Vodka Drinks

One of my favorite things about cocktails is that they're so diverse. They can be sweet or savory, filling or refreshing. And they can take advantage of nearly any ingredient imaginable, including egg whites, smoked ice, flavor cubes, and even beer. As a card-carrying member ...more

Fourth of July usually means barbecues, patriotism, and getting piss drunk. Okay, well not really, but a little inebriation is usually on the menu, and nothing says America more than serving patriotic drinks at your party. Here are our 10 favorites. 1. Long Island Iced Tea A ...more

It's nice to have a drink on an airplane, whether you're taking a flight somewhere fun or for work. However, what's not so nice is the high prices and relatively bad quality of the liquor that's available. If that's what's holding you back from having a nice tipple, never fea ...more

To some people, Thanksgiving is merely quality time with family and friends that they can't get throughout the rest of the year. To others, it's that one time when it's okay to be a greedy hog and get hammered all weekend long. In that spirit of eat-and-drink-until-you-drop, ...more

Harry Potter fans got a treat last week when Pottermore, a site created by Harry Potter author, J. K. Rowling, released a test that let users learn what form their Patronus protective charm would take. Does it need to be said? The internet almost exploded. Riding this new wa ...more

Living in Los Angeles has given me the opportunity to attend a bunch of really cool events. I've been to Dodgers, Lakers, and Clippers games, a few concerts at the Staples Center, and a plethora of smaller joints. In all of these places, I've found a consistent annoyance—I wa ...more

Halloween is this weekend, so if you're looking for a last-minute big batch cocktail that will keep your guests properly hydrated—and might turn them into mutants—look no further! (Note: This will not actually hydrate anyone, just so we're clear. Priorities, people!) Meet Zom ...more

Gatorade and football go hand in hand, from player endorsements to the traditional Gatorade shower that coaches get at each Super Bowl. So, get in the game-day spirit with these Gatorade-infused drinks, desserts, and snacks. The good thing about Gatorade is that it comes in ev ...more

The next time you finish that last pickle spear, don't pour the leftover green juice down the drain. You can use your leftover pickle juice in cooking, in cocktails, and as a post-workout performance shot. Pickle juice gives the salty, sour flavor to cucumbers, and is made of ...more

Recipes are invaluable to cooks who are just starting out, but what if you want to get to the next level? Then it's time you learn how to apply simple math to food. In other words, learn how to cook using ratios, not recipes. Fortunately, there's a great book by cookbook auth ...more

Cleanliness is next to godliness. My interpretation of that age-old adage means that keeping your house clean is just as un-fun and boring as being a goody two shoes. That's why they call things like laundry and doing dishes "chores," I assume. Yuck. Lucky for you, though, we ...more

Maybe you've had a long day... or maybe you just want to treat yo' self. So you head to your local watering hole for some tasty, tasty liquor. Your current fave on the cocktail list is a drink of something strong with bitters; you don't know what bitters are, but damn if that ...more

Pokémon GO has become a cultural phenomenon. Finally, we can do what we always dreamed of back when we were kids—catch Pokémon in real life! But let's not forget that we're in adulthood now, and in adulthood, we can catch Pokémon by day and celebrate our successes at night. I ...more

Alcohol isn't exactly considered a healthy lifestyle choice; more often than not, it's associated with empty calories and bad decisions. But that doesn't mean there aren't a few benefits to drinking in moderation. In fact, gin is a liquor with a wealth of potential benefits to ...more

In my opinion, vodka gets a lot of undeserved flak. It seems like most people have a bad experience in college with a plastic bottle of vodka and never go back. I can't blame them; it took me a few years after graduating college to start to enjoy vodka again—but now I adore it ...more

Everyone has the same five spirits in their bar: vodka, rum, whiskey, tequila, and gin. They're all great, but every so often the mood strikes to try a cocktail with a little something different. We'd like you to meet three spirits from South America that would make a welcome ...more

While there are countless ways to welcome in the new year, many of them involve imbibing copious amounts of delightfully spirited libations. If you're anything like me, I know you're fearing the monster hangover on New Year's Day. The good news is, you don't have to. If you w ...more

Cocktail rims are an easy way to add extra fun and pizzazz to your favorite drink; Most cocktail rims only take a few minutes to put together, and are a great way to add a burst of flavor to compliment what you're drinking. The best part is that you can save money and get a m ...more

Okay, it's true: even the highest quality instant coffee is never going to replace really good fresh beans (and properly cleaning your coffee maker) when it comes to creating a great cup of joe. However, instant coffee does have all kinds of uses in the kitchen, as the smart f ...more

Watermelon is the perfect snack for hot temperatures. It's hydrating, crisp, and refreshing, especially when it's chilled. Yet some people aren't content with leaving a good thing alone, which has given us many watermelon-based innovations, some great (vodka-filled watermelons ...more

Video: . If you master only one cocktail, it should be the martini. It’s a legend in a glass, and every hostess worthy of her shaker should know how to make a martini. This divine drink can transform even the shabbiest soirée into a swanky affair. This magical concoction is v ...more

If you go to a lot of concerts and shows, you know that it can be easy to spend more on drinks than you spent on the ticket for the event itself. With this "vodka stash water bottle" you'll never have to pay for alcohol at a show again—assuming you like clear liquor, that is. ...more

The origins of vodka are shrouded in mystery, with both Russia and Poland laying claim to its invention. Some say Genovese merchants brought vodka (then known as aqua vitae, or the water of life) in the late fourteenth century to Russia. For many years, vodka wasn't just an al ...more

Ideally, wine would stay as perfect and delicious as the day it was first uncorked forever. But, thanks to a pesky process called oxidation, re-corked wine (no matter how you do it) pales in comparison to a fresh's bottles original magic. Don't Miss: 8 Great Ways to Score Qua ...more

What's the best part of the holidays, other than gorging yourself on food until you're physically able to hibernate? Imbibing delicious, hot drinks that are spiked to the gills with liquor. But when you're hosting the party and you've got twenty million things on your to-do l ...more

Listen up, children, pregnant women, and lightweights: this particular KitKat variety is not for you. Well, with 0.8% alcoholic content per 2 KitKat bars, it's highly unlikely anyone will actually get drunk on these things. Still... The newest flavor of KitKat (or Kit Kat) in ...more

Whether your holidays are cause for celebration or exhaustion from over-celebrating, alcohol is more often than not involved in the merrymaking. We at Food Hacks are very fond of enjoying this particular indulgence in lots of different ways. Flavored liquors and liqueurs have ...more

Most primary cocktail ingredients just sound delicious. Lime and tonic water? Yes, please. Bitters and simple syrup? Sign me up. Egg whites and... wait... egg whites? In a cocktail? Don't Miss: The Perfect Formula for Making Any Cocktail If you haven't ever had a cocktail wi ...more

A long time ago I was reading an issue of Saveur and saw an article about a trendsetting bar in Portland. The bartender at the joint had started making enormous blocks of smoked ice for his cocktails. When a patron ordered a drink that called for the smoked ice, the bartender ...more

I have a thing for citrus in any form. If I can't get a hold of oranges or clementines, I've been known to slice up lemons and limes and eat them straight with a little bit of salt—terrible for the tooth enamel, but amazing for the tongue. Don't Miss: How to Squeeze Out Every ...more

Summer is right around the corner, which means it's time to switch from perfect hot coffee to perfect cold coffee. A nice icy glass of cold coffee is wildly refreshing and just plain delicious. In my opinion, it's the key to enjoying any sunny day (warning: if you don't alread ...more

You don't always plan on getting drunk, it usually just sort of happens, right? You finish one beer, move on to the next, and all of a sudden you're a six-pack in and feelin' it. And when you're drinking in places you're not supposed to, it can get ugly. You get sloppy and st ...more

Each year we inevitably fall into the pumpkin spice game. From the usual (like lattes and muffins) to the slightly more absurd (like Pringles and beef jerky)—if the leaves are turning colors and food ain't pumpkin spiced, it ain't worthy of consumption. The same seasonal rule ...more

From vodka to beer, booze is great for drinking, great for mixing, and, yes, great for cooking with. But there's really no alcohol better for bringing into the kitchen than wine. From savory dishes to sweet ones, wine is so versatile that it can make almost any meal better. An ...more

Summer is a time for sangria sipped on the patio, enjoying the fruity refreshment with a friend while the smell of barbecue wafts from a distance. It's the perfect way to spend a lazy, hot August afternoon. Traditional Spanish sangria is made by mixing red wine, chopped fruit ...more

The iconic, lovable gummy bear originated in Germany, where it goes by the name Gummibär— but that's not what makes it so much fun. The base of gummy bears is made up of gelatin, which gives them the signature elasticity that makes you feel like a kid again. But the fun doesn' ...more

Step aside, ginger ale; ginger beer is here, and it's delicious. Ginger beer is made by fermenting a combination of ginger simple syrup, yeast, and water, which gives it its robust flavor and sparkling quality. It's extremely simple to make, but you do have to wait a bit for ...more

Before I get ostracized by all of you whisky lovers who live and die by whisky served neat, let me say my piece. In the past, I haven't been much of a whisky fan—I would shoot it back or add it to Coke or ginger ale, but I certainly wouldn't sip on it and enjoy it. In fact, t ...more

Having a store-bought cold pack on the ready is the perfect solution for minor bumps, bruises, sprains, and strains, but why spend money on bright blue ice packs when you can make your own right at home? These homemade cold compresses will give your the same level of pain rel ...more

I'm human, so it goes without saying that I love bacon. You're human too, which means chances are pretty good that you also love bacon. Yet as beloved as bacon has always been, it's just now experiencing a culinary renaissance, which I love. Bacon chocolate? Heck yes. Bacon do ...more

Unless you're well off, you've probably experienced the hard liquor purchasing conundrum. You know the one: you want to stock your home bar with more than just one spirit, but you don't want to drop $100 or more just so you can have some variety in your alcohol cabinet. Thank ...more

I have a thing for black foods, whether it's mysterious, lovely black garlic (the secret to its color: fermentation) or adding charcoal powder with its reputed health benefits to cookies, cakes, and breads. Now add one more ingredient to the list: squid ink. It goes by many o ...more

There are so many cutesy pink, red, and heart-shaped desserts and drinks put out on Valentine's Day, but none of those really get you into a low-light mood. Instead, turn up the heat with one of these aphrodisiac cocktails for grown-ups. What all experts seem to agree on is t ...more

If you struggle with deciding which wine you should buy for an intimate dinner, or the type of beer with the highest alcohol content that doesn't taste like tree bark, then check out some of these great alcohol-friendly apps to make better booze decisions. There are a lot of ...more

Coffee liqueur is pretty easy to make at home, and if you've read our guide on why instant coffee is a pantry essential, you know that we recommended the powdered stuff over fresh-brewed when making your own Kahlua at home...until now. Inspired by Los Angeles-based company Fl ...more

Having someone send you flowers will almost always lift your spirits. Wilting, dying flowers, on the other hand, aren't so great to look at and smell even worse. While there are time-honored tricks to keep flowers alive longer (change the water regularly, put a penny in the bo ...more

It's a small but very real frustration: you want a chilled drink, but you open the freezer only to see nothing but empty ice trays. Fortunately, there's a simple way to make ice cubes quickly—use hot water. Yup, you read that correctly. Hot water freezes more rapidly than cold ...more

Who doesn't enjoy sitting down to a nice dinner with a cocktail in hand? After a long day, a drink is a great way to unwind. Yet your favorite spirits can do more than just help you relax after work. By utilizing alcohol in the kitchen, you can enhance everything from how food ...more

Starbucks last big hit was definitely their Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, which became a permanent menu item—not just a summer fling—on May 31, 2016. It's the perfect blend of 20-hour cold brew and vanilla sweet cream; The result not only tastes great, but the cream makes is ...more

The freezer section at your local grocery store may have plenty of popsicle flavors, but they're mostly going to be the same old fruit-flavored varities you've been shoving in your mouths for years. None of those will truly get your tastebuds rolling like some creative homemad ...more

Pie crusts are pretty intimidating if you're an at-home baker with little experience, since there's a lot of science behind making them. A perfectly flaky crust that's golden brown—not charred and black along the edges—requires careful attention, a foolproof recipe, and some d ...more

Store-bought marinades and sauces have an ability to jazz up the simplest items. But after a while, those favorite tastes seem a bit repetitive and mundane, and that got us to experimenting with different add-ins to make our marinades stand out. Fruits, herbs, spices—all of th ...more

The internet was blowing up recently over this mind-blowing, mouth-watering video of a woman making a cake decoration out of… wait for it… chocolate bubble wrap. Yes, that's right: she turned the ubiquitous packing material into the mold for an absolutely gorgeous cake embelli ...more

It's almost time for Halloween, which means that it's time for the nastiest-looking food and drink to make its appearance. Severed fingers, brains, vomit... everything that would normally make our stomachs turn at any other time of year makes us cackle with glee instead on Hal ...more

Ah, the joys of bottomless brunch. Paying a flat rate for endless mimosas while having a long gossip over eggs Benedict is exactly how many of us love to spend our Saturdays. However, in practice, this isn't the sophisticated affair we all like to imagine. After refill number ...more

If you're a child of the '70s, then you'll probably remember Pop Rocks, those fizzy little candies that created such a buzz. They went out of style in the States for a while, but now they're back with retro status. I was surprised to see them in my kids' Halloween bags a few y ...more

Somehow, we end up with a pile of leftover candy canes at the end of every December. Yet just because the enthusiastic holiday commercials are gone and the Christmas cards are on discount doesn't mean you have to let the minty sweets go to waste. Here are our favorite quick, ...more

It's common knowledge that certain foods foster brain development, health, and memory. Fish almost always makes the list, as do any foods that are loaded with antioxidants like blueberries, nuts, whole grains, green tea, and dark chocolate. Spices like turmeric are being studi ...more

The point of ice in your cocktail is to make it cold, right? Yes and no. Obviously, ice does lower the temperature of your cocktail, but it also does other things: enhances certain flavors while masking others (handy if you're drinking less than stellar booze or wine). As Sim ...more

It's easy to take the food we eat for granted, but the truth is, there are a lot of bizarre, wonderful, and just plain weird things about what we eat and drink, the effects it has on our bodies, and vice-versa. Read on to learn how bugs provide food dye, the Japanese grow squa ...more