Vodka Stinger
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 30.2% ABV ∙
The Vodka Stinger is a shaken two-ingredient sipper of vodka and white crème de menthe, a vodka riff on the classic brandy Stinger. Cool mint hits first and lingers, riding a clean, neutral spirit backbone with almost no sweetness to slow it down — a brisk after-dinner sip.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vodka 45 mlCrème de Menthe white 15 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a mint leaf floated or pegged to rim
Tips
- Pre-chill the coupe before straining — with no ice in the glass, a warm one dulls the mint-forward chill fast.
- Shake hard and fine-strain to keep the drink glassy clear, since any ice shards muddy the crisp mint finish.
- Measure the crème de menthe carefully; a heavier pour tips this vodka-forward build sweet and masks the spirit.
History
The Vodka Stinger, also called the White Spider, swaps vodka in for brandy in the classic Stinger, becoming fashionable as clear spirits rose in popularity through the 1950s and 1960s. No individual creator is documented for the switch; it simply followed drinkers' growing taste for vodka over brandy in that period. Its place in the era's cocktail culture was cemented when Elaine Stritch, playing Joanne in Stephen Sondheim's 1970 musical Company, called for a vodka stinger in the number "The Ladies Who Lunch."
The parent Stinger is older, tracing to the United States around 1890 and built from brandy shaken or stirred with white crème de menthe. It is thought to descend from The Judge, an earlier brandy and crème de menthe drink recorded in William Schmidt's 1892 book The Flowing Bowl, and it became a fixture of high-society drinking in New York before fading from fashion after the 1970s.
FAQ
What's in a Vodka Stinger?
Vodka and white crème de menthe, shaken with ice and fine-strained into a chilled glass, garnished with a mint leaf. It is a vodka-forward build, roughly three parts vodka to one part crème de menthe, giving a strong drink at about 30% ABV.
What is a Stinger at a bar?
A Stinger at a bar is typically a two-ingredient shaken cocktail of a base spirit and white crème de menthe, served up in a chilled glass with a mint garnish. The classic version uses brandy; this Vodka Stinger swaps in vodka for a lighter, cleaner spirit base.
Is the Stinger cocktail still popular?
It is less common on modern menus than in its mid-20th-century heyday, but it remains a recognized after-dinner classic that bartenders still know how to make. Vodka and other spirit variations, like this one, keep the format in circulation for drinkers who want a lighter alternative to the original brandy version.
