Last updated: July 25th, 2024
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A refreshingly sweet yet tart twist on a classic, our blood orange vodka soda is easy to make at home with only 4 ingredients.
On one of our first trips to the local farmer’s market, Alex spotted a tent selling GIANT bags of blood oranges for only $5 – so of course we grabbed one. When we got home and realized just how many blood oranges were in that bag, we were left wondering what to do with them all. That’s where our love of craft cocktails came in handy! Freshly juiced oranges can instantly upgrade any number of classic cocktails – so why not make a blood orange vodka soda?
This seltzer-like cocktail is made with vodka, simple syrup, club soda, and the juice from one blood orange. It’s bubbly, light, and refreshing just like a vodka soda – but the addition of fresh blood orange juice and simple syrup take it to a whole new level! Say goodbye to boring ol’ vodka sodas during blood orange season and thank us later.
So if you’re wondering, can you use blood orange juice in a vodka soda, the answer is YES! Keep reading to learn how to make this refreshing summer cocktail with only 4 ingredients.
How To Make Our Blood Orange Vodka Soda Cocktail Recipe
It’s really easy to make a vodka soda with blood orange juice! Here’s the best way to do it:
- Juice a large blood orange into a glass, then strain it through a fine mesh strainer into a cocktail glass (highball or Collins).
- Add vodka and simple syrup to the cocktail glass, then fill with ice. Stir with a long bar spoon to mix and chill the liquid.
- Top off with club soda and enjoy!
Two notes to consider when making this recipe:
- Be warned, blood orange juice stains easily! Watch out for splatter when juicing and wash your hands (and your countertops) thoroughly after preparing this drink 🙂
- You can substitute the club soda with plain sparkling water if you prefer.
And just like cooking, it’s way more enjoyable to make cocktails when you have the right tools. Our 11-piece cocktail shaker set was the best addition to our bar. It has everything we could ever need for making cocktails at home! From the strainers and the bar spoon to the Boston shaker, these tools have become indispensable in our kitchen – we even use some of them when we’re cooking. If you’re looking to expand your home bar with a set of helpful tools, we highly recommend this set from Mixology & Craft.
Why Make A Blood Orange Vodka Cocktail?
Fresh, in-season blood oranges add a unique flavor and beautiful color to cocktails. This slightly sweeter variety of orange cuts the vodka just enough to create a deliciously balanced, tart yet sweet summer drink. Plus, isn’t it just the prettiest?
Here are some reasons why you might want to shake up your cocktails with freshly squeezed blood orange juice:
- Blood orange vodka drinks are some of the best because vodka tastes so plain on its own. The blood orange juice adds so much flavor and instantly turns a plain vodka cocktail into a refreshing summer drink!
- For a fun and tasty twist on cocktails that use regular orange juice, try blood oranges when they’re in season. This is a great way to shake up drinks like margaritas, screwdrivers, or tequila sunrises.
- Freshly squeezed juice is a healthier alternative to store-bought juice, so you get more flavor and less sugar out of your cocktails! You can really take advantage of this with something like blood orange juice, which you can’t typically find bottled in a store.
Like we’ve emphasized before, fresh ingredients make all the difference! This rule applies to cocktails just as much as it does to food. And while it’s easy to pick up a bottle of juice from the grocery store to use as a mixer, we encourage you to try using freshly squeezed juice for a higher-quality outcome. Similarly, you can easily make your own simple syrup for more natural flavor and some control over the amount of sugar in your cocktails.
We learned some great lessons from Alice Waters’ MasterClass about shopping for fresh produce that have truly made a difference in how our food and drinks taste. She says produce “should look and feel alive” – this will give you the freshest and most powerful flavors. So next time you’re out at the farmer’s market and see some colorful, plump, healthy-looking blood oranges, pick up a few and try our blood orange vodak cocktail recipe below!
Love this recipe? You may enjoy these craft cocktail recipes, too:
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Blood Orange Vodka Soda
Equipment
- Highball or Collins glass
Ingredients
- 1 large blood orange
- 1½ fluid ounces vodka
- ¼ fluid ounces simple syrup
- Ice
- Club soda
Instructions
- Slice the blood orange in half and juice into a glass. Then strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer into a highball or Collins glass.
- Add vodka and simple syrup to the cocktail glass, then fill the glass with ice. Stir with a long bar spoon to mix and chill the liquid.
- Top off with club soda and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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