Easy
Sweet, Bubbly & Citrusy
2 Minutes
Highball Glass
Ingredients
The Vanilla Rain is an easy-to-make highball with vanilla-flavored vodka as the base.
You get warm vanilla notes balanced by zesty lime juice and the bubbly sweetness of lemon-lime soda. You build it right in the glass – no shaker needed – but it still looks and tastes like something you’d order at a good cocktail bar.
Make this any time of year for any casual get-together, and you’ve got a simple, crowd-pleasing drink your guests will love.
How To Make a vanilla rain COCKTAIL
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Knife
Citrus Press
How to Mix
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Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
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Use a jigger to measure and pour Absolut Vanilia into the glass.
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Cut a Lime in half, then use a citrus press (or citrus elbow) to juice the Lime Halves. Save a Lemon Wedge for garnish.
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Use the jigger to measure and add Lime Juice into the glass.
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Top up with Lemon-Lime Soda.
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Garnish by placing a Lime Wedge directly into the glass.
All about the Vanilla Rain cocktail
The Vanilla Rain is a vodka highball made with vanilla-flavored vodka, fresh lime juice for brightness, and topped with lemon-lime soda. Served over ice in a tall glass, it’s a foolproof drink that you can easily pull off at home.
You’ve got the smooth, warm vanilla character of Absolut Vanilia balanced out by the tart, citrusy edge of lime juice. The lemon-lime soda ties everything together and keeps things light and effervescent.
The history of the Vanilla Rain is not documented, but was likely invented around the launch of Absolut Vanilia in 2003.
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Use fresh lime juice
Fresh-squeezed lime is brighter, more aromatic, and gives the drink a sharper, zestier flavor that bottled juice just can’t match. -
Fill your glass with ice
It’s a highball – it demands lots of ice. Fill the glass with medium or large ice cubes. Bigger, colder ice melts more slowly, so your drink stays chilled and keeps the lemon-lime soda fizzy for longer.
- Use a citrus flavored vodka
Although vanilla-flavored vodka is what gives the drink its distinct taste, substitute Absolut Vanilia for either Absolut Citron, Absolut Grapefruit, Absolut Lime, or Absolut Mandrin for a citrusy twist. - Mix up your citrus juice
Swap fresh lime juice for fresh lemon juice; lime juice has a sharper, more piercing acidity, where lemon juice offers a softer, rounder acidity. Overall, lime keeps the drink brighter and more vivid; lemon makes it smoother, softer, and slightly more blended in character.
- Given that the Vanilla Rain is a highball drink, you already know which glass to serve it in. That’s right, serve your Vanilla Rain in a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Alternatively, a collins glass works well too.
- To garnish, you can’t beat a lime wedge. However, if you want to add something extra, go for a vanilla pod to accentuate those vanilla flavors.
Vanilla Rain FAQ
Yes. Vanilla Rain recipes consistently call for vanilla vodka rather than plain unflavored vodka. The vanilla character is central to what makes this drink what it is.
Fresh lime juice is used to make a Vanilla Rain.
The Vanilla Rain is a highball, which means it’s built in the glass. No shaker, no blending, no straining!
IF YOU ENJOY A VANILLA RAIN, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE VANILLA COCKTAILS:
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