5 Ultra-Refreshing Cocktails To Beat The August Heat

A mere mention of the word “vodka” might elicit eye rolls from effete cocktail snobs, but that’s because — like Halle Berry in Catwoman — it’s been horribly, disastrously miscast. If anything, vodka’s the ultimate basic to scotch’s showpiece and totally versatile if used correctly.

So, we’ve taken five classic vodka cocktails — from the lowly screwdriver to the Moscow mule, which helped popularize the Russian spirit from the get-go — and customized them just a wee tad with a Miami twist, boosting vodka from humdrum hooch to sexy spirit. For these original creations, we used clean and refreshing Belvedere and the refined Icelandic Reyka vodkas. Do you need to be tempted any more? Cool off with one of these easy cocktails right now.