Cocktail Time with Orange Vodka

The nice folks at Exclusiv Vodka sent me a bottle of their orange vodka, so of course I had to make a cocktail. It's been a while since I've published a cocktail recipe, right?

This is a good transitional cocktail as far as seasonality. It's fruity, which is nice for summer, but it doesn't rely on summer fruits, so you can make it any old time.

The Exclusiv Orange Vodka has orange flavor, but it's not overwhelming - this is a flavored vodka and not an orange extract. I'm thinking it might be interesting for cooking - maybe a splash to deglaze a pan - but that's for another post. Right now now, it's cocktail time.

I knew I wanted another fruit flavor to go with the orange, and I was thinking about citrus juices, but at the last minute I decided that pineapple juice made a lot more sense. Citrus on top of citrus seemed sort of monotonous. Pineapple pairs well with citrus, but it brings its own flavor along for the ride. And I like pineapple.

Since pineapple juice is pretty strongly flavored, I added ginger ale to help balance the flavor, and to add the fizz. Since all my components were cold, I didn't add ice, but you could certainly serve this over a big glass of ice. A wedge of lime would be a nice garnish.

The combination of pineapple and orange and ginger ale is fruity, but not too sweet. Refreshing. Lively. Bubbly. Give it a try.

Tropical Orange Breeze Cocktail

1 ounce Exclusiv Orange Vodka
2 ounce pineapple juice
4 ounces ginger ale

Combine all the ingredients and serve in a pretty glass, or if you prefer, serve over ice.

A slice of lime would be a nice garnish, and a teeny bit of salt on the rim of the glass would also be appropriate.

Disclaimer: I received the orange vodka that I used for this cocktail at no charge.

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