The Woo Woo cocktail is a tasty vodka drink with a quirky name. It’s also easy to craft at home and even easier to sip.
When we talk about the Woo Woo cocktail It’s difficult for us to keep straight faces.
For starters, there’s the drink’s silly name that’s practically impossible to say out loud without giggling. Then there’s its vibrant red color and ridiculously easy recipe.
But the real reason that the Woo Woo makes us smile is the way it tastes. This fruity drink tastes like summer in a glass.
What Is a Woo Woo Cocktail?
The Woo Woo is a sweet cocktail crafted with vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice. Mixed in a 2:1:4 ratio, these ingredients come together in a way that make us us want to say… wait for it… woo hoo!
The drink is red. It’s fruity. It’s also super easy to sip either with or without a straw.
History of the Woo Woo Cocktail
The Woo Woo’s history dates back to the 1980s, the decade when the Cold War ended, hairstyles were as high as Mount Everest and MTV killed the radio star. It’s also the decade when 20 somethings wore acid-wash jeans as they nonchalantly ordered drinks like Woo Woo cocktails at bars in cities like New York and at the Jersey Shore. We may or may not have been two of those tragically hip 20 somethings.
Cocktail historians are as fuzzy as a navel when it comes to knowing where the Woo Woo cocktail was invented. Some trace its origins to a now closed Queens (New York) bar called First Edition where bartenders would shout “Woo Woo” when crafting Woo Woo cocktails.
Woo Woo Cocktail Ingredients
You just need the following ingredients to craft a Woo Woo cocktail at home:
If you don’t already have these ingredients, you should be able to find them at your local liquor store and/or market.
Special vodka isn’t required to craft a Woo Woo cocktail. We typically use Absolut Vodka. Not only is Absolut our current vodka of choice, but it was one of the most popular vodkas during the 1980s when the Woo Woo was invented. Distilled in Sweden, Absolut vodka has an ABV of 40%.
Discover our favorite vodka cocktails.
While you probably already have a bottle or two of vodka on hand, you may need to buy a bottle of peach schnapps. We bought a bottle of DeKuyper Peachtree peach schnapps with a 15% ABV for this and other cocktail recipes. Beyond the Woo Woo, the sweet Dutch liqueur is also an ingredient in cocktails like the Fuzzy Navel and Sex on the Beach.
How to Craft a Woo Woo Cocktail
Our Woo Woo recipe is so easy that it’s practically impossible to make a boo boo, i.e. mistake. And, as a bonus, you only need the following two basic bar tools:
Don’t give up if you’re missing one or both of these basic bar tools. You could use an angled measuring cup instead of a jigger and a regular spoon instead of a bar spoon.
Discover 10 necessary bar tools for lazy mixologists.
The first step in our Woo Woo recipe is to fill a highball glass halfway with ice cubes.
Next, pour the three liquid ingredients into the same glass. We use a Japanese jigger for this step. It’s a handy bar tool that ensures accurate measurements while reducing spillage.
Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or desire an inexpensive upgrade.
Gently stir with a bar spoon.
Garnish with a lime wheel.
Feel free to shout “Woo Woo” before you take your first sip. However, this exclamation is purely optional.
Woo Woo Cocktail Alternatives
Consider the following variations if the Woo Woo doesn’t make you say “Woo Hoo”:
Woo Woo Cocktail FAQs
The Woo Woo cocktail is a vodka cocktail crafted with cranberry juice and peach schnapps.
The Woo Woo cocktail tastes sweet and fruity thanks to a short ingredient list that includes cranberry juice and peach schnapps.
The Woo Woo cocktail was invented in the United States. It’s exact history is a mystery.
Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry Juice, Lime Juice, Lime wheel (for garnish) and Ice Cubes
The Woo Woo can be either stirred or shaken.
The Woo Woo isn’t a particularly potent potable. However, the Woo Woo is so easy to sip that it would be easy to drink several in one sitting. In other words, drink Woo Woo cocktails in moderation.
Woo Woo Cocktail Recipe
Woo Woo Cocktail
You may say "yahoo" once you realize how easy it is to craft our Woo Woo recipe with just a few ingredients and no special bar tools.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1/2 ounce peach scnhapps
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- lime wheel (for garnish)
- ice cubes
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass half way with ice.
- Pour vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice into the highball glass.
- Gently stir.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Japanese Jigger - Premium Double Cocktail Jigger, 1oz/2oz made from Stainless Steel 304 -
Hiware LZS13B 12 Inches Stainless Steel Mixing Spoon, Spiral Pattern Bar Cocktail Shaker Spoon -
![Highball Glasses [Set of 4] + 4 Stainless Steel Straws, 16 oz Lead-Free Crystal Clear Glass, Elegant Drinking Cups for Water, Wine, Beer, Cocktails and Mixed Drinks - Round Top, Square Bottom](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41GXWKMjCkS._SL500_.jpg)
Highball Glasses [Set of 4] + 4 Stainless Steel Straws, 16 oz Lead-Free Crystal Clear Glass, Elegant Drinking Cups for Water, Wine, Beer, Cocktails and Mixed Drinks - Round Top, Square Bottom -
Amazon Brand - Happy Belly Cranberry Juice from Concentrate, 64 Ounce -
Wusthof CLASSIC Paring Knife, One Size, Black, Stainless Steel
Thirsty for More Cocktails?
Try our Absinthe Frappe, Amaretto Sour, Americano, Aperol Spritz, Aviation, Bee’s Knees, Between the Sheets, Bijou, Black Russian, Boulevardier, Brandy Alexander, Brown Derby, Café Maria Theresia, Caipirinha, Clover Club, Coquito, Corpse Reviver #2, Creamsicle, Cuba Libre, Daiquiri, Dark and Stormy, Diplomat, Dirty Shirley, Eggnog, Emerald, Espresso Martini, French 75, French Connection, G+T, Garibaldi, Gibson, Gimlet, Gold Rush, Grasshopper, Hanky Panky, Hemingway Daiquiri, Hugo Spritz, Hurricane, Irish Coffee, Kir Royale, Last Word, Lemon Drop Martini, Manhattan, Maple Bourbon Smash, Margarita, Martinez, Mauresque, Milk Punch, Mind Eraser, Mint Julep, Mojito, Moscow Mule, Mudslide, Negroni, Negroni Sbagliato, New York Sour, Old Fashioned, Old Pal, Paper Plane, Pimm’s Cup, Pink Lady, Porto Tonico, Ramos Gin Fizz, Ranch Water, Revolver, Sazerac, Sidecar, Siesta, Spicy Margarita, Tequila Sunrise, Tipperary, Tomate, Vesper Martini, Vieux Carré, Whiskey Ginger, Whiskey Sour, White Lady and White Russian cocktail recipes.
View the latest Web Story.
About the Authors
Daryl & Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.
Original Publication Date: March 17, 2023