The 1950s saw vodka wash up on America’s shores, displacing gin as a dominate base for many cocktails. It is ironic that during the height of the cold war an Eastern European and Russian distillate should so influence what Americans were drinking. Here is an original from those days long gone with a slight update: Fresh juice and a dash of orange-flavored liqueur.

Screwdriver
2 ounces vodka
4 ounces fresh orange juice
1/2 ounce orange curacao

Pour all the ingredients into an ice-filled old fashioned glass and stir until the glass frosts. Garnish with an orange slice.

Tasting notes: Freshly squeezed orange juice makes the difference, and that dash of orange curacao brightens the drink, adding flavor and a hint of complexity.

Tomorrow: Not just any port in a storm

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