Pages

20181214

The SCREWDRIVER, A classic highball drink


A timeless highball classic, the Screwdriver is a drink that, like many of our cocktails, has a murky, debatable history. Most stories range back to the early 20th century with mentions of Turkish intelligence agents and engineers in clandestine bar meetings, World War II soldiers adding vodka to their reconstituted o.j., and even oil workers in the Persian Gulf mixing their vodka into their juice with a screwdriver because they lacked another convenient stir tool. 

Personally, I think it was invented by a overworked, under appreciated, bored and hungover mid-twentieth century housewife who spied a nearly empty bottle of vodka on the kitchen counter the morning after she and her hubby had thrown a cocktail party. "Waste not, want not" and that dribble of vodka went into her morning o.j. before the bottle went into the trash can. From that point on a little vodka in the juice was as accepted an accessory to her breakfast as her pearl choker was to her shirtdress.

The I.B.A recipe calls for 10 parts orange juice to 5 parts vodka. I like my Screwdriver a little less like diesel fuel and fresh juice is a must.

The
SCREWDRIVER

8 Oz. Fresh Orange Juice
1-1/2 Oz. Vodka

Glass: Highball

DIRECTIONS
Fill a chilled highball glass with ice cubes.
Add the vodka, add the orange juice, stir.
Garnish with an orange slice, serve. 

My Variations
SONIC SCREWDRIVER
DEATH BY SCREWDRIVER

Other Variations
HARVEY WALLBANGER
Fuzzy Navel: Peach Schnapps and orange juice.
Hairy Navel: Vodka, Peach Schnapps and orange juice.
Brass Monkey: Vodka, Dark Rum and orange juice.
Cordless Screwdriver: Shot of vodka, shot of orange juice.
Tang Banger: Vodka and Tang.
Poor Man's Screwdriver: Vodka and Sunny Delight.
Electric Screwdriver: Vodka, Tequila, energy drink and orange juice.
Slow Screw: Slow gin and orange juice.
Slow Comfortable Screw: Southern Comfort and orange juice.
Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against the Wall: Slow Gin, Southern Comfort, Galliano and orange juice.
Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against The Wall Mexican Style: Slow Gin, Southern Comfort, Galliano, Tequila and orange juice.
Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Fuzzy Wall: Slow Gin, Southern Comfort, Galliano, Peach Schnapps and orange juice.
Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Fuzzy Pink Wall: Slow Gin, Southern Comfort, Galliano, Peach Schnapps, Sparkling Rosè and orange juice.
(I know ... but I didn't name them!)

National Screwdriver Day is December 14th.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY