Simple Vanilla Vodka

A Simple Vanilla Vodka drink is an easy-to-make cocktail built around Absolut Vanilia – a smooth, vanilla-flavored vodka that brings a natural warmth and creaminess to the glass. Add fresh lime juice for a zesty freshness and top with lemon-lime soda for a crisp, fizzy finish. Best yet, everything is built in the glass. In other words, no shaking, no blending, no fancy bar tools needed.

Smooth with an almost creamy quality, bright, and fizzy. The warm vanilla notes from Absolut Vanilia lead the way, followed by the sharp, zesty bite of fresh lime juice. The lemon-lime soda ties it all together with a sweet, sparkling finish.

There’s no documented history behind this particular drink – it’s simply a great combination of ingredients that works. Vanilla-flavored spirits have been a staple of cocktail culture for decades, with bartenders long recognizing the natural affinity between vanilla and citrus.

Absolut Vanilia was launched in 2003 and so it’s likely that this drink came about at that time. Sometimes the best drinks don’t need a backstory – they just need to be made.

• Use fresh lime juice
  If there’s only one tip you follow when you make a Simple Vanilla Vodka, make it this – use fresh lime juice. The natural sharpness and zesty brightness of freshly squeezed lime elevates this drink far beyond anything you’ll get from a bottle.

• Choose your lemon-lime soda wisely
  Look for a lemon-lime soda with a clean and crisp flavor that won’t overpower the vanilla.
• Fill the glass to the top with ice
  This is a drink that needs to stay cold — don’t skimp on the ice cubes.
• Add the soda last
  Pour the lemon-lime soda in last and pour gently. Once the soda goes in, get it to the glass and enjoy it straight away for the best fizz and flavor.

• Use a citrus flavored vodka
  Although vanilla-flavored vodka is the heart and soul of this drink, swap Absolut Vanilia for either Absolut Citron, Absolut Grapefruit, Absolut Lime, or Absolut Mandrin and you’ve got an entirely new drink.
• Vanilla Vodka Lemonade
  Swap the lemon-lime soda for fresh lemonade for a sharper, more citrus-forward twist.
• Sparkling Vanilla Vodka
  Use prosecco or sparkling water instead of soda for a lighter, more elegant finish.
• Vanilla Vodka and Ginger
  Replace the lemon-lime soda with ginger beer for a spicier, more complex flavor profile.

• We recommend serving a Simple Vanilla Vodka drink in a highball glass over ice cubes for that classic highball look.
• A lime wedge on the rim is the perfect finishing touch – simple, sharp, and it balances the sweetness of the vanilla beautifully.
• A thinly sliced lime wheeel dropped into the glass adds an effortless, elegant touch.
• For a more indulgent garnish, run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and dip it lightly in vanilla sugar before adding the ice.