Screwdriver Cocktail Recipe

The Screwdriver cocktail is one of the easiest mixed drinks to make. With just two primary ingredients—vodka and orange juice—this classic drink is a breeze to make and a pleasure to sip.

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How to Make a Screwdriver Cocktail

With its classic combination of simple ingredients, it takes pretty much no prep time to whip up a classic Screwdriver cocktail, since it’s just a mix of vodka and orange — especially if you don’t use fresh squeezed orange juice. Check out how Chris does it:

 

History of the Screwdriver Drink

The origins of the popular Screwdriver drink are somewhat unclear, as with so many cocktails. Its backstory is rooted in World War II, emerging when Americans overseas combined orange juice with neutral spirits.

Its name’s origin is somewhat hazy, but the first references came from Ankara and Istanbul in the early 1940s. Some tales suggest the moniker came about because American soldiers stirred the drink with a screwdriver due to the absence of a spoon.

Another story credits American auto workers who added vodka to their morning orange juice and used screwdrivers as stirrers. Although the exact story may never be known, there’s definitely a common tool-as-a-spoon theme here.

By the mid-1950s, vodka’s popularity soared in the United States, elevating mixed drinks like the Screwdriver. And vodka brands like Smirnoff actually solidified the alcoholic highball drink’s status as a beloved vodka-based cocktail through influential advertising campaigns in the ’50s and ’60s, and the popularity never really waned.

 

 

Screwdriver Cocktail Ingredients

This simple cocktail is just a vodka orange juice combo, fitting inside the highball cocktail family:

• Vodka: Choose your preferred vodka, whether it’s smooth and neutral or boasts a unique flavor profile. It doesn’t have to be super premium vodka since you’re masking it with juice, but you probably still want to choose a quality vodka with a smooth profile and refreshing taste.
• Fresh Orange juice: Fresh juice is recommended for the best taste, but you can certainly get store bought.
• Ice: For chilling and dilution.
• Orange Slice or Twist: For garnish.

Each ingredient plays an important role in this cocktail, with the vodka providing a clean canvas for the vibrant juice. And it makes a great brunch cocktail if you want to skip the bubbly and go straight for the hard stuff on a Sunday morning.

 

 

How to Make a Screwdriver Cocktail

With its classic combination of simple ingredients, it takes pretty much no prep time to whip up a classic Screwdriver cocktail, since it’s just a mix of vodka and orange — especially if you don’t use fresh squeezed orange juice. Check out how Chris does it:

 

 

Screwdriver Recipe Variations

While the classic Screwdriver recipe is already a delightfully refreshing drink, you can explore some creative variations:

Flavored Vodka: Consider a citrus-infused vodka for an extra zing.

Harvey Wallbanger: Reduce your base spirit to 1 1/4- 1 1/2 ounces vodka, and add Galliano L’autentico for anise flavored depth.

Fuzzy Navel: Channel your inner high schooler and  grab the Peach Schnapps to add to your orange juice, leaving out the vodka and creating the Fuzzy Navel instead.

Switch the Base Spirit: You could use another neutral spirit (gin) in place of vodka or get brave by incorporating whiskey instead– or even trading the vodka for tequila.

Swap Out the Fresh Juice:  While it isn’t exactly a Screwdriver without the orange element, there’s room to play with the drink mixer of this highball cocktail. Try blood orange, POG (passion-orange-guava juice), or pineapple-orange juice instead. Alternatively, if you aren’t an orange juice fan, switch to pomegranate or cranberry juice.

 

 

Slow Comfortable Screw: The Slow or Sloe Comfortable Screw replaces vodka with 2 parts sloe gin and 1 part Southern Comfort. You can take this one step further with equal parts sloe gin, Southern Comfort, Galliano– and even all three plus another equal part tequila. (Top off with orange juice in all these variations.) That’s getting into Long Island Iced Tea territory!

Make a Batch Drink: Because it’s one of the simplest cocktails to make, this two-ingredient Screwdriver drink recipe is a great choice for party drinks.

Herb Garnish: For a little color and flavor, add fresh mint or other herbal garnish (or even muddled mint) to your beverage.

Non-Alcoholic Drink Version: A mocktail version of this basic drink is juice and tonic water instead of liquor. You could also use a non-alcoholic vodka or gin replacement.

Chris’ Highball:

Check out the video to see Chris’ version of the highball, replacing both the base spirit and the mixer while also adding a delicious homemade tincture, which you can learn to make in our new Bitters & Tinctures Workshop. With the same amount of effort and just an extra step or two, you have a more complex & visually pleasing drink:

• 2 dashes Strawberry Tincture
• 2 ounces Mezcal
• 4-6 ounces Hibiscus Ginger Beer (Q Mixers, to top)
• Fresh Mint for garnish

 

 

Cheers to the Classic Screwdriver Drink

The Screwdriver cocktail is a testament to how simplicity can be really effective in mixology. With just two key ingredients, this simple drink delivers a bright and cheerful drinking experience that’s perfect for brunches, parties, and lazy afternoons.

Whether you’re a seasoned cocktail enthusiast or a newbie looking to start your mixology journey, the Screwdriver is a classic cocktail that definitely deserves a place in your repertoire.