United States

Screwdriver

Also known as Vodka Orange, Vodka and Orange

A straightforward two-ingredient highball of vodka and orange juice that tastes exactly like what it is.

vodkaorangejuicesweetcitrushighballbrunchsimplerefreshingdaytime

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is cold, bright orange juice with a noticeable ethanol warmth sliding in underneath. As you drink, the vodka's bite softens into the citrus, making the juice taste slightly thinner. It finishes clean with lingering sweet orange pulp and a faint alcohol tingle.

Who will like it

For people who like simple, fruity highballs and want their alcohol masked by familiar breakfast juice.

When to drink

This is a daytime drink—pour one at brunch or when you want a cold, easygoing cocktail without thinking too hard.

Ordering tip

Ask for fresh-squeezed orange juice if the bar has it; the bottled stuff makes this drink taste flat and overly sweet.

Ice: CubedTemp: ColdCost: $2–$5Glass: HighballBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a cold, sweet glass of orange juice with a vodka kick. The fruit does all the heavy lifting, delivering bright, sugary citrus from start to finish. There is no depth or shifting flavor to parse—what you taste on the first sip is exactly what you get at the bottom of the glass. It is highly refreshing and goes down easy, with just a gentle warmth from the alcohol to remind you it is a cocktail.

Finish: The finish is short and clean, leaving sweet orange pulp and a faint, warming tingle from the vodka.

Primary tastes

sweetfruity

Secondary

sour

Aroma

fresh orange peelsubtle ethanol

Sweetnessfairly sweet
The orange juice brings a heavy, sugary sweetness that dominates the flavor.
Sournesslow acidity
A mild tartness from the orange juice is present but gets buried by the sugar.
Strengthmoderate strength
The vodka adds a noticeable warming kick, but the large volume of juice keeps it approachable.
Refreshingvery refreshing
Cold, juicy, and served over lots of ice, this is a highly cooling drink.

Recipe

Make it at home

Built · Highball · equal parts on Vodka. A mid-weight, neutral vodka works best

Before you start

Pull a tall glass from the cabinet and grab fresh orange juice if you have it. Get your ice ready—fill a few cubes or crack some from a tray.

Ingredients

VodkaBase Spirit50ml
Orange JuiceJuiceFresh-squeezed is strongly preferred100ml

Garnish: Orange slice

Tools

Highball glass · Serving
Holds the drink and ice, giving you enough room for the juice and spirit
At home: Any tall glass tumbler
Jigger · Measuring
Measures the vodka and orange juice so the drink doesn't end up too strong or too weak
At home: A shot glass or measuring cup
Bar spoon · Mixing
Stirs the vodka and juice together with the ice
At home: A long dinner knife or regular spoon

Steps

1
Take your highball glass and fill it to the top with ice cubes. You want the ice sitting high in the glass so the drink stays cold from the very first pour.
!Underfilling the glass with ice makes the drink warm up and water down fast.
2
Pour 50ml of vodka directly over the ice. The cold vodka will hit the ice and start chilling right away, settling to the bottom of the glass.
3
Top the vodka with 100ml of orange juice, pouring it slowly over the ice to keep it from splashing. The juice will naturally layer on top of the heavier spirit.
4
Take your bar spoon and stir gently for about ten seconds, pulling the spoon up and down through the drink until the pale orange color looks even from top to bottom. You'll feel the outside of the glass get very cold when it's mixed.
~10s
!Stirring too aggressively whips air into the juice and makes it frothy in a bad way.
5
Place an orange slice on the rim of the glass. Give it a light squeeze over the drink first so a few drops of citrus oil hit the surface, then drop it on the rim.

Serve

Serve it right away while the glass is still frosty. Drink it at a relaxed pace—the ice will melt eventually, so don't let it sit around too long.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Vodka

VodkaGin
Match
Common availability
Vodka → Gin: Adds pine and botanical notes that clash or complement the orange depending on your taste.
VodkaTequila
Match
Common availability
Vodka → Tequila: Turns it into a Tequila Sunrise without the grenadine, adding earthy agave notes.

Swap options for Orange Juice

Orange JuiceGrapefruit Juice
Match
Common availability
Orange Juice → Grapefruit Juice: Makes a Greyhound, swapping the sweet orange for sharp, bitter grapefruit.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Greyhound

The Greyhound uses grapefruit juice instead of orange juice, making it sharply bitter and tart rather than sweet.

Match

The Greyhound drinks much drier and more bracing, while the Screwdriver is soft and sweet enough for morning consumption.

In common: vodka-based highball, built over ice, citrus juice mixer

Ingredients

Both share

Vodka

Only in Screwdriver

Orange Juice

Only in Greyhound

Grapefruit Juice

Swapping orange for grapefruit juice completely changes the drink's character from sweet and approachable to dry and bitter.

Flavor

Shared flavors

cold, refreshing citrus highball, vodka warmth underneath

How Greyhound differs

sharper, more bitter, less sweet

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Harvey Wallbanger

The Harvey Wallbanger adds Galliano, an herbal vanilla liqueur, floated on top.

Match

A Harvey Wallbanger starts like a Screwdriver but finishes with a sweet, herbal vanilla note that gives it real depth.

In common: vodka and orange juice base, built over ice, tall highball

Ingredients

Both share

Vodka, Orange Juice

Only in Harvey Wallbanger

Galliano

The Galliano adds a layer of anise and vanilla that the Screwdriver entirely lacks.

Flavor

Shared flavors

sweet orange juice backbone, vodka base

How Harvey Wallbanger differs

herbal, vanilla finish, more complex

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Vodka Tonic

The Vodka Tonic uses tonic water instead of orange juice, making it dry and bitter instead of sweet and fruity.

Match

The Vodka Tonic is a crisp, dry, and bubbly drink, while the Screwdriver is flat, sweet, and thick with fruit.

In common: vodka-based highball, built over ice, simple two-ingredient build

Ingredients

Both share

Vodka

Only in Screwdriver

Orange Juice

Only in Vodka Tonic

Tonic Water

Replacing orange juice with tonic water strips away the fruit and adds quinine bitterness and carbonation.

Flavor

Shared flavors

neutral spirit base, cold and refreshing

How Vodka Tonic differs

bitter, dry, carbonated

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The drink first appeared in print in the late 1940s, reportedly named because American engineers in the Middle East or Turkey stirred it with actual screwdrivers when spoons were unavailable. The exact origin is disputed, but it gained wide popularity as vodka entered the American market post-Prohibition.

Era: 1940s
IBA: Contemporary Classics
Data version: IBA contemporary classics spec
Confidence

The IBA official recipe specifies 50ml vodka and 100ml orange juice, built in a highball glass.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Fresh-squeezed orange juice makes a drastically better drink than store-bought.
Use a lighter hand with the vodka if your juice is very sweet.
Chill your vodka in the freezer before pouring to keep the drink colder longer.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Using cheap, bitter orange juice with added sugar makes the drink cloying.
Leaving the drink sitting in the sun will melt the ice and water it down fast.