So your friend bought you a fun bottle of flavored vodka, but you’re awful at shots. What do you do with it? You can’t just mix whipped cream or peanut butter and jelly vodka into fruit juice. You can’t even stomach the idea of tomato or horseradish vodka. So what happens? You can either leave it on your shelf to collect dust, or you can get creative. Here’s a few ideas.
Whipped cream vodka: This vodka smells like vanilla and may seem easy to mix, but the truth is it can only go into drinks you’d like to top with whipped cream. So, that basically means you have to stick to hot drinks. While I think coffee would be a delicious base for this cocktail — maybe you could even throw in some chocolate or espresso liqueur — it may not be a great idea to chug an alcoholic cup of coffee at night. Instead, I recommend mixing it with hot chocolate.
When I attempted this cocktail with my fellow Thirsty Thursday taste testers, I took a more bougie route. First, I whipped up a batch of homemade salted caramel sauce on the stove using a really easy recipe I found online. Next, I mixed a generous spoonful of caramel and a strong shot of whipped cream vodka into my fresh mug of Swiss Miss hot chocolate. Topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel, this drink took my night to the next level. I highly recommend it for snow days!
Peanut butter and jelly vodka: This flavor is made by Van Gogh Vodka and is a revolutionary flavor. Van Gogh Vodka recommends mixing the vodka with cream and berry liqueur. But, I think it would be incredible mixing it with a tall glass of Welch’s grape juice. Not only would the grape juice mix well with the grape jelly in the vodka flavor, but it can also mask the more alcoholic taste of the vodka. In fact, grape juice is one of the best juices to use to cover the taste of vodka. If you want a very strong beverage, grape juice is the way to go.
Tomato or horseradish vodka: These two flavors of vodka would pair perfectly with a healthy dose of Bloody Mary mix. After that, all you would need to do is load your glass with odds and ends: celery, bacon, olives, parsley, lime, etc. This is your chance to get creative. And like mimosas, Bloody Marys are a wonderful brunch cocktail. So crack some eggs, toast a bagel or two and embrace your inner 1950s housewife.
Cookie dough vodka: Yes, this wonderful flavor exists, and was created by Pinnacle Vodka. To my delight, Pinnacle recommends mixing it in a tall glass of milk for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie experience. I believe it would pair well with fresh baked cookies.
So be brave! Get creative! And really play around with that odd flavor of vodka you’re too nervous to drink.
