Though the 'vodka belt' countries of Russia and its neighbours favour drinking vodka neat, its worldwide popularity comes from the countless cocktails that have been created using vodka as their base or main ingredient.
One of the most famous is the Bloody Mary, the famous morning after eye-opener. The name comes from the tomato juice that makes up most of the cocktail. Other ingredients include Worcester sauce and pepper. The function of the Bloody Mary is to get alcohol into the system as quickly and painless as possible. Plus, the tomato juice contains restorative vitamin C and the sauce and pepper stimulate the appetite.
Also famous is the Screwdriver, which is simply vodka and orange juice. The name apparently derives from its preparation by oil workers in Iran who used their screwdrivers to mix the drink. A variation is the Phillips Screwdriver which simply uses Sunny Delight orange juice. Another variation with a vivid name is the Harvey Wallbanger. This is a screwdriver with galliano added and an orange slice or maraschino cherry for garnish. Its name dates from the 1960s when its creator at a party found a man named Harvey banging his head on a wall after sampling the drink.
Then there are the evocatively named Black Russian and White Russian. They both contain vodka mixed with Kahlua which gives a great coffee taste. The only difference is that the White Russian adds cream. There are also many variations. For example, if you give it a shake at the end, you get a Dirty Bird.
One of the most famous is the Bloody Mary, the famous morning after eye-opener. The name comes from the tomato juice that makes up most of the cocktail. Other ingredients include Worcester sauce and pepper. The function of the Bloody Mary is to get alcohol into the system as quickly and painless as possible. Plus, the tomato juice contains restorative vitamin C and the sauce and pepper stimulate the appetite.
Also famous is the Screwdriver, which is simply vodka and orange juice. The name apparently derives from its preparation by oil workers in Iran who used their screwdrivers to mix the drink. A variation is the Phillips Screwdriver which simply uses Sunny Delight orange juice. Another variation with a vivid name is the Harvey Wallbanger. This is a screwdriver with galliano added and an orange slice or maraschino cherry for garnish. Its name dates from the 1960s when its creator at a party found a man named Harvey banging his head on a wall after sampling the drink.
Then there are the evocatively named Black Russian and White Russian. They both contain vodka mixed with Kahlua which gives a great coffee taste. The only difference is that the White Russian adds cream. There are also many variations. For example, if you give it a shake at the end, you get a Dirty Bird.