5 Delicious Mixers You Need To Make Cheap Vodka Taste Better

For those who enjoy a spirited cocktail, vodka is an easy and versatile liquor that your home bar should definitely have. While the differences between cheap and expensive vodka come down to smoothness and taste, there are plenty of ways to take an average vodka to the next level with the use of a few creative mixers. Because vodka itself has a generally mild flavor, you can adapt your cocktail to fit just about any flavor profile you want. From making your own mixers from scratch to sourcing the best ones on the market, you'll find something to accommodate and elevate your vodka of choice.

Between unique mixers and thoughtful garnishes, you can easily upgrade cheap vodka to make a cocktail that will impress. For example, try changing up the plain orange juice in a vodka screwdriver to a Sunberry Farms Passion Orange Guava Nectar (available on Amazon), also known as "POG" Juice, for a bright and tropical twist. You can serve it in a highball glass poured over pebble ice with a chunk of pineapple as a garnish. Whatever mixers you choose, it's all a matter of your willingness to get creative and think outside the box.

Making your own sweet tea at home is super easy and very fulfilling. Adding a splash of vodka into the mix brings a level of potency to your beverage, the taste of which is effortlessly tempered by the sweetness of the tea. Of course, you can always find a suitable brand of bottled sweet tea if you'd prefer to go the store-bought route too. For those who want to roll up their sleeves and make their own mixer, a homemade Earl Grey sweet tea recipe is an excellent choice to bring a layer of depth and complexity to the overall flavor from the bergamot in the tea.

There are several different choices to dress up your vodka sweet tea cocktail for optimal presentation and crowd pleasing. For example, you can mix a glass of half sweet tea and half lemonade for a bit more tartness before adding a shot of vodka — this would be ideal on the rocks and stirred. Further, if you want to add a sugar rim, try raw sugar or brown sugar for another bit of fun flavor. Just remember to sip slowly and enjoy!

Knowing that you should never splurge on top-shelf vodka for your Bloody Mary, you can mix a shot of cheaper vodka with a richer version of tomato puree for the ultimate elevated Bloody Mary. Make your own small-batch tomato passata, and taste the flavorful difference. Thicker than tomato juice, but thinner than a pasta sauce, this recipe will enhance your vodka and make a beautiful Bloody Mary base. The presence of fresh basil and the natural sweetness of the tomatoes is what takes it well beyond a bottled tomato juice beverage. You can even dress up your Bloody Mary with creative additions and garnishes for an especially creative cocktail.

Splash a dash of bone broth or pickle juice into your mixture of vodka and tomato passata for a bold punch of savory flavor. If you like your Bloody Mary extra spicy, rim your glass with Tajín Clásico Chile Lime Seasoning or add a generous scoop of horseradish or hot sauce. Finish everything off with a cornichon spear or garlic-stuffed green olives. Even the most humdrum vodka will benefit from the taste sensations.

Typically found in Mexico and Central America, aguas frescas have steadily gained popularity across larger food markets, even making their way onto Taco Bell's menu as "Agua Refrescas." These refreshing fruit-based beverages can easily be made at home to pair with your favorite budget-brand vodka. The full-bodied fruit flavors make a perfect mixer with plain vodka and can be enhanced with different clever garnishes and additions.

Much like a sweet tea mixer, you can prepare an agua de Jamaica (hibiscus tea) recipe to mix with your vodka for a bright and delicious cocktail. Boldly red in color and floral in flavor with a subtle hint of warming spices, agua de Jamaica is an excellent sweet and tart accompaniment to vodka. For an extra tart mixer, try making a watermelon lime agua fresca recipe for your vodka cocktail. You can rim your glass with Twang Lime Rimming Salt to amplify the citrus punch and garnish the cocktail with a lime round or chunk of watermelon.

Albeit of debated origin, the classic screwdriver cocktail is a simple mix of vodka and orange juice. If you really want to amp up a regular vodka with a bold blast of citrus flavor, it's time to ditch the plain old orange juice and swap in a new favorite juice blend. Consider all the different types of winter citrus and which ones you'd like best to blend together in a cocktail. A blood orange or tangerine juice screwdriver will definitely raise your vodka to new heights.

If you'd rather go with store-bought favorites, you can even mix a couple of your favorite Trader Joe's drinks together with vodka, like Trader Joe's tangerine juice and sparkling coconut water with yuzu. Blend vodka and citrus juice with crushed ice for a spirited slushie and garnish your glass with a wedge of Nutty & Fruity Dried Tangerine to top it all off.

Did you know that you can take the bite out of vodka with refreshing cucumbers? If this isn't reason enough to try mixing your cheap vodka with cucumber juice, just think of all the botanical and savory possibilities of this unique drink combination. Start with Langers Juice Cocktail Cucumber Lime with Mint (available on Amazon) and mix in your favorite wallet-friendly vodka. You can shake this up with ice, some freshly muddled mint, and a squirt of lime juice before pouring it into a sugar-rimmed glass and finishing with a cucumber wheel.

Beyond store-bought concoctions, you can also make your own cucumber juice, either with a juicer or by muddling it to mix with your vodka. Try a riff on a cucumber gin gimlet cocktail by swapping in vodka as the main spirit. If you want to include other botanical herbs, try garnishing with a sprig of rosemary or thyme.