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Vodka Stinger
A crisp, minty after-dinner drink mixing vodka and white crème de menthe.
Base spirit
Vodka
Style
Digestif
Glassware
Old-fashioned glass
Technique
Shake
The Vodka Stinger modernizes the brandy-based classic by using vodka to strip away the dried-fruit warmth, leaving a piercingly cold, mint-forward profile. It functions as a powerful palate cleanser, with the vodka adding alcoholic weight to the sweet, cooling liqueur. Unlike the brandy version which feels like a nightcap, the vodka variation reads sharper and more bracing. It was a favorite of high-society drinkers in the mid-20th century.
Did you know?
“The Stinger was the favored nightcap of New York's upper class in the 1950s, often called the 'nightcap of the rich' before vodka became the standard base.”
Source:Wondrich, Imbibe!; Esquire archives
Bartender's Note
Serve over crushed ice ('frappé') to maximize the cooling effect of the mint.
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How to make the Vodka Stinger
- 1Add vodka and crème de menthe to a shaker with ice
- 2Shake vigorously
- 3Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice
- 4Garnish with a mint sprig if desired
