Vodka cocktails

Vodka is the blank canvas of mixology. Its neutrality, which some mistake for lack of character, is exactly what makes it so useful: it brings the alcohol and the texture without arguing with anything you put beside it.

That is why it works so well with bold flavours. An Espresso Martini lives on the coffee; a Cosmopolitan on cranberry and lime. If your drink tastes flat, the vodka is rarely the problem — check the acidity and how cold it is before you blame the bottle.