impress fellow cocktail lovers? Recreate your favourite bar at home with our best drinks trolley ideas.

Vodka cocktail recipes

Espresso martini

We love espresso martinis! One of the coolest cocktails around, this punchy little number blends hot espresso and vodka for ultimate effect.

French martini

White russian

Vodka, coffee liqueur and cream is all it takes to make this smooth, classic cocktail. Serve in an old fashioned glass, to be really authentic.

Passion fruit martini

Add both sharpness and sweetness to your next martini with fresh passion fruit and lime juice. Vanilla vodka, if you have it, works well in this recipe.

Vesper martini

This martini recipe shakes vodka with gin and Lillet Blanc, a wine-based aperitif from France. Don’t forget the twist of lemon for a refreshing citrus hit.

Cosmopolitan

Make like Carrie Bradshaw and fix yourself a cosmo this evening. You only need four ingredients, plus a little orange peel to garnish.

Baileys cocktail

For a vodka-based cocktail that’s as comforting as it is luxurious, try this Baileys recipe featuring coffee liqueur and double cream.

Black russian

Make this classic dark cocktail with vodka and coffee liqueur. Serve in an old fashioned glass with ice for an elegant after-dinner drink with a caffeine kick.

Blood orange sgroppino

Sweet and boozy, this twist on a traditional Venetian cocktail of lemon sorbet and prosecco uses blood oranges to give an extra boost of colour and flavour and vodka for a boozy hit.

Limoncello and thyme collins

Making your own limoncello is surprisingly easy. Take it, as a gift, to a BBQ, use it in ice lollies, or knock-up this easy twist on a collins.

Kombucha mule

Raw, fermented tea may not sound particularly appealing, but that’s exactly what kombucha is and it works really well in cocktails like this easy kombucha mule.

Bloody mary

Our recipe for this classic cocktail combines vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, port and sherry with a few dashes of Tabasco to turn up the heat. Garnish with a celery stick and some tomatoes and olives to serve.

Cocchi jasmine tea spritz

Delicate jasmine tea, sweet peach purée and bitter Cocchi Americano vermouth comes together with vodka and harmonises in this refreshing summery cocktail.

Vodka martinis with elderflower and lemon

Decorate this elegant cocktail with white elderflowers if you have an elder bush near you. This recipe serves one, but can easily be multiplied if you’ve got friends coming over.

Tomatini

Yes, this is a vodka and tomato cocktail but not as you know it. Far from the sometimes-soupy bloody mary, the tomatini is a fresh, zingy pick-me-up with a delicious savoury note that’s perfect for sunshine sipping any time of the day.

Blackberry vodka

What better way to make use of a glut of blackberries than to make blackberry vodka? You can experiment with different amounts of sugar but blackberries are quite tart so a little helps bring out the berry flavours.

Bitter orange and cardamom martinis

Martinis are one of our favourite mixed alcoholic drinks. We’ve added marmalade and lemon juice to this cocktail recipe for for an extra kick of flavour. Enjoy!

Summer berry fizz

Fruit and fizz makes for a fantastic summer entertaining cocktail. This is delicious if you make your own berry vodka but is still good if you buy ready-made.

Basil grapefruit cooler

If you are having a party it’s good to have a recipe for an easy cocktail you can make in a jug for a crowd. This one has a base of vodka and chilled grapefruit juice then is finished with fresh basil leaves

Kiwi fruit collins

A fruity vodka-based cocktail invented by cocktail guru Douglas Ankrah that looks amazing with its green Christmas hue. Make sure you’ve got lots of crushed ice ready to go before you start making them