VODKA COCKTAIL: VALENTINO
 Vodka riff on the Negroni

• 2 oz (60 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) Campari
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) sweet vermouth
• Orange twist to garnish

To Prepare:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir for 25-30 seconds or until well chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: VESPER
We prefer stirred, not shaken, Mr. Bond…

• 1 oz (30 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 3 oz (90 ml) London dry gin
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) Lillet Blanc or (Cocchi Americano Bianco)
• Lemon twist to garnish

To Prepare:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir for 25-30 seconds or until well chilled. Strain into a Martini or coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: CAIPIROSKA
A Vodka-fied version of the Caipirinha

• 2 oz (60 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 1 oz (30 ml) simple syrup (1:1 ratio)
• 1 lime cut into quarters
• Garnish with 4 lime quarters

To Prepare:

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add simple syrup and 4 lime quarters to a shaker. Gently muddle to extract lime juice. Add ice from the rocks glass to shaker and add the vodka. Whip shake (single handed, less aggressive shake) for 25-30 seconds or until well chilled. Dump the contents back into the rocks glass and add additional ice to top up. Garnish with additional 4 lime quarters. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: ESPRESSO MARTINI
Originally created for a supermodel that asked for something that would ‘wake her up and fuck her up’.

• 1 1/2 oz (45 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 3/4 oz (22 ml) coffee liqueur
• 1 oz (60 ml) espresso coffee
• 3 coffee beans to garnish

To Prepare:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds, or until frosted on the outside. Double strain into a coupe glass. garnish with coffee beans. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: YELLOWHAMMER
The official cocktail of the University of Alabama tailgate parties

• 1/2 oz (15 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) light rum
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) Amaretto
• 1 oz (30 ml) orange juice
• 2 oz (60 ml) unsweetened pineapple juice
• Orange wheel and cherries to garnish

To Prepare:

Combine all ingredients over ice in a Collins or highball glass and stir to combine. Garnish with an orange wheel and 2-3 cherries. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: VODKA OLD FASHIONED
A lighter take on the Old Fashioned so you can keep em’ comin’

• 1 1/2 oz (90 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 1 cane sugar cube or rich Demerara simple syrup (2:1 ratio)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 oz (30 ml) club soda
• 1 orange slice
• Orange twist to garnish

To Prepare:

Add sugar cube and orange slice to rocks glass. Soak the sugar cube with Angostura bitters. Gently muddle the Ango-soaked sugar cube and the orange slice to release the juice and begin dissolving the sugar cube. Add vodka and stir until sugar cube is dissolved and glass is chilled (optional: remove orange slice with bar spoon).

Add club soda splash and garnish with an orange twist. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: SMOKY MARTINI
Smoky riff on the classic martini thanks to a splash of peated scotch

• 2 1/2 oz (75 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) Amaretto
• 1/4 oz (7.5 ml) peated Scotch (we recommend Ardbeg 10 or Laphroig 10)
• Lemon twist to garnish

To Prepare:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir for 25-30 seconds, or until well chilled. Strain into a coupe or Martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: MOSCOW MULE
Originally created in the 1940s to sell Smirnoff to America

• 2 oz (60 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice
• 4 oz (120 ml) ginger beer
• Lime wedge to garnish
• Fresh mint spring to garnish

To Prepare:

Combine the vodka and lime juice in a copper mule mug (or highball glass) filled with ice. Top up with ginger beer and stir to combine. Garnish with a lime wedge and fresh mint sprig. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: MEXICANSKI SOUR
A Gentleman’s Flavor original with some serious spice

• 1 1/2 oz (45 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) mezcal
• 1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
• 1 oz (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz (30 ml fresh lime juice
• 1/4 oz (7.5 ml) agave syrup
• 1 egg white (or aquafaba)
• 3 drops of habanero bitters
• Lemon wedge garnish

To Prepare:

Add all ingredients except mole bitters into a cocktail shaker without ice. Dry shake for 15 seconds. Add ice to cocktail shaker and shake again for 25-30 seconds. Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with three drops of habanero bitters (or Angostura bitters) and a lemon wedge. 

VODKA COCKTAIL: BLOODY CAESAR
Canada’s answer to the Bloody Mary

• 2 oz (60 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 4 oz (120 ml) Clamato juice
• 1/4 oz 97.5 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 4 dashes Tobasco (or other hot sauce)
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Lemon wedge and celery salt for rim
• Lime wheel to garnish
• Lemon wedge to garnish
• 3 olives on a skewer

To Prepare:

To salt the rim, pour some celery salt on a small plate.Rub the rim of a highball or pint glass with a lemon wedge and dip the glass rim into the salt. 

Combine all ingredients in shaking tin and add ice. Gently pour the contents from from one part of the shaking tin to the other to combine. repeat until chilled. Fine strain into the glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel, lemon wedge and skewered olives.

BONUS COCKTAIL: WHITE RUSSIAN
We simply couldn’t leave this Big Lebowski classic drink off the table

• 2 oz (60 ml) Hamilton Distillery Vodka
• 1 oz (30 ml) coffee liqueur
• 1 oz (30 ml) heavy cream
• Cherry garnish (optional)

To Prepare:

Add the vodka and coffee liqueur to a rocks glass filled with ice. Layer heavy cream on top.

For a less-sweet version, pass on Kahlúa and opt for something a little drier and more coffee-forward, like Mr. Black. For a Black Russian, simply omit the heavy cream. 

Kurt Bradley is the founder of The Gentleman’s Flavor, to which he is also a contributing editor, host and curator.

Kurt is a certified Whisky Ambassador accredited by The Scotch Whisky Association and has achieved Level 2 Award in Wine & Spirits Education Trust with distinction.

He lives in Toronto, Ontario.