● Easy 3 min
Dirty Shirley
A grown-up Shirley Temple with vodka and grenadine.
Quick answer: 50 ml vodka • 15 ml BrandBar 'Grenadine' syrup
Recipes
Vodka cocktails
Vodka cocktail recipes: Cosmopolitan, Moscow Mule, Bloody Mary, Sex on the Beach, Espresso Martini. Simple ratios and a step-by-step method.
BrandBar Editorial Team
Content prepared and tested by BrandBar's professional bartending team.
Vodka adds no flavour of its own — it adds strength. Everything in a vodka drink therefore rests on the rest of the build: juice, liqueur, syrup or coffee. That is both an advantage and a trap, because a mistake in the ratios has nothing to hide behind.
The practical minimum for vodka drinks: cranberry juice and triple sec (Cosmopolitan), ginger beer and lime (Mule), tomato juice with hot sauce (Bloody Mary), coffee liqueur and fresh espresso (Espresso Martini). Chasing an expensive bottle makes little sense here — in a mix the difference is barely audible, and the juice matters more.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need expensive vodka for cocktails?
No. In a drink with juice, liqueur or coffee the difference between premium and ordinary vodka is barely detectable — spend on fresh juice and good ice instead. An expensive bottle is worth it only for drinks served almost neat.
What is the most popular vodka cocktail?
In a home bar, the Cosmopolitan (vodka, triple sec, cranberry, lime) and the Moscow Mule (vodka, ginger beer, lime). Both take a couple of minutes and need no rare ingredients.
What can replace vodka in a recipe?
Most often gin: the drink gains a juniper note but keeps its structure — that is how a Mule becomes a Gin Mule. In coffee and creamy cocktails, light rum substitutes well.
Other bases
GinRumWhiskeyTequilaCognac & brandyLiqueursBitters & infusionsAbsinthe & sambucaAperitifsSparkling & wineCoffeeLemonadesAlcohol-free
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