Screwdriver: Easy Breezy Vodka Cocktail
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The Screwdriver is proof that a cocktail doesn’t have to be complicated to taste great. Learn how to craft one at home with just two ingredients plus ice.
Our memories of when we drank our first Screwdriver cocktails are cloudy. That’s how long ago it was and possibly how many we imbibed. It’s not just us. If you attended a wedding when you were a teenager, the Screwdriver was probably the drink that your older cousin offered to bring you from the bar.
But the Screwdriver isn’t just a memory. The globally popular cocktail is a basic drink that’s super easy to craft with just two key ingredients: orange juice and vodka.
Discover more two-ingredient cocktails.
What Is a Screwdriver Cocktail?
The Screwdriver is one of the simplest cocktails in the cocktail universe. It’s essentially a potent potable that combines orange juice and vodka in a 2:1 ratio. And despite its super easy recipe, the Screwdriver is also an iconic cocktail that’s sipped at bars around the world.
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History of the Screwdriver Cocktail
Not to throw a wrench into your expectations, but the history of the Screwdriver is easier to understand than it is to find a Phillips head screwdriver when you need one.
The cocktail’s most popular origin story traces the Screwdriver to Turkey during World War II. In that story, which involves American drinkers looking to sate their thirst with familiar ingredients, the vodka and orange cocktail is stirred with a screwdriver. Another origin story involves American auto workers who day drank and similarly stirred their drinks with screwdrivers.
While both of these origin stories are fun, we doubt that either is true. Instead, we suspect that the Screwdriver’s origin goes back way further. After all, people have been spiking fruit juice with spirits for centuries.
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Ingredients
If you don’t already have the Screwdriver’s ingredients on hand, you should be able to find them at your local market. The following ingredient list is as simple as the Screwdriver recipe:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
How to Craft a Screwdriver Cocktail
Since Screwdrivers taste way better when they’re crafted with fresh orange juice, the first step in this recipe is to squeeze juice from an orange.
Measure the vodka and freshly squeezed orange juice. We use a Japanese jigger for this step both to get an accurate measurement and to minimize spillage.
Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.
After you fill a highball glass with ice, pour the vodka and OJ into that glass.
Gently stir with a bar spoon.
Garnish with an orange wedge or wheel.
Serve the Screwdriver on a weekend morning with a brunch dish like pancakes or French toast unless you’d rather drink the crafted cocktail at night. Your drink, your rules!
Variations
Once you add the Screwdriver recipe to your cocktail tool kit, feel free to ramp it up with one or more of the following variations:
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Screwdriver Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka (your favorite brand)
- 4 ounces orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
- ice cubes
- 1 wedge or wheel orange (garnish)
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
- Pour vodka and orange juice into the ice-filled glass.
- Gently stir.
- Garnish with an orange wedge or wheel.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
The Screwdriver is a popular two-ingredient cocktail that’s crafted with vodka and orange juice.
While the Screwdriver may have been invented in Turkey, its exact history is a mystery.
Vodka, Orange Juice, Ice Cubes and an Orange Wedge or Wheel for Garnish
The Screwdriver cocktail is stirred, not shaken.
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