Vodka and Tonic (VAT)
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 10.9% ABV ∙
A Vodka and Tonic is a highball built simply from vodka and tonic water over ice, finished with a lime wedge. Crisp and quinine-bitter with a clean, neutral spirit backbone, the lime wedge brightening each sip — an easy, low-effort refresher for any time of day.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour the ingredients into the ice-filled glass: Vodka 50 mlTonic water 120 ml
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass in the freezer for a few minutes so the drink stays cold without needing extra ice that would dilute it.
- Pour the vodka first, then top with tonic gently down the inside of the glass to preserve carbonation instead of stirring hard.
- Press or twist the lime wedge lightly against the rim before dropping it in to release aromatic oils without adding sourness.
History
The vodka tonic has no single documented inventor; it emerged as an American variation on the gin and tonic once vodka became widely available and fashionable in the United States. Tonic water itself traces to 19th-century British colonial India, where officials mixed bitter, quinine-based anti-malarial tonic with soda and sugar to make it palatable, and British troops and administrators soon combined that tonic with their ration gin, producing the gin and tonic that the vodka version later imitates.
Vodka only became common in the American market in the mid-20th century, promoted through drinks like the Moscow Mule in the 1940s and 1950s, and once it displaced gin as the country's dominant clear spirit, bartenders and home drinkers began substituting it in the familiar tonic-water highball. The resulting vodka tonic became a standard low-fuss mixed drink rather than a bar creation tied to one date, place, or bartender, and it later gained pop-culture visibility through mentions in Ian Fleming's novel From Russia with Love and in Elton John's song "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."
FAQ
What is a vodka and tonic called?
It is called a Vodka and Tonic, sometimes shortened to a Vodka Tonic. Adding a lime wedge, as this build does, is sometimes described as a Vodka Tonic with lime, though it is still the same drink.
What is a dirty vodka tonic?
A dirty vodka tonic usually means adding a splash of olive brine to a Vodka and Tonic, borrowing the "dirty" term from a dirty martini. It is a variation rather than a separate standard recipe, and this build does not include the brine.
What is vodka, tonic water, and lime called?
That combination is simply a Vodka and Tonic, since the lime wedge is a standard garnish for the drink rather than a separate name. This build includes the lime wedge for that reason.
What is the ratio of vodka to tonic?
This build uses roughly a 5:12 ratio of vodka to tonic, so the tonic water makes up most of the glass. Less tonic gives a stronger pour, while more makes it milder and lighter.
What to mix with vodka and tonic?
Vodka and tonic water already make a complete two-ingredient drink, finished with a lime wedge for brightness. Some drinkers add mint leaves or a cucumber slice for extra aroma, but neither is part of this build.
How do you make the best vodka tonic?
Chill the glass, fill it with ice, and build the vodka and tonic water directly over it before finishing with a lime wedge. Pouring the tonic gently preserves its fizz, and squeezing the lime wedge over the top adds more aroma than dropping it in whole.
