Vodka Spritzer

Here’s the very best vodka spritzer, refreshing and perfect for parties! It’s beautiful, full of fruity flavor and easy to whip up.

Some days call for a classic cocktail, others for a funky and unique craft cocktail. Yet some others call for…a down home party drink. There’s no shame, and this one is 100% delicious. Try this bubbly and fruity Vodka Spritzer! These photos make it look like it could be overly sweet, but it’s anything but. It’s just sweet enough with a subtle berry flavor: tangy, refreshing and sparkling all at once. That’s cranberry juice that makes the brilliant red color, but it’s 100% juice so it’s tart and crisp instead of saccharine. It makes for the most satisfying party drink that you won’t want to end.

What’s in a vodka spritzer?

First of all: what’s a spritzer? A spritzer usually refers to a wine spritzer, a drink made with wine and soda water that originated in Austria. Diluting wine with water started back in the 19th century, as a way to make bubbly wine. The name comes from the German word “spritzen,” meaning “to spray.” You can make a spritzer with any type of wine: try our white wine spritzer, red wine spritzer or rosé spritzer.

Turns out, you can also make a spritzer with vodka! A vodka spritzer is a mixed drink that combines vodka, soda water, and other juices or fruits. It’s a fairly loose concept, so there are many ways to make this drink. You can make it with almost any fruit or juice you like! Here’s what’s in vodka spritzer recipe:

• Vodka
• Soda water (or carbonated water: not tonic water, which is sweetened)
• Cranberry juice
• Simple syrup
• Strawberries
• Lemon

The trick to a vodka spritzer: marinating the fruit!

You could serve this vodka spritzer as is and it would taste okay. But the trick to this drink is letting it marinate! Just place the vodka, simple syrup, and cranberry juice in a pitcher with sliced lemons and strawberries. Give it just 30 minutes, and it infuses the berries and tangy lemon right into the drink.

You can do this in advance too! Just try not to let it marinate for over 4 hours. Extending beyond that point makes the fruit get soggy. If you’re wanting to make it up in advance, simply refrigerate the cut fruit and measured liquids, then place them together 30 minutes before serving.

Want more with this tasty berry? Try our Best Strawberry Cocktails.

How to serve it!

When you serve the drink, just add 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) of the drink mixture to a glass and top it off with soda water. You don’t have to measure in this case: just top off the glass! Garnish with fruit from the marinade, fresh mint sprigs, and lots of ice. We like to top it off with fancy straws because…why not?

Use unsweetened cranberry juice

This vodka spritzer uses just a bit of cranberry juice to get a brilliant color and a bit of tangy flavor. But make sure to find the right kind of juice when you’re buying it! Not all cranberry juice is the same. Here’s what to know:

• Avoid sweetened cranberry juice aka cranberry juice cocktail. Classic cranberry drinks like the Vodka Cranberry were made with sweetened cranberry juice. It’s often labeled as cranberry juice cocktail, which includes sugar and sometimes high-fructose corn.
• Use unsweetened cranberry juice. It’s also labeled as 100% cranberry juice. The flavor is very sweet tart, and the color is very vibrant.

If all you can find is the sweetened stuff, you can cut the simple syrup in this recipe in half. Or, you can use the listed simple syrup for a sweeter drink. Speaking of…

Variation: use fancy simple syrup!

Want to step up this vodka spritzer? Try it with an infused simple syrup! Here are a few different simple syrups that would work well in this drink:

• Mint Simple Syrup Bring a minty fresh undertone to this vodka spritzer! This is our favorite pick for this drink: everyone will be amazed at the fresh flavor.
• Ginger Simple Syrup Another great pairing! Ginger brings a spicy nuance to this drink to step it up a notch.

More party drinks with vodka

Sure, you can make classic cocktails with vodka like the Vodka Gimlet or the White Russian. But why not mix up fruity vodka drinks with a party vibe? Here are all our favorite party-style drinks that happen to be vodka cocktails:

• Mash up berries and mint to make a refreshingly fruity Berry Vodka Smash
• Add bubbles and citrus for a lemon lime Vodka Tonic or Vodka Soda
• Go for ginger beer and lime in the Classic Moscow Mule
• Or try ginger ale and lime in the Transfusion
• Mix up cranberry with lemon for a classy Cosmopolitan Cocktail

When to serve a vodka spritzer

The vodka spritzer is bubbly and refreshing. It works well for summer, but you can drink it anytime (and we do!). It’s great for serving as a:

• Summer drink
• Brunch drink
• Before dinner drink (aperitif)
• Cocktail hour drink
• Girls night drink
• Party drink

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