10 Best Sodas To Pair With Vodka, According To A Bartender

Vodka soda is, in my opinion, a drink that delivers way more bang for your buck than you think. The simplest of all the cocktails, this combo is both dynamic and versatile, creating an easy-to-make drink that carries a surprising amount of complexity, provided that you pick the right pairing. Sadly, that's not always the case. As much as you need to find a good-quality vodka that's worth the money you're spending, you have to make sure that said vodka will go with the soda flavor you've picked. There's a misconception that vodka goes with everything equally well, but its relatively neutral flavor elevates some sodas beautifully and dulls the shine of others. Conversely, some sodas eliminate any nuance that the vodka might provide.

How do I know all this? Well, as a bartender for over a decade, I've tried virtually every combination of vodka and soda there is, and plenty of individual soda brands to boot. I know the ones that work and the ones that don't, and I've been advising customers to try pairings that they might not have considered, ever since I figured out exactly why they rock. I'm ready to share all of that hard-earned knowledge with you, right here.

Why mess with the best? Cola's not just paired with vodka because it's a popular soda. As a bartender, I know that cola works to diffuse the harshness of the liquor, taking away its acrid bite and instead highlighting the smooth notes that great vodkas work hard to achieve. Meanwhile, the vodka works to intensify the distinct flavors in the cola itself. I've always thought that vodka acts with cola in the same way that it works with a vodka sauce: You don't immediately notice that it's there, but it magnifies each flavor component. In cola, vodka brings out the caramel, vanilla, and spicy notes of the drink, and makes it taste fuller.

As for which specific cola to pair with vodka, most of them will work well. If you're opting for an artisanal cola, ensure that you're going for one with a balanced flavor profile, while having a good sugar content. There's a time and a place for lightly sweetened colas, but if it's not sugary enough, the vodka will dominate the drink. If you want my top choice, though, it might surprise you: Good old Coca-Cola is my standby for a vodka-cola drink, thanks to its impeccably modulated flavor and its mix of spiciness and smoothness.

Grapefruit soda is a drink that's likely not your first choice on a hot summer's day, but it should absolutely be up there for use in a vodka-soda combination. When mixed with vodka, grapefruit soda's bitterness is pulled back slightly, while the vodka concentrates the fruitier notes in the drink. The floral notes of grapefruit shine through nicely and are again intensified by the vodka. In turn, the vodka plays well with the bitterness and acidity of the grapefruit.

If you want to keep things simple, a basic pairing of good vodka, good grapefruit soda, and lots of ice is an effective drink. Having said this, you can amp up the volume on your vodka grapefruit by making a vodka paloma, which takes little more than adding a squeeze of lime juice. The extra citrus note helps to balance out the grapefruit flavors, and it also reduces any overtly sugary tastes in the soda you're using. A salted rim can also add further appeal. Some excellent options are Jarritos Grapefruit Soda, which nails the balance of sweetness to bitterness, and Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda with its lovely floral edge.

Vodka works very well with citrus flavors, and things don't get much more citrusy than lemon-lime soda. The bright acidity of lemon and the floral tang of lime are both lifted by vodka, which works to somehow fill out the flavor of the drink. It's especially effective in lower-sugar lemon-lime sodas, where it adds a surprising amount of nuance, but it can be just as good in Sprite or 7Up. In fact, pairing it with one of the latter two gives the soda more depth, and lets the individual flavors of each element shine through.

A word to the wise, though: While lemon-lime works well with vodka, plain old lemonade is, in my opinion, a little too one-note here. Vodka may be neutral, but it adds a bite to any drink it's added to, and when paired with lemonade, it can be a little distracting, especially if you're using a cheaper brand that has less going on. The carbonation in lemon-lime also helps to keep the vodka from overtaking everything, while in uncarbonated lemonade, the vodka can take over. If you're going to use lemonade, try to find one that actually tastes of lemon, that has a good bitterness to it, and that's nicely sparkling. My top pick is Sanpellegrino Limonata.

A lot of liquors can be too intrusive with ginger ale, and cloud the flavor of the soda in ways that I'm not a huge fan of. Vodka, however, makes ginger ale sing. As in many other vodka-soda combinations, vodka works to amp up the inherent flavors in ginger ale, and all of its spicy, sweet, and sharp elements. At the same time, the vodka provides a subtle, but noticeable note underneath everything, giving the soda slightly more fullness, almost imperceptibly.

Ginger ale won't have the same fire that ginger beer does, but if you want to mix the latter with vodka, then that'll work well too. After all, vodka and ginger beer are the two main ingredients in a Moscow mule, so you know it works — the extra dash of lime juice in that drink helps to diffuse some of the intensity of the soda. You can add lime juice to a vodka-ginger ale, too, though, and it'll help to pull the sweetness of the soda back a little. It's hard to go wrong with Canada Dry Ginger Ale with vodka, but for something slightly more nuanced, Fever-Tree Ginger Ale is also a nice choice.

Okay, this is a personal favorite of mine. Dr. Pepper is a fascinating drink, which has way more complexity than most people give it credit for, and I'd argue that complexity is often lost to its image as a mainstream soda. As such, it takes using it in a cocktail to really appreciate how much is going on. Because it's such a busy beverage, though, mixing it with whisky or rum can produce a drink that feels cloudy in flavor and a little overwhelming.

Enter vodka. When vodka's paired with Dr. Pepper, the soda's balance of spiciness, cherry notes, and its almost almond-like flavors suddenly pop. The vodka doesn't intrude, but you can definitely taste it, and its smooth, clean flavor works as a backing band for everything else going on. In short, it makes Dr. Pepper taste even better.

Beyond the intensification that vodka provides, the fact that it creates a cocktail also forces you to take the drink slowly. As a result, you notice all of the individual tastes in the Dr. Pepper more. I personally think it gives the drinker a renewed appreciation for it, and I'll never stop raving about this bizarrely effective combo.

If you're a fan of a screwdriver (and why wouldn't you be?), then vodka and orange soda is the next best thing. Pairing this liquor with orange soda gives you a brighter, perkier version of the classic cocktail, and one that has a lot more roundness to its flavor. In my opinion, it's all in the carbonation: Regular screwdrivers can sometimes have a heavy mouthfeel, and the acidity of the orange juice can come through too strongly, especially when it's mixed with vodka. Conversely, orange soda both feels and tastes lighter, and its effervescence stops the vodka from having too much weight in the drink and amping up the harsher notes. It just tastes fresh.

With all of this, though, comes a caveat. The success of a vodka and orange soda combination lies largely in the quality of the soda you're using. If you opt for one that tastes too artificial, you'll get absolutely no nuance. Try to use an orange soda that has a good balance and some real orange flavors shining through, like San Pellegrino Aranciata or Jarritos Mandarin. If you go for something like Sunkist, everything will just taste of sugar.

You'd forgotten about root beer, hadn't you? Don't worry, I'm here to extol its virtues, particularly in mixed drinks. Root beer and vodka may not be a classic choice, but once you try the two together, you'll be renewed with enthusiasm for this old-school soda. Root beer's lightly herbaceous flavor profile pairs really well with vodka, and makes an unexpectedly dynamic and multi-layered drink. I've always found that when vodka mixes with root beer, the effect is ever-so-slightly similar to that of Icelandic brennivin, a herbal spirit, which contains caraway notes and which has a strange kinship with the licorice flavors in this soda.

If this all sounds a little intense to you, though, don't worry. Root beer has strong vanilla and caramel flavors running through it, and vodka also intensifies its sweeter sides. If you want to lean into these a little more, you can make an alcoholic root beer float. Mix your root beer with vanilla vodka, and then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It's an adult version of a childhood classic that's bound to please the taste buds.

Now we're talking! Vodka and cream soda is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated combinations out there. Vodka works to take a little bit of the cloying nature out of cream soda, which can sometimes err on the side of being just a bit too sweet, and it gives the drink a clean alcoholic undertone that smooths things out. Simultaneously, the buttery taste of cream soda helps to mute the harshness that vodka sometimes has, particularly with cheaper vodkas that lack an even flavor profile.

Cream soda also works really well with flavored vodkas. Combining cream soda with vanilla vodka makes a Jersey Girl, an easygoing cocktail that leans into the soda's smooth notes. Alternatively, toffee vodka amps up the candy-like flavors of cream soda, but also provides a fullness that can sometimes be missing from less impressive soda brands. If you want to make things really old-school, cherry vodka and cream soda make a drink that tastes as if it came straight from a soda fountain in the 1930s, but with an alcoholic edge. Whichever direction you go, the soda will bear the weight of the additional flavors.

We tend not to think of cherry soda as a mixer, but it works well with many different liquors. Whisky, rum, and brandy all pair nicely with the soda, and all of them lend it a certain weight and a slight spiciness. However, they also distract from the sweet, dusky flavor of cherry soda a little bit too much for my liking — that's where vodka comes in. The vodka magnifies the inherent flavors of the soda, but the carbonation of the drink stops it from weighing too heavily on the tongue. Everything about it just works.

As is the case with all fruity sodas, though, you need to ensure that you're not going for the cheapest option. Low-end cherry sodas are nothing like the real thing, instead giving you an approximation of cherry flavor that tastes more like cheap candy. That's why I prefer black cherry sodas, which have a lot more of the balance of mellow sweetness and tartness that makes cherries so appealing. Don't be tempted to go for one that's super sugary, either, as this can take away from the soda's nuance.

A vodka and club soda is a classic for a reason, and as a bartender, it's one of my favorite drinks. The reason is that, unlike other vodka-soda combinations, here it's the vodka that's the star. Club soda's crisp flavor and its hint of saltiness work to lift the vodka, instead of swallowing it up in a sugary package. It's a classy drink designed for people who actually like the taste of liquor, and if you don't think you'll gel with it, you just need someone to make a good version for you. Trust me, you'll be hooked.

What that good version will rely on, though, is premium ingredients. You need great club soda and great vodka for this drink to work, or it'll just taste like vaguely alcoholic water. Fever-Tree Premium is my club soda of choice, as its gentle mineral taste boosts the flavor of vodka but doesn't distract from it. Vodka-wise, I'd always opt for Tito's or Grey Goose, depending on how I'm feeling that day. Tito's has just a hint of woodiness and grassiness, which can give this drink a bit more texture, whereas Grey Goose is smooth and light, and is a slightly more refreshing choice. Oh, and whatever you do, use a fresh bottle of club soda: Nothing's more disappointing than a flat version of this drink.