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Our Love Language is Food > Recipes > Beverages

Published: May 6, 2023 · Modified: Mar 13, 2025 by Meredith · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

How to Make a Vodka Press

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Looking for a light and refreshing drink to enjoy while the weather is hot? A simple vodka press cocktail is it! Made with vodka, lemon-lime soda, and club soda, this quick and easy cocktail may be your new favorite.

a vodka press cocktail in a tall rimmed glass, garnished with a slice of lime. another cocktail and a plate of lime slices sit in the background next to a silver jigger and bar spoon.

We’ve been loving the vodka press lately. It’s made with three simple ingredients that are bar staples, so you likely already have all the ingredients you need at home already!

In my opinion, this easy cocktail is a perfect DIY solution to those canned vodka sodas (think White Claw, High Noon, etc.). Play home bartender and save some money in the process too with the cost effective solution to these more expensive pre-made drinks.

If you love lower calorie cocktail recipes, be sure to try our skinny margarita, skinny pineapple margarita, and our paloma cocktail recipes too!

Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love This Vodka Press Recipe
  • Vodka Press Cocktail Ingredients
  • How To Make A Vodka Press
  • Variations and Substitutions
  • How To Serve A Vodka Press Drink
  • What to Serve With a Vodka Press
  • Vodka Press Drink Recipe FAQs
  • Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
  • Vodka Press Cocktail

Why You’ll Love This Vodka Press Recipe

Quick and easy to make! Measure, mix, and enjoy. It’s really that simple!

Made with common bar ingredients you likely already have. Vodka, club soda, and lemon-lime soda are all common ingredients found in home bars. And if you don’t happen to have them on hand, they’re easy to pick up.

Light and refreshing. The perfect sip for warm days.

Vodka Press Cocktail Ingredients

ingredients needed to make a vodka press cocktail.
  • Unflavored Vodka. Plain vodka is the base of this simple drink recipe.
  • Lemon-Lime Soda. This adds a little pop of citrus flavor and sweetness to this light and refreshing vodka cocktail. 
  • Club Soda. Club soda helps to keep this drink light on the calories while filling out the cocktail with substance and bubbles.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Helpful Equipment

Using a jigger to measure out your cocktail ingredients is always helpful. If you have a bar spoon as a part of your home bar, that will come in handy too.

How To Make A Vodka Press

process shot showing how to make a vodka press. a hand is just about to drop ice into a tall glass.

Step 1 – Fill a lowball glass with ice cubes. 

process shot showing how to make a vodka press. lemon-lime soda is being poured from a jigger into the glass.

Step 2 – Measure and pour vodka, lemon-lime soda, and club soda on top of the ice.

process shot showing how to make a vodka press. the cocktail is being stirred with a tall bar spoon.

Step 3 – Gently stir to combine, sip, and enjoy!

Variations and Substitutions

  • Garnish with fresh citrus. A lemon wheel, a slice of lime, a lime wedge, an orange slice, a lemon twist… you have lots of options! I personally love adding a little citrus into this cocktail recipe, and would recommend doing so.
  • Add fresh herbs as garnish. There are a few ways to do this.
    • Option 1: Garnish with a sprig of fresh hers like a sprig of mint or rosemary sprigs.
    • Option 2: If you wanted to really infuse fresh herb flavors into your vodka press, add the vodka plus fresh herb leaves into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. Strain into your serving glass over fresh ice and then continue
  • Top with a splash of fruit juice. Try a splash of cranberry juice, orange juice, or grapefruit juice. A squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice also goes a long way in this cocktail.
  • Use flavored vodka. This drink is great with fruity flavored vodkas. Grapefruit vodka, berry vodkas, citron vodka, etc. You could also use a cucumber vodka in this recipe if that’s your jam.
  • Try a different mixer. Not into lemon-lime soda? You could substitute with ginger ale if desired. Please note, this will change to flavor profile of your press cocktail.
  • Reduce calories by using diet soda. If you’re counting calories, using diet soda is a great option.

How To Serve A Vodka Press Drink

You can serve this classic cocktail in a lowball glass (sometimes called a rocks glass) or a highball glass. Use whatever cocktail glass you like! The images shown in this post use this tall ribbed drinking glass.

What to Serve With a Vodka Press

You have a lot of food pairing options that go well with your vodka press. Try enjoying your cocktail with one of the ideas noted below for an elevated drink experience.

  • Snacks: a simple plate of cheese and crackers or a fancy charcuterie board, mixed nuts, a veggie tray, or even chips and dip are all nice snacks that go well with this light and fizzy beverage.
  • Light Fare / Appetizers: a fresh green salad with a light vinaigrette, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, tea sandwiches, or a tomato tart are more elegant options to enjoy alongside your drink.
  • Meals: this light and limey cocktail goes great with tacos or Mexican dishes. Pulled salsa chicken tacos, crispy cornmeal fish tacos, or sheet pan veggie tacos are all great options.
a vodka press cocktail in a tall glass with a lime slice sitting on a plate with additional lime slices. the bottles and cans of ingredients sit in the background and a white linen sits in the foreground.

Vodka Press Drink Recipe FAQs

What is a press cocktail?

A press cocktail is made using equal parts lemon-lime soda (like 7-up or Sprite) and club soda.

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Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & comment below! You can also tag @ourlovelanguageisfood on Instagram & Facebook. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get free recipes sent directly to your inbox!

process shot showing how to make a vodka press. the vodka cocktail is being garnished with a lime slice.

Vodka Press Cocktail

Meredith
Light and refreshing, this Vodka Press recipe is made with three simple ingredients that you likely already have! Quick, easy, and perfect for sipping on warm days. A great substitute for those expensive canned hard seltzers.
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 3 minutes mins
Total Time 3 minutes mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1 Cocktail
Calories 121 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 oz vodka
  • 2 oz lemon-lime soda
  • 2 oz club soda
  • ice

Instructions
 

  • Fill a lowball or rocks glass with ice.
  • Measure and pour vodka, lemon-lime soda, and club soda on top of the ice.
  • Gently stir to combine.
  • Option to add garnish if desired (see notes below for ideas).

Notes

Recipe Variations and Substitutions
  • Garnish with fresh citrus. Add a slice of wedge of lemon, lime, or orange for additional flavor. 
  • Add fresh herbs as garnish. Add a sprig of fresh mint or rosemary before serving. Alternatively, if you wanted to really infuse fresh herb flavors into your vodka press, add the vodka plus fresh herb leaves into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. Strain into your serving glass over fresh ice and then continue
  • Top with a splash of fruit juice. Try a splash of cranberry juice, orange juice, or grapefruit juice. Or add a squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange juice.
  • Use flavored vodka. Swap plain vodka 1-for-1 with flavored vodka if desired. Great options include grapefruit vodka, berry vodkas, citron vodka, cucumber vodka, etc.
  • Try a different mixer. Not into lemon-lime soda? You could substitute with ginger ale if desired. Please note, this will change to flavor profile of your press cocktail.
  • Reduce calories by using diet soda. If you’re counting calories, using diet soda is a great option.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 0.1gSodium: 18mgPotassium: 2mgSugar: 6gCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.02mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    How many stars would you give this recipe?




  1. M. says

    May 09, 2023 at 10:22 am

    5 stars
    LOVE this with some lime slices, paired with tacos! So darn good. Definitely going to be making these all the time.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      May 09, 2023 at 11:32 am

      great pairing! so happy to hear you enjoy this one too.

      Reply
  2. Kathy says

    May 07, 2023 at 10:06 pm

    5 stars
    I’m calling it. This is the drink of summer for me. My summer will be light, crisp, and fun, just like this drank.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      May 08, 2023 at 11:51 am

      🙌🙌🙌 love this journey for you. cheers!

      Reply

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