5 Vodka Cocktails to Make at Your Next BBQ

Every great BBQ deserves great drinks. So, here are five vodka cocktails that are easy to make, perfect for summer and, most importantly, won’t keep you stuck behind the bar while everyone else is having a good time.

1. Bay of Passion

The Bay of Passion is exactly the kind of drink a BBQ calls for. Built directly in a highball glass over ice, it combines original Absolut Vodka, passion fruit liqueur, cranberry juice and pineapple juice. It’s easy to make and scales for a crowd without any effort at all.

“That passion fruit liqueur working with the pineapple juice gives a real exotic flavor — cranberry juice cutting through all the sweetness and just with the Absolut Vodka there to amp the flavors of everything,” says Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador. “Vodka is a flavor transfer – it will make things taste more than what they are.”

Ingredients:

• 45ml Absolut Vodka
• 10ml Passion Fruit Liqueur
• 60ml Cranberry Juice
• 40ml Pineapple Juice
• Ice Cubes

Watch Rico show you how to make the Bay of Passion:

2. Sea Breeze

“The Sea Breeze is an underrated classic – one of the most basic drinks you can make, but when done correctly, one of my personal favorites,” shares Rico. You’re not alone Rico.

The Sea Breeze combines Absolut Vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice, built directly in a highball glass over ice and garnished with a lime wedge. Three ingredients, no shaking and can be easily scaled in a pitcher for a crowd. It’s a classic for a reason.

Rico shows how to make a classic Sea Breeze:

3. Absolut Citron Lemonade

Absolut Citron Lemonade is one of the most BBQ-ready drinks on this list, mixing Absolut Citron with fresh homemade lemonade.

“When we add Absolut Citron to this lemonade, it’s going to be double lemon – the most lemon-y drink possible,” says Rico. “You get the aromas of the lemon oil, the aromas of the lemon zest, the aromas of the Citron. It’s lemon on lemon.”

Start with your homemade lemonade by combining 1 liter of water with 250ml fresh lemon juice and 250ml simple syrup. Once made, store it in the fridge until you’re ready to make your drinks. The homemade lemonade base makes the Absolut Citron Lemonade one of the easiest drinks to batch for a crowd.

Build each drink individually in a highball glass over ice, then pour in 45ml Absolut Citron and 120ml homemade lemonade. Top with soda water and garnish with a couple of lemon slices.

Watch Rico make the Absolut Citron Lemonade:

4. Vodka Collins

The Vodka Collins is a vodka twist on the Tom Collins – a gin classic that dates back to the 1870s.

The Vodka Collins combines Absolut Vodka, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. It’s then shaken with ice and poured directly into a highball glass over ice.

Ingredients:

• 45ml Absolut Vodka
• 30ml Fresh Lemon Juice
• 20ml Simple Syrup
• 2 Lemon or Orange Half Moon Slices
• Fresh Cherry
• Ice Cubes

So, what will it be – lemon or orange slices for the garnish? Rico has a view: “The main difference you’re gonna get is the aroma while you’re drinking. Whether you like orange or lemon, honestly, I don’t care – and there shouldn’t really be rules like that. If you wanna stick grapefruit in it, stick grapefruit in it. As long as you make a good Vodka Collins, I’m happy with whatever garnish you have. This is your drink, not mine – I’m just giving you guidelines.”

Want to put your own twist on aVodka Collins? Swap Absolut Vodka for any Absolut flavored vodka. For example, try Absolut Raspberri for a fruity twist or Absolut Peach for something a little sweeter.

Rico shows how to make a Vodka Collins:

5. Absolut Watermelon Fizzy Punch

Watermelon is synonymous with summer, making the Absolut Watermelon Fizzy Punch a natural summer choice.

Fresh watermelon, Absolut Watermelon, lemon juice and simple syrup, topped with soda water and garnished with fresh mint. Fruity, fizzy and built for sharing, the Absolut Watermelon Fizzy Punch is a must for any BBQ.

Ingredients:

• 45ml Absolut Watermelon
• 3 Chunks Watermelon
• 45ml Lemon Juice
• 15ml Simple Syrup
• Soda Water
• Mint Leaf
• Ice Cubes

Blend the watermelon chunks and strain through a sieve directly into the glass. Add Absolut Watermelon, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, fill with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Hosting a BBQ for many? Watch the video below where Rico and Hedda Bruce – General Manager and award-winning bartender at Tjoget – show how to make a batched version perfect when you’ve got lots of guests.

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Looking for more drinks for your BBQ? Check out these cocktail recipes.