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.
Discover more colorful cocktails and summer cocktails that you can craft at home.
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
The first step in our this 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.
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”:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Recipe 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.
Did you craft this cocktail? If so, please rate the recipe below.
Woo Woo Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ounce vodka
- ½ ounce peach schnapps
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- ice cubes
- lime wheel (garnish)
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.
Estimated Nutrition
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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 their website 2foodtrippers. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world.
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Original Publication Date: March 17, 2023