Sweet, tangy and ice cold, the Vodka Energy needs no bar skills at all: a glass full of ice, a measure of vodka and a can of energy drink. Because the vodka stays neutral, the flavour comes almost entirely from the drink you pour, so pick one you like.
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Taste2.4
Balance2.3
Easy to make5
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Sweet and tangy with the typical candy-like fruit flavour of the energy drink and a clean vodka warmth. Light to medium in strength, fizzy and very cold.
History and origin
Energy drinks in their modern form reached Europe in 1987, when Red Bull launched in Austria, based on a Thai tonic drink called Krating Daeng. Within a few years the canned drink was a fixture in bars and clubs, and mixing it with vodka became one of the defining orders of the 1990s nightlife scene across Europe and later worldwide.
The drink has no inventor and no official recipe; in many countries it is simply ordered by the brand name. It is worth knowing that the caffeine can mask how tired or intoxicated you feel, which is why health authorities advise caution with this combination. Treat it like any other highball: one at a time, with water in between.
Bartender tips
Chill both the vodka and the energy drink: warm energy drink foams heavily and melts the ice fast.
A clean, neutral vodka works best; flavoured vodkas often clash with the energy drink's own aroma.
Keep count and drink water alongside, since caffeine makes it easy to underestimate the alcohol.
