Shaken, Stirred, and Totally Refreshing: 13 Vodka Cocktails for Summer Sipping

These cocktails will keep you nice and cool.

By
Rabi Abonour
Rabi Abonour is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Rabi Abonour
Rabi Abonour is a planner specializing in transportation, but has also been a photojournalist, writer, and editor for several online and print publications.
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Published May 16, 2025
Two bloody marys one wooden costers

Serious Eats / Two Bites

Vodka is an old reliable. It's famous for its clean finish and fairly neutral flavor, making it easy to incorporate into cocktails. You can pair it with just about everything: tea, herbs, fruit, and even savory condiments like Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. That's probably why the liquor is the star of so many quintessential drinks, such as the Cosmopolitan and Bloody Mary. Below, you'll find several refreshing vodka cocktails—including the aforementioned classics—that will keep you nice and cool on the hottest summer days.

May 2019

  • Pamplemousse Cooler (Vodka-Cucumber Cocktail With Grapefruit LaCroix)

    Vicky Wasik

    Simply pouring a liquor into LaCroix might sound good, but it doesn't really work. Most of the LaCroix flavors have a bitterness that don't jive well with alcohol—but bring some other ingredients into play and that story changes. A little simple syrup, elderflower liqueur, and muddled cucumber turn a can of Pamplemousse LaCroix into an invigorating floral beverage.

  • Moscow Mule

    Overhead view of a Moscow Mule

    Serious Eats / Two Bites

    Ginger beer, vodka, and lime: This classic cocktail is crisp, refreshing, and has almost universal appeal. The drink is so simple that you really don't need a recipe; just spike ginger beer with vodka, squeeze in half a lime, and serve over ice. (The copper cup isn't required, but I swear the drink doesn't taste right without it.)

  • Bloody Caesar

    Side view of Bloody Caesar

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    The Bloody Caesar, also known as just the Caesar, is Canada’s answer to the Bloody Mary. Here, clam juice adds a whiff of brininess that complements the tomato juice, and the drink is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, tart, and umami all in one sip.

  • Great Gatsby

    Vicky Wasik

    Grapefruit juice, vodka, and Lillet Blanc are all you need to make what Matt Gilpin, the beverage director at Highlands Bar and Grill, calls a "shockingly good" cocktail.
    Sometimes you want to keep it simple, so we make this drink with just three. With such a short ingredient list it's important that each one is high quality; we recommend squeezing your own grapefruit juice and using a decent bottle of vodka.

    Continue to 5 of 13 below

  • Lady Grey

    Vicky Wasik

    Mixing individual drinks is fine, but for easy entertaining, may we suggest whipping up a batch cocktail in a pitcher? This beverage gets its zippy flavor from fresh ginger syrup, lemon juice, Earl Grey tea, and plenty of fresh citrus. You can even prep the tea and syrup in advance, so when you're ready to serve, all you have to do is mix.

  • Bloody Mary

    Two bloody marys one wooden costers

    Serious Eats / Two Bites

    How to make the best Bloody Mary? Skip the mix and doctor up your tomato juice from scratch with horseradish, Worcestershire, and hot sauce.

  • Strawberry-Mint Sparkler

    Vicky Wasik

    Muddle strawberries with a few mint sprigs, shake them with a big splash of vodka, some lime, and a little simple syrup, then strain over ice. It's a sweet, tangy effervescent cocktail that's light and not too sweet—perfect for sipping on all day long.

  • The Cosmopolitan

    Vicky Wasik

    The tartness of citrus vodka complements the cranberry juice, good quality triple sec, and freshly squeezed lime juice for a truly superb cocktail that is, essentially, the best vodka sour around.

    Continue to 9 of 13 below

  • Thyme for a Salty Dog

    Vicky Wasik

    This invigorating cocktail gets its lovely pink hue from freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and a herbaceous kick from thyme. You could opt for gin, but using vodka—which has a slightly more neutral flavor—allows the ingredients in this drink to truly shine.

  • Lemongrass Sour

    Elana Lepkowski

    A far cry from the vodka sour you'll find in the average dive, this cocktail is made with lemongrass-infused vodka and shaken with eggwhite to produce an elegant foam. You can infuse the vodka the old-fashioned way in a week or two, but with a whipped cream canister you can do it instantaneously.

  • The Phil Collins

    J. Kenji López-Alt

    The Tom Collins—made with gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup—is ripe for variation. Scott Marshall of The Hawthorne in Boston came up with this version, swapping the gin for cucumber vodka, which gets mixed with lime juice, Yellow Chartreuse, and a dash of cranberry bitters.

  • L'Aventura Punch (Vodka, Mint Tea, and Amaro Cocktail)

    20190416-Batch-Cocktails_L'Aventura-Punch-kelly-puleio
    Photography copyright: Kelly Puleio © 2019

    Vodka ups the alcohol in this punch without overpowering the other flavors, allowing the mint tea syrup, vermouth, and amaro to shine through. Together, they make a bright, refreshing, and balanced summertime punch.

    Continue to 13 of 13 below

  • Honey and Marmalade Sour

    20150408-vodka-cocktails-honey-marmalade-vicky-wasik-1.jpg

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    This bright cocktail gets its bittersweet flavor from orange marmalade, acidity from lemon juice, and sweetness from honey. It's a versatile cocktail that's equally appropriate day or night all year long.

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