21 Must-Try Summer Vodka Cocktails

Blueberries are a rich and tasty summer fruit that also deliver a deep purple hue to this Blueberry Vodka Lemonade. The key to releasing these berry flavors is muddling them with fresh lemon juice before adding lemonade and vodka to the shaker.  Soda water is optional, but it lessens the sugar content from the lemonade and adds a bubbly finish.

This easy three-ingredient vodka cocktail is a citrusy flavor explosion that’s equal parts tangy and sweet. Blending cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and vodka in a cocktail shaker, Summer Breeze is ready in a minute. Grapefruit juice and cranberry juice give this cocktail a pale pink hue that is more tart than sweet and delivers a bitter finish.

There’s no more refreshing summer fruit than watermelon. It’s sweet, juicy, and utterly thirst-quenching. This simple vodka soda recipe adds fresh watermelon juice for a bubbly and sweet pink cocktail. No added sugar is necessary for this cocktail. Considering how large a watermelon is, you can make plenty of juice to scale this recipe up for a crowd.

This summer vodka fizz cocktail has you make a mint simple syrup to combine with fresh lemon juice and vodka. Soda water tops it all off, contributing to the “fizz” part of this summer drink. This refreshing cocktail is a trifecta of sweet, minty, and tangy. This is a great cocktail to enjoy on a hot summer day by the pool.

A twist on the classic Greyhound cocktail that consists of gin and grapefruit juice, the Salty Dog Cocktail swaps gin for vodka. It’s a blend of two parts grapefruit juice to one part vodka, but what really sets it apart from the Greyhound and gives it its name is the salted rim.

Sours are popular cocktails known for their combination of tart and sweet fruit flavors. This Cherry Vodka Sour adds grenadine to the classic lemon, simple syrup, and vodka trio. Grenadine gives it a cherry red color and sweetness. Adding a maraschino cherry garnish is the perfect finishing touch to make this vodka sour truly live up to its name.

This recipe makes four fresh and fruity Blueberry and Peach Vodka Spritzers. You start by muddling fresh peaches, ginger, and blueberries at the bottom of each glass to release the natural sweetness and fruity flavors into the vodka. The ginger adds a spicy complement to the sweet fruit, which makes this a more sophisticated drink.

If you have a favorite lemonade brand, this easy vodka lemonade is just a matter of spiking a glass of lemonade with a shot of vodka. No fancy equipment is necessary, just a glass of lemonade and a spoon or cocktail stirrer to blend the vodka. This is an easy recipe to make for a crowd by scaling up the proportions for a pitcher.

This sweet and fruity cocktail is full of fresh fruit and citrus juices that combine to create a sunset-colored cocktail. Using equal parts orange juice, cranberry juice, and lemonade, the Summer Sunset cocktail is tart and citrusy. Peach schnapps adds an intense sweetness that balances the tartness of the citrus juice while also providing extra alcohol.

This elegant spritzer combines raspberry vodka and prosecco with lemonade and rich raspberry syrup for a blast of berry goodness. Raspberry and prosecco have long been a beloved duo, the dry bubbly prosecco getting a juicy, sweet burst from the raspberry. Lemonade and raspberry syrup intensify the berry flavor while adding a sour element. 

If you like berry limeades, you’ll love this alcoholic version of strawberry limeade, using fresh strawberries, lime juice, and honey. The honey adds a depth of flavor to the sweetness and floral notes to the palate. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can muddle the strawberries with a spoon in a measuring cup, pouring the liquid through a strainer into a highball glass with plenty of ice.

Thyme is an earthy, savory herb that complements the sweetness and tartness of blueberries in this Blueberry Thyme Crush Cocktail. Muddling thyme and blueberries together in a cocktail shaker creates a sophisticated duo of herbs and berries that get a burst of citrus sweetness from lemon juice and sugar. This periwinkle-hued cocktail is an elegant choice for summer dinner party.

Strawberries and grapefruit are the pairing you never knew you needed as evidenced by this easy three-ingredient cocktail. Consisting of two parts grapefruit juice to one part vodka, strawberry syrup adds a concentrated berry flavor and plenty of sweetness. You can add freshly chopped strawberries to each glass for presentation and texture.

The delightful island of Maui is renowned for its scenic beauty and mouth-watering pineapple harvest. The Maui Island Breeze cocktail is a sweet and refreshing summer drink that honors the island's pineapples, blending cranberry and pineapple juice with vodka. This cocktail recipe provides measurements for one cocktail and an entire pitcher of tropical punch.

The vodka tonic is a timeless cocktail that highlights the distinct taste of tonic water as a superior mixer to soda. Take things up a notch with the blackberry vodka tonic, which includes a homemade blackberry simple syrup made from fresh berries and sugar reduced to a rich, purple syrup that adds a delectable fruity touch to the vodka. Sweet berries and bittersweet tonic are nice complementary flavors. A squeeze of lime juice rounds it all out with bright tartness.

Rosemary is an aromatic agent that works well with savory and sweet dishes. In the case of the Rosemary Blueberry Vodka Spritzer, rosemary pairs with the delicate sweetness of blueberries as you muddle them together. Lemon juice and simple syrup transform this spritzer into a vodka sour. 

This frozen vodka cocktail is akin to a delightful boozy smoothie, combining frozen strawberries with pineapple vodka and lemonade. The frozen lemonade is then blended with more lemonade and Sprite to create a slushy texture with a refreshing carbonated finish. This is a great summer cookout cocktail that tastes good with barbecue.

An easy yet satisfying summer cocktail, the vodka sunrise is a simple combination of vodka, lemon soda, and a dash of cherry juice. Italian lemon soda is the ideal mixer for this drink as its natural citrus flavor is more elegant than a typical lemon-lime flavored soda. The dash of cherry juice is enough to imbue the cocktail with rich cherry and turn it into a light pink hue.

Flavored vodka is almost as popular and prolific as unflavored vodka, with dozens of options, from fruit to wild flavors like marshmallow. This floral and dainty cocktail uses cucumber-flavored vodka and Elderflower liqueur. Lemon juice and simple syrup add a sweet and sour element to complement the floral and botanical flavors.

Another refreshing floral cocktail, the Endless Summer cocktail is a lavender-infused vodka cocktail. You use dried lavender petals to create a light purple simple syrup that blends with fresh lemon juice to make lavender lemonade. This sweet, tart and floral summer refresher is perfect for all ages when you keep a jar of lavender lemonade in the fridge. And for the adults, simply add a shot of vodka to give it a boozy kick.

Step up your summer brunch game with the ultimate brunch drink that far surpasses the traditional orange juice and vodka screwdriver. It calls for peach and orange blossom-flavored vodka along with ginger liqueur for spicy, sweet, and citrus notes. Fresh orange juice and soda are combined to finish this elaborate summer screwdriver.