Missing 2
Tonight if you have Vodka and Orange Juice.
Missing: Vodka, Orange Juice
Vodka also goes into: Vodka Martini, Vodka Soda, Appletini
Ingredients
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Missing a bottle? Stock your pantry to see what else you can mix.
How to make
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour 2 oz vodka first so the juice does not foam over the rim.
- Top with 4–6 oz cold orange juice — fridge-cold juice keeps the drink from tasting thin.
- Stir until the color is even.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
- Fresh-squeezed juice is worth it if you have oranges; carton juice still makes the classic pantry version.
History
The Screwdriver is vodka and orange juice, nothing else. It showed up among American servicemen and engineers in World War II; the name is documented in Ankara by 1943–44 and in a 1949 Time piece on engineers in Istanbul. The colorful story is oil workers in the Persian Gulf stirring with actual screwdrivers because no spoons were around. Pour vodka first, then cold juice, so it mixes instead of fizzing over. A 2 oz to 4–6 oz split is the brunch highball, not a juice glass with a splash of spirit. If vodka and orange juice are already in the pantry, this is the two-ingredient drink to mix — no shaker, no liqueur, no garnish required beyond an orange slice.
Glassware
Built for long drinks with ice and a mixer — keeps the pour cold and easy to top up.
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Screwdriver FAQ
What ingredients are in a Screwdriver?
A Screwdriver is made with vodka and orange juice. Amounts and pantry matching are in the ingredients list on this page.
How do you make a Screwdriver?
Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour 2 oz vodka first so the juice does not foam over the rim. Top with 4–6 oz cold orange juice — fridge-cold juice keeps the drink from tasting thin. Stir until the color is even. Garnish with an orange slice. Fresh-squeezed juice is worth it if you have oranges; carton juice still makes the classic pantry version.
What glass do you serve a Screwdriver in?
Serve a Screwdriver in a Highball. Built for long drinks with ice and a mixer — keeps the pour cold and easy to top up.
Can I make a Screwdriver with bottles I already own?
Add your spirits and mixers in Pantry. My Cocktail Pantry will show whether this Screwdriver is ready to mix or which ingredients you are missing.
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