Keep it in your toolbox or drinks cabinet.

The Screwdriver…

… or, for anyone not into fancily named drinks, it’s just a regular old vodka and orange. The name comes from the fact that it was (allegedly) invented by American engineers working in the middle east in the 50′s, who slyly added vodka to cans of orange juice, and stirred it with a hand tool rather than a spoon.

Whatever you want to call it, you can’t really consider it to be a cocktail, it’s just a simple mixed drink. Having said that though, it’s really a bloody good mixed drink, which makes it, like the G&T, one of those classics that is eternally popular.

Notes on ingredients

All vodka is not created equal, and in a drink where there is only one other ingredient, you can really taste it. I would recommend Wyborowa, Absolut or Danska as good reasonably priced vodkas for everyday use.

You can either make your own orange juice, or buy it. If you are buying the juice, then make sure that it is 100% juice and not some kind of ‘nectar’ with added sugar.

The choice of clear juice or natural with all of the pulpy bits in it is personal. I like it with bits, but some people don’t.

How to make a Screwdriver

It’s so simple to make, it almost feels patronising to write any instructions.

You can mix the two ingredients in any proportion that you want really, but I personally like to drink it with a ratio of 2:1, two parts of orange juice for every one part of vodka.

I like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, although it’s not traditional.

With such a simple drink, there is really no need to shake, just give it a good stir.

Serve it in a tall glass, over big chunks of ice, and garnish it with a thin slice of orange floating on the top of the drink.